Protected Characteristics Focus Groups
Purpose of Engagement
Between October and December 2024, Shetland Islands Council’s Community Planning & Development Service and the Planning and Policy Service of NHS Shetland ran focus groups to bring people together who share at least one protected characteristic. The protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
These groups provided a platform for participants to share the challenges and opportunities they face, as well as suggestions for improvements.
The purpose was to gather lived experiences from individuals with protected characteristics, to drive real life improvements for those who experience discrimination and disadvantage in Shetland.
What was the desired outcome?
To improve outcomes for those with protected characteristics who experience discrimination and disadvantage in Shetland, through the Equality Outcomes and Mainstreaming Report. The report helps to ensure that the Council’s plans are informed by real experiences by taking action on issues identified from local focus groups.
What was already known?
The team looked at existing data from the Census and Scottish Household Survey and explored this through a protected characteristic lens. This helped the team to clarify what was already known and was broken down to a local level where possible.