This page gives some examples of the types of work which we have carried out in different policy areas, but it is only a small number of examples of all of our projects. Further details of the work which we have carried out in particular policy areas can be found by clicking on “past projects” on our home page.
Much of the work of RHA has a focus on equalities issues and the company has a strong commitment to this area of work. One of the Directors has a specific professional background in equalities, and all of the research staff have a thorough understanding of equalities issues. Generally, the recognition of equalities issues, and the importance of the promotion of equality underpins the work that we do. We have an Equality Policy to which all staff and subcontractors must adhere. We are committed to the involvement of people from communities of interest in research, and recognise that they are likely to have the most appropriate expertise and to be able to provide advice which will enhance the work.
General equalities work has included:
- Policy scoping work (much of which has a focus on mainstreaming equality).
- A review of public bodies' progress on Ministerial priorities in relation to gender equality (tackling domestic abuse and tackling occupational segregation).
- An examination for the Scottish Parliament of stakeholder views of equalities work in Scotland since devolution.
- An examination of public attitudes to equalities issues in Scotland.
- An examination of the issues facing people from equality groups who experience mental health problems.
- Development of good practice guidance in consultation with equalities groups.
- An examination of good practice in community engagement from an equality perspective.
- A major study of diversity in public appointments.
- Equality audit work for a local authority.
Violence against women work including: reviews of progress in tackling domestic abuse; exploratory research with women experiencing violence; policy work and literature reviews; support to the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse in the Development of the National Strategy; support to organisations to develop violence against women and domestic abuse strategies; evaluation of initiatives (e.g. the pilot domestic abuse court in Glasgow); evaluation of funding (e.g. the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund).
Children and parenting including: analysis of responses to the Scottish Government consultation on the Child Poverty Strategy in Scotland; studies of childcare needs; evaluation and mapping of projects and initiatives providing support to parents.
Transport, including: work to explore women's transport issues and to evaluate a women's safe transport initiative in Fife.
Criminal justice and women offenders, including: a research programme for the Scottish Prison Service focusing on women prisoners and an examination of the needs of women prisoners in Scotland; interviews and group discussions with women prisoners as part of other studies.
Employment, training and development, including: a review of progress being made by public bodies in addressing occupational segregation; evaluation of a women's development programme; identification of domestic abuse training needs and the development of training options; and work to explore training needs and opportunities in a geographical area.Examples include:
Development of race equality strategic work, including: working with the national Race Equality Review Advisory Group to consider the findings from the Government's review; providing support to the process of developing an action plan for the integration of refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland.
Evaluations of a range of race equality initiatives, including: the International Centre; Fife Community Interpreting Service; a training project by Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance; an EU funded project working with members of ethnic minority communities; an 'Equality Pays' project; and progress by service providers in Fife against a previous research report which identified a number of barriers to access to services for ethnic minority groups.
Work relating to the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, including: work to identify training needs; and a consultation process on the preparation of codes of practice for the Act.
Funding, including: a review of funding support to ethnic minority voluntary sector organisations.
Consultation with ethnic minority communities, including: work to arrange and facilitate consultation meetings with people from ethnic minority communities; provision of support to REAF (by facilitating stakeholder groups to help to develop an action plan); and carrying out the analysis of a written consultation and the outcomes of stakeholder discussions as part of the race equality review.
Criminal justice issues, including: an examination of the use of stop and search by police forces in Scotland.Examples include:
Independent living work, including: a policy scoping study for the Disability Rights Commission and follow-up work for the Equality and Human Rights Commission; an examination of key issues in Independent Living; research to identify the work being undertaken by user-led organisations; and the provision of research support to Independent Living in Scotland.
Access to services, including: a study of short breaks (respite care) planning and provision in Scotland; work for the Scottish Government to explore the support and training needs of people who employ personal assistants, as well as PAs themselves; Scotland-wide work to identify transport issues for disabled people; studies focusing on the housing needs of disabled people and their involvement in tenant participation; research into users' experiences of home care and occupational therapy service use; evaluations of single shared assessment procedures; research into community safety issues affecting disabled people; and studies of employment issues affecting disabled people.Crime, including: a study of the policy and practice of Community Safety Partnerships in Scotland in relation to hate crime issues for disabled people and LGBT people.
Employment issues, including: examining barriers to employment for people with mental health problems; and the evaluation of a co-worker project.
Evaluation work, including: a service providing support to prisoners with mental health problems; the SPS Choose Life initiative; a pilot advice service on disability issues to Registered Social Landlords participating in shared equity; Dunfermline Forum on Disability; Sportslink for disabled young people; the work of Rymonth Housing Association; and other initiatives and projects.Examples include:
Funding, including: work with Beyond Barriers to assist in developing a funding strategy for the LGBT voluntary sector.
Health and mental health, including: work with the Fife Men Project to examine mental health, suicide and self-harm amongst LGBT people in Fife.
Community safety, including: a study of the policy and practice of Community Safety Partnerships in Scotland in relation to hate crime for disabled people and LGBT people.Examples include:
Disability equality issues, including the projects detailed earlier, many of which are relevant to older people.
Community Care , including: evaluations of the home care service in Fife; work on day care services, including an evaluation of provision through Arden House projects in Fife and the feasiblity of centralising day centre services in part of central Fife.
Residential services, including: an examination of aspects of residential care for older people and an analysis of a review of residential services in Fife, South Lanarkshire and Aberdeenshire.
IT use, including: an examination of the consequences of exclusion from activities as a result of lack of access to IT.
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Offending / re-offending, including: an analysis of responses to a major consultation on reducing re-offending in Scotland; the provision of research support to the Solicitor General’s working group on information sharing about sex offenders (ISSG); and reviews of particular issues and initiatives.
Evaluation work, including: housing projects supporting prisoners and ex-prisoners in Scotland; the Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems; SPS initiatives; the pilot domestic abuse court; the Breaking the Cycle fund; and the remit and functioning of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons in Scotland.
Issues for victims and witnesses of crime, including: an audit of services; a literature review on vulnerable and intimidated witnesses; and a study of the policy and practice of Community Safety Partnerships’ responses to hate crime against disabled people and LGBT people.
Issues for prisons and prisoners, including: exploratory and evaluation work on a wide range of issues.
Community safety, including: evaluation of a range of initiatives.
Domestic abuse, including: reviews of progress in tackling domestic abuse; exploratory research with women experiencing violence; policy work and literature reviews; support to the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Abuse in the Development of the National Strategy; support to organisations to develop violence against women and domestic abuse strategies; evaluation of initiatives (e.g. the pilot domestic abuse court in Glasgow); evaluation of funding (e.g. the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund).
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Health
Examples include:
Health-related consultations, including: analyses of responses to Government consultations on Health for All Children in Scotland; the Plan for Action on Alcohol Misuse in Scotland; the Draft Strategy for Physical Activity in Scotland; and the Draft Walking Strategy.
Partnership models for assessment and care, including: an evaluation of the 'New Ways' project (an initiative developing a package of resources to meet health needs).
Mental Health, including: an examination of mental health, suicide and self-harm among LGBT people in Fife; an evaluation of the Scottish Prison Service Choose Life work; research on key issues relating to the stigma and discrimination which affects people in equality groups who experience mental health problems.
Voluntary and community health, including: an examination of sustainability issues for voluntary and community health organisations.
Health issues for young people, including: a summary of health and other issues arising in focus groups held with young people.
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Social work services
Self Directed Support , including: research to explore the support and training needs of people who employ personal assistants as well as PAs themselves .
Homecare, including: evaluations of service needs and users’ views of provision.
Criminal justice, including: a wide range of work discussed previously.
Occupational therapy services, including: examination of service users’ views of the service.
Partnership models for assessment and care, including: an evaluation of the 'New Ways' project (an initiative developing a package of resources to meet health needs).
Residential care for older people, including: an analysis of a review of residential services in Fife, South Lanarkshire and Aberdeenshire.
Evaluation, including: assessment of specific posts within social work services.
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Funding issues
Examples include:
Impact of funding, including: an evaluation of the impact of Big Lottery funding on the capacity of organisations of and for disabled people; an examination of the impact of VAF funding on key government priorities.
Funding information, including: preparation and updating of a database of rural grants.
Strategic issues, including: an evaluation of the Scottish Executive Lead Funder project; the provision of support to a Government review of funding for the voluntary sector; and an evaluation of the Domestic Abuse Service Development Fund.
Funding needs, including: the examination of funding needs and provision to ethnic minority and LGBT organisations.
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Housing services
Examples include:
Rough sleepers and homelessness, including: an evaluation of the Rough Sleepers' Initiative; and work with local authorities to identify homelessness issues.
Tenants’ and residents’ issues, including: work with tenants and residents associations; and a study of the involvement of disabled people in tenant participation.
Housing needs, including: work for local authorities relating to identifying specific aspects of local housing needs.
Evaluation work, including: an advice service on disability issues to RSLs in Scotland; and the evaluation of a draft good practice guide.
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Transport
Examples include:
Issues affecting disabled people, including: a study of transport issues for disabled people in Scotland and a follow-up study to examine work to address the transport needs of disabled people in Scotland, following the earlier piece of exploratory research; research for Dunfermline Forum on Disability relating to the transport needs of disabled people in Fife; and the provision of support to the Scottish Accessible Transport Alliance.
Issues for women, including: a study of transport issues affecting women; and a study of safety issues for women.
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Economic development and labour market issues
Examples include:
Poverty and deprivation, including: an analysis of responses to the Scottish Government consultation on the Child Poverty Strategy; and work to develop indicators of deprivation in Fife.
Strategic work, including: an economic audit of the Fife economy; and the development of a submission supporting Development Area status for parts of Fife.
Export and International Trade, including: analyses of Fife International Trade Survey data; and analysis of the Fife Export Survey.
Issues for small businesses, including: research into the use of support services by small businesses.
Community capacity in rural areas, including: an examination of poverty in rural areas; and the evaluation of an initiative to develop access to services through community empowerment.
Work-life balance issues, including: the preparation of material relating to 'Work-Life Balance' issues.
Equality issues including: an evaluation of an employment equality initiative and ESF Objective 3 projects.
Programmes, including: a review of progress with Fife Skillseekers.
Further details can be provided of work in any of these areas, but the above summaries provide an indication of the types of work which RHA can undertake.
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