Mainstreaming aims to change the culture and systems throughout an organisation so that equality is included in all daily activities and functions. 

Recognising that reducing inequalities is a long-term, strategic approach, the Falkirk Plan, developed by the Falkirk Community Planning Partnership, set out 6 priorities to focus on from 2021 to 2030:  

1. Working in Partnership with Communities  
2. Poverty  
3. Mental Health and Wellbeing  
4. Substance Use  
5. Gender-Based Violence  
6. Economic Recovery   

Achieving equality is not a quick fix, but requires time, resources, the support of specialist staff and the commitment of senior management. Mainstreaming is an effective way to ensure that Falkirk Council is delivering on its Public Sector Equality Duty, and we must respect, protect, promote and fulfil rights of the communities we serve. 

The Council Plan is set from 2022 – 2027, to reflect the current social, economic and environmental challenges that our area faces. The plan proposes a vision for the area and three new priorities: 

"Strong communities where inequalities are reduced and lives are improved" 

• Supporting stronger and healthier communities 
• Promoting opportunities and educational attainment and reducing inequalities 
• Supporting a thriving economy and green transition 

These plans evidence Falkirk Council’s approach to mainstreaming equalities by making it an integral part of their day-to-day operations.  

Deliver EPIA workshops and guidance

In 2024, we successfully delivered a series of Equality and Poverty Impact Assessment (EPIA) workshops. These sessions provided comprehensive guidance to staff on conducting effective assessments, ensuring that equality considerations are integrated into all decision-making processes. Feedback from 107 participants indicated an increase in confidence and competence in applying EPIA principles.

Review EPIA system

A thorough review of the EPIA system was conducted to identify areas for improvement. Based on the findings and feedback from users, we are developing a new system which is simpler and more user friendly. In the meantime, refreshed guidance supports staff to complete assessments accurately and consistently.

Re-establish equalities working group

The Equalities and Human Rights Working Group was re-established in January 2024 and brings together representatives from services to drive forward equalities agenda. The group meets regularly to review progress, share best practices, and develop new initiatives to promote equity, diversity and inclusion within Falkirk Council.

Deliver Equality and Human Rights training

Combined with the EPIA workshops, we delivered Equality and Human Rights training to all senior leadership team staff, focusing on applying theory into practice. The training covered key topics such as privilege, the legal responsibilities as Falkirk Council Officers and the process of completing Equality and Poverty Impact Assessments.

Improve Equalities Data

To better understand Falkirk's population and the protected characteristics of people who access our services, we introduced a standardised Equalities data form, based on the 2022 Scottish Census. Our updated privacy notice reflects this change.

British Sign Language Local Plan 2023-2029

In partnership with NHS Forth Valley, we updated our local British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029, implementing initiatives to promote the use of British Sign Language and improve access for British Sign Language users. 

Joint working with Health and Social Care Partnership

We have strengthened our joint working with the Health and Social Care Partnership to ensure a coordinated approach to addressing inequalities in the Falkirk Council area. The collaboration has supported progress in key areas such as the British Sign Language local plan, equalities monitoring data and language services.

Transformation, Communities and Corporate Services includes Finance, Governance, and Housing and Communities. From 2023 to 2025, we have developed and implemented the following strategic plans to embed equality principles into all aspects of our operations.

Building a Fairer Falkirk; 2024-2029

Progressing from previous work to addressing poverty and inequalities, this refreshed plan aims to advance equality of opportunity by tackling poverty, with a particular focus on those groups of people who are most likely to be impacted by it.

Building on previous work to address poverty and inequalities, this refreshed plan focuses on three outcomes

People are well informed about how they can maximise their income and reduce their living costs

People have access to the opportunities and integrated support they need to enter, sustain and progress into and within fair work

Transport is affordable, available and convenient.

Our engagement work focused on making sure that those with protected characteristics were well represented, and the actions proposed reflect the challenges they face. Our commitment to those groups is reflected within the strategy and will be borne out by the work to implement it.

Libraries Strategic Plan; 2023-2028

This refreshed plan aims to empower and inspire people to learn, explore, and use Library Services as a trusted source of information, entertainment, opportunity, and support.

Falkirk Council Libraries provide warm, safe, welcoming spaces that are free for everyone to access. Staff are trained in mental health awareness, child protection and trauma informed practice. They support individuals and families living with dementia and autism through various projects and training.

With trained staff, resources, and information available at all eight libraries and online, they offer opportunities for lifelong learning, job-seeking support, creative investigation, and self-development. Libraries host events and activities promoting understanding, engagement, learning, and kindness. They celebrate significant national and cultural anniversaries such as Black History Month, LGBT History Month, and Holocaust Memorial Day through exhibitions, author visits, talks, film shows, and children's activities.

Community Engagement Strategy; 2025-2028

The goal of this strategy is to create a strong base, improve relationships with communities, and build trust, communication, participation, and empowerment. Acting on feedback from the previous strategy, we have introduced an 18-month review to reflect on progress and any changes.

The Strategy makes sure that the voices and views of all groups and individuals are listened to, respected, and acted upon, in line with the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015, which mandates Local Authorities to inform, consult, engage, and empower residents in decisions affecting their lives and the Equalities Act (2010).

Community engagement is guided by principles of fairness, equality, and a commitment to continuous improvement, as outlined in the National Standards for Community Engagement. Effective community engagement enables all participants to understand and address the needs and issues of citizens and communities.

Local Housing Strategy; 2023-2028

In Falkirk, our Local Housing Strategy is a central part of our housing planning and partnership activities. It aims to make sure that every person in Falkirk can access high-quality housing and support and create vibrant and resilient communities. By making sure our housing and support services can adapt and respond to changing needs, we will also tackle challenges like climate change, and poverty.

The Local Housing Strategy was designed to support an equitable approach to housing. The priorities, outcomes, and actions outlined in the strategy aim to improve relationships with diverse communities and raise awareness of services such as Fuel Poverty assistance and Adaptations services.

Case Study: Housing and Communities

Advancing Equality through the Resettlement Team

The Resettlement Team in Falkirk welcomes New Scots arriving through the UK Resettlement Programme, Afghan Relocation Schemes, and the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. These individuals often flee their countries due to war or invasion and face significant challenges, including lack of legal status, employment, healthcare, and education.

The team aims to help these New Scots build new lives in Falkirk and support them to access essential services such as health, education, public funds, and employment. They also support people to integrate into the wider community reducing discrimination and prejudice.

Some of the specific areas of work include:

• Assisting New Scots in navigating services despite language barriers.
• Supporting families to learn English, volunteer, enter higher education, and obtain employment.
• Educating primary school pupils about refugees and myth busting, to help tackle bullying.
• Taking part in the Building Racial Literacy Programme to improve staff confidence to identify and implement anti-racist behaviours and processes in day-to-day practice.

The team's efforts to integrate New Scots into our area is an example of fostering good relations, where interactions between diverse communities help to reduce discrimination and prejudice. Through shared learning and adopting an anti-racist approach, the inequalities that refugee people (children, young people and adults) face are reduced giving them a better quality of life.

Place Services covers the areas of Environment, Operations, Growth, Planning, Sports and Culture, Investments, Assets and Climate.

Tourism Strategy

The primary aim of the Falkirk Tourism Strategy is to increase economic impact measured by visitor spend, which will lead to increased prosperity, profitable businesses and jobs in the Falkirk area. Increased economic impact will come from generating more value from visitors in the Falkirk area – by growing overall visits; encouraging stays from overnight visitors and longer stays from day visitors; and creating more opportunities to spend.

Visit Falkirk along with Falkirk tourism businesses, accommodation providers, and other tourism bodies, have previously run successful campaigns aimed at promoting accessible tourism. We will continue to target this market and other protected characteristic groups with Forth Valley partners as funding opportunities arise.

Helix Business Strategy

The strategy has a focus on sustainability by integrating it into site management. This includes promoting active travel, exploring Electric Vehicle charging, and encouraging travel between key locations such as The Helix, Rosebank Distillery, Falkirk Distillery, The Falkirk Wheel, Falkirk Town Centre and Callendar Park.

Priority areas:

• Continue to remain as a 5-star visitor attraction, retaining high sustainability values.
• Attract 1 million visitors annually and provide a quality experience for every visitor.
• Generate £1.75m in income from various trading opportunities such as catering, tours and retail.
• Deliver a vibrant, sustainable outdoor events program with less reliance on public sector funding.

We are delivering more types of activities on site to appeal to a wider range of age groups. Play area improvements and additional family-friendly activities add appeal for families, children and young people.

Our partnership with Cycling Without Age Scotland provides opportunities for people with mobility challenges to experience the full area of Helix Park and the Kelpies through bookable rides on Trishaws with experienced trishaw 'pilots'. We are also seeking to provide more volunteering opportunities for all ages and abilities, including a partnership with Carrongrange High School offering work experience in park management, catering and retail.

We are aiming to provide better site security through improvements to our CCTV system, additional volunteering opportunities, more family-friendly activities and other interventions across the park to make it a safer and more accessible place to be, and to provide a better experience for all our visitors. This includes better accessibility for parents and carers and more attractions for all the family.

We will continue to invest in the park to offer free and low-cost activities, play space, picnic space and events for all the family.

Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy

The Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy and associated delivery plan provides a long-term strategic framework for the decarbonisation of heat and the improvement of energy efficiency within domestic and non-domestic properties across the Falkirk Local Authority area. The key objective is to reduce fuel poverty and associated greenhouse gas emissions from energy consumption across the Falkirk area. Furthermore, it highlights areas of Falkirk where poor energy efficiency is a driver of fuel poverty and allows the Council to target awareness and engagement campaigns in these areas.

As mentioned, a key aim of the Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy is to reduce fuel poverty. Recent research identified groups that are more likely to be impacted by fuel poverty than others. These groups also fall under the protected characteristics within the Equalities Act 2010. These groups are as follows:

• Age – Children – Energy Action Scotland highlights 16% households in fuel poverty are families with Children.
• Age – older people – according to Energy Action Scotland 36% of households in fuel poverty are older households.
• Sex – Women – National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Guidance NG6 recommendation 2 highlights pregnant women as being vulnerable to living in a cold home.
• Disability – a briefing from Inclusion Scotland highlights that energy costs are disproportionately high for disabled people who may need to keep homes warmer to manage pain and mobility.

Part of the delivery of our Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy involves community engagement and awareness campaigns highlighting what energy improvement actions can be taken and where to get funding for these.

Furthermore, we are working to make available ECO4 and GBIS Flex funding streams. ECO refers to Energy Company Obligation Scheme and GBIS the Great British Insulation Scheme. The Flex element allows Local Authorities to widen criteria under the current ECO4 and GBIS so that more households benefit from the funding. There are a number of routes to qualify for this funding; however, it includes households on a combined annual income of less than £31,000 and households where a member has a medical condition that makes them vulnerable to living in a cold home.

The ECO4 and GBIS Flex funding will have a positive impact on those benefiting from the scheme by supporting them improve insulation, upgrade heating systems and adding solar panels, reducing their energy bills further. From research conducted into 6 Scottish Local Authorities that have this funding available, bill savings averaged £1,600 per household in 2023/24.

Active Travel Strategy

The vision of the Active Travel Strategy is that our communities are shaped around people, with walking, wheeling or cycling the most popular choice for everyday shorter journeys. The aim of the Strategy is to develop suitable options for most people to easily make local journeys by walking, wheeling or cycling. Each step towards this goal will have positive impacts for individuals, the community and the wider area.

The Active Travel Strategy is committed to improving inclusion for all to remove barriers to participation in active travel.

• We know that there are some groups of people who need additional support to access walking, wheeling and cycling, and we will ensure the needs of these groups are included in delivery of active travel projects.
• We are including all communities to make sure everyone is able to access services and opportunities across the District by sustainable modes.
• Small gaps in footway and path provision – even one step instead of a ramp, or a narrow pinch point caused by a barrier – can keep some people from using entire sections of route. Filling these 'gaps' is essential to making sure everyone has the option to make each journey they want to by walking, wheeling or cycling.
• Making it easier to travel by walking, wheeling and cycling means that people are not excluded if they do not drive or have access to a private vehicle. Children and young people under 17 cannot legally drive private cars, and 1 in 4 residents do not have access to a car or van. Investment and improvement to active travel routes and connections to public transport will improve their ability to move around the district and benefit independence and opportunities for young people.

Litter Strategy

The Falkirk Council Litter Strategy aims to create cleaner, safer, and more inclusive public spaces by reducing litter, fly-tipping, and dog fouling through education, enforcement, incentives, and community engagement. It seeks to promote long-term behavioural change by empowering residents, schools, and community groups to take an active role in litter prevention and environmental responsibility.

The strategy actively supports equalities mainstreaming by ensuring all residents, including those in disadvantaged areas, have access to clean, well-maintained spaces. The employment of a Waste Education Officer enhances education and inclusion, engaging schools and litter volunteers in sustainability initiatives. The introduction of Litter Lotto encourages responsible waste disposal across all communities, while ongoing resident involvement ensures the strategy remains responsive to local needs, fostering civic pride, accessibility, and public health benefits for all.

Case Study: Environment and Operations

Litter Strategy

Litter, fly-tipping, and dog fouling negatively impact the health, wellbeing, and quality of life of Falkirk residents, particularly in deprived areas where environmental conditions can worsen social inequalities. The Council aims to create clean, safe, and accessible public spaces, ensuring that all communities benefit from a healthier environment. However, achieving long-term behavioural change requires engagement, education, incentives, and accessible digital solutions to encourage responsible waste disposal.

Falkirk Council needed to ensure its Litter Strategy supports equalities mainstreaming by:

• encouraging underrepresented groups to engage in litter prevention and environmental responsibility
• enhancing accessibility to waste disposal and education on sustainability
• embedding community participation and local ownership in litter prevention efforts
• providing incentives, engagement tools, and digital access to encourage positive behaviour change.

The actions that were taken to implement the strategy have been:

• Employed a Waste Education Officer to lead education and inclusion initiatives, engaging with schools, volunteers, and community groups to promote environmental responsibility.
• Introduced 'Litter Lotto', an innovative incentive scheme that rewards responsible litter disposal by offering prizes to residents who properly dispose of waste, encouraging positive behavioural change across all demographics.
• Developed targeted litter prevention initiatives in key areas, ensuring accessible waste disposal points and inclusive engagement opportunities.
• Partnered with schools, community groups, and volunteers to deliver educational programmes and clean-up campaigns, embedding sustainability and civic responsibility.
• Targeted marketing campaigns including bus adverts, radio campaigns and wrapped litter bins strategically place to target litter on the go.
• Implemented Take Pride in Falkirk, a community-led initiative fostering ownership and stewardship of public spaces through litter-picking events, awareness campaigns, and ongoing engagement.
• Encouraged Falkirk residents to contribute to the strategy’s evolution, ensuring local voices shape its development and ongoing improvement, reinforcing community-led solutions to litter issues.
• Developed a new webpage and mobile app that consolidates all waste and litter services in one place, making information more accessible and user-friendly. The app includes GPS-style mapping, allowing residents to locate their nearest litter and recycling points, improving waste disposal efficiency and accessibility across the community.

As a result, we have seen:

• Increased participation from diverse communities, including youth, schools, and volunteers from underrepresented groups.
• Improved awareness and behaviour towards litter prevention and environmental responsibility, particularly among young people and those in areas of high deprivation.
• Higher engagement in litter disposal efforts due to the Litter Lotto incentive scheme.
• Enhanced reporting capability enables quicker response times to address litter, fly-tipping in key focus areas, improving overall environmental quality.
• Increased local ownership of the Litter Strategy, with residents actively contributing to its updates and evolution.
• The Local Environmental Audit and Management system audit for 2023/24 shows that 95.0% of sites in Falkirk Council are rated as acceptable surpassing the national score of 92.1% and the club score of 89.4%. This represents a 10-percentage-point improvement from Falkirk’s 2022/23 score, highlighting significant progress in maintaining cleaner public spaces.

The impact this approach has made has:

• Created cleaner, safer, and more inclusive public spaces, improving health and wellbeing for residents.
• Strengthened community cohesion and civic pride, empowering local people to take an active role in maintaining their environment.
• Promoted long-term environmental sustainability, embedding litter prevention into education, community initiatives, and council policies.
• Increased public engagement and accountability, ensuring that Falkirk’s Litter Strategy remains relevant and effective, shaped by those it directly impacts.
• Improved accessibility and digital inclusion, enabling more residents to engage with waste and litter services through the new mobile app and webpage.

Children’s Services includes Education and Social Work Children’s Services, which consists of Justice, Family Support, Workforce Development and Social Work.  

Falkirk’s Integrated Children's Services Plan; 2023-2026  

This Plan focuses on collaborative working across the partnership to improve outcomes for children and young people and families. 

Our Falkirk Integrated Children’s Services Plan is underpinned and informed by the key objectives set out in the National policy drivers; GIRFEC, The Promise, UNCRC and Whole Family Wellbeing. 

The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment and data from Care Inspectorate Framework Quality Indication 1.1 suggests the following priorities for Falkirk:  

• Domestic abuse  
• Poverty and Inequality  
• Substance and Alcohol use  
• Mental Health and Wellbeing

These priorities are progressed through six workstreams:  

• Children’s Rights and United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child UNCRC) 
• The Promise Implementation 
• Getting It Right For Every Child (GIRFEC) 
• Mental Health and Wellbeing 
• Young People’s Employability 
• Workforce Learning and Development 

Each workstream has an action plan and annual reporting ensures progress, allowing for reviews and feedback.  

Falkirk's Children’s Service Planning Partnership UNCRC Subgroup - Family of Measures; 2023-2026

By December 2026, we will ensure the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is fully implemented. This will make sure the rights of children and young people are respected and embedded in practice across Falkirk’s Children’s Services Planning Partnership.

The measures identified and progressed are:

Key Step 3: Building children’s and young people’s awareness and empowerment of UNCRC.

• Early Years: engagement with What Matters to Me and the GIRFEC wellbeing indicators; use of monitoring and tracking framework.
• Number of schools participating in the Rights Respecting Schools Award.
• Continuation of advocacy services from Third Sector

Key Step 2: Building activities that support children and young people to participate in and exercise their rights.

• Children and young people access Falkirk’s Children’s Rights Service; Falkirk’s Champions Board; Falkirk Youth Voice; Members of the Scottish Youth Parliament
• Falkirk Council’s Children and Young People group; individual establishment and cluster groups; opportunities through projects with Falkirk Council partners and external partners
• Early Years – child-led planning that allows children to make informed decisions and choices

Key Step 5: Building parents and carers awareness of UNCRC.

• UNCRC sessions offered for parents and carers
• UNCRC raising awareness session from Education Scotland
• UNCRC Additional Support Needs session offered at Carrongrange High School by Enquire
• Leaflet sent to all schools to raise awareness amongst parents and carers
• Parent Club Children’s Rights leaflet

Key Step 5 and 6: Building organisations and services awareness and capacity of their duties around UNCRC incorporation.

• Engagement and work with Scottish Government’s Service Improvement sessions
• Consultation on Scottish Public Services Ombudsmen Child Friendly Processes
• Consultation on non-statutory guidance across Strategic Leadership Team
• Education: UNCRC links within all establishments
• Career-Long Professional Learning sessions for staff across the Regional Improvement Collaborative
• What matters to me poster; driver diagram; support visits around UNCRC
• Elected members briefings
• Heads of Establishment (in education) briefings
• Ongoing work with Equalities and Human Rights
• Continuation of advocacy services from Third Sector

Identified next steps include developing a communication strategy, creating trauma informed spaces for children and young people and building further understanding of the UNCRC for adults involved. Ensuring this children’s-rights based approve, we will improve participation and engagement through Falkirk Youth Voice and the online platform of Participate +.

Falkirk Child Protection Committee, Business and Improvement Plan; 2023-2026

The Child Protection Committee is responsible for developing, implementing and improving Child Protection strategy across agencies and the local community. The committee aims to support staff and the public to ensure all children in Falkirk are protected from abuse and neglect. The key roles of the committee include:

• Public information, engagement, and participation.
• Strategic planning and connections.
• Continuous Improvement and Quality Assurance

The Child Protection Committee Business and Improvement Plan combines our priorities into one plan, building on previous plans. To ensure Falkirk's children are safe and their needs are met, the 6 agreed strategic priorities are:

1. Assessment and planning of risk and need is timely, proportionate, and integrated within the Getting It Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) continuum.
2. Staff in Children and Adult Services have appropriate knowledge, skills and learning opportunities underpinned by the GIRFEC approach.
3. The Child Protection system is effectively resourced, and pressures are recognised and mitigated.
4. Children and their families are involved in decision making and service design, and their expectations are met.
5. The Child Protection system is continuously evaluated, and quality improvement approaches make an impact.
6. Multi-agency policy and guidance is reviewed and implemented to deliver best practice.

Case Study: Social Work

Falkirk Safe and Together Practitioner Survey Report

The Improvement Service supported the Barnardo's Equally Safe Service in partnership with Aberlour and Falkirk Council to consider the impact of domestic abuse-informed systems and practice through the roll out of the Safe and Together Model across Falkirk.

Practitioners gave examples of how the Safe and Together Model has supported better relationships with families experiencing domestic abuse across the Falkirk area. For example, one practitioner explained how this model has supported holding perpetrators accountable:

"I was able to provide a supporting statement for a woman who was being coercively controlled by [the] perpetrator in the civil courts in relation to child contact which meant I was able to highlight perpetrator's pattern of behaviour so sheriff had clear information about the impact on the children and woman."

“I am able to explain how his behaviour is impacting all the different areas in her life. Reminding the woman that his choices to use substances and keep control of the finances are not her fault. They are his choices and he needs to take accountability. This perpetrator is trying to get the woman to feel sorry for him and return to the family home…”

Another critical aspect is about building trust with survivors for them to feel heard and supported:

“Survivors feel validated and listened to, maybe for the first time since sharing their experiences. Children and Young people have been able to share their views.”

“I think our enhanced understanding of domestic abuse and the safe and together model has been reassuring for the women we support. They know we understand their experiences, are non-judgemental…”

“Survivors and young people feel listened to and not blamed, this has resulted in survivors meaningfully engaging with support for the first time as they feel listened too, championed and not judged.”

“Parent felt heard and knew she didn't have to act through fear of children being taken, knew she had support and a network for if and when she felt strong enough to leave.”

“Yes it is much more supportive of the non-offending parent and helps them to understand and more willing to accept support.”

“I think relationships with victims is better due to the change of language being used. This has helped build a more trusting relationship where victims are not feeling as judged and are usually less scared of losing care of their children.”

Even though there have been largely positive reflections from practitioners, responses also highlighted that there are still gaps when it comes to the consistent implementation of the model in practice across services.

Education has a wide remit within Falkirk, including facilities management, resources, forward planning, inclusion and wellbeing, additional support for learning, early years and education psychology.

Parental Engagement Strategy

The aim of this strategy is to continue to strengthen parental engagement and involvement in school life, to help make sure parents and carers are fully supported to be involved in the life and work of their child's school or early learning and childcare setting and engage in their child's education throughout their learning journey.

The priority areas of this strategy are to:

• support parents to engage in their children and young people's learning digitally
• increase opportunities for parents to learn alongside their children and young people
• engage parents more regularly to support improving the work of their child or young person's school
• provide relevant supports to parents through our established parent groups (including Parent Councils and the Falkirk Area Parent Forum).

Transgender Guidance for Schools

This guidance was created by a group that included secondary school, primary school, central staff and an Education Scotland representative. The guidance includes advice for schools in how to meet the needs of young people and their families, frequently asked questions and practical examples. Schools are using this guidance during the 2024-25 academic year and offering feedback so it can be finalised.

Accessibility Strategy

Within our Additional Support Needs service, central officers have consulted with a range of stakeholders to develop our Accessibility strategy for the next three years. This policy is ready to enter the next stage of consultation via Participate Plus to ensure children, young people, parents and partners have their opinion heard. To improve educational outcomes for all children and young people throughout Falkirk we will ensure that the particular needs of children and young people with a disability or Additional Support Need, are recognised and we will:

• Strive to deliver services that are accessible to all.
• Reduce communication barriers to accessing services and facilities across our education provisions.
• Reduce physical barriers to accessing services and facilities.

A draft Action Plan has been developed, and this will form part of the ongoing consultation to look at how we meet our objectives and ensure equality of access for all.

Inclusion and Equity Framework

This policy supports practitioners by emphasising the importance of developing positive relationships, equity, acceptance, and inclusion at all levels. The following guiding principles have been developed which underpin our work:

• Relationship-based practice will be the core value in all our establishments.
• Pedagogical approaches should be flexible, creative, and inclusive to meet pupil needs so that everyone can participate.
• Our supports and strategies focus on tuning the physical and social environment. Establishing structures, routines and implementing learner- centred approaches to enhance motivation and engagement will be vital.
• Everyone is aware of the legal duties with regards to equality, children's rights, Additional Support Needs legislation and the ongoing professional development supports this.
• Measures are in place to support the protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act.
• The 'Lens of Inclusion’ will be used to establish a shared understanding and measure the impact of this approach on the outcomes for children and families.
• We use encouraging and inclusive language. Derogatory or discriminatory language is always challenged.
• Children and young people from all backgrounds can see themselves reflected without bias, judgement, or stereotypes. Everyone feels they belong and can be themselves.
• Staff and young people feel safe and empowered to talk about any issues they may have and to challenge issues or language related to equality and inclusion.
• Children and young people participate in decision making that supports their wellbeing, equality, inclusion, and learning.
• Support and resources are available for staff, children, young people, and families, to help them promote equality, inclusion, and children’s rights.
• Practitioners are supported to develop and improve their inclusive practice through effective use of the Falkirk Staged Intervention Framework.

Case Study: Additional Support Needs Ambassadors

Larbert Village Primary School

Inclusion, rights and respect are fully embedded in our Early Learning Centre and School culture and ethos, underpinning every aspect of school life. This is crucial to effectively meet the needs our community of learners who have a disability and/or additional support need, as well as fostering good relationships. understanding and compassion between those who have a disability and those who do not.

Initially led by staff who attended training in disabilities/Additional Support Needs specific to our learners, we developed capacity throughout the wider staff team. Self-evaluation then identified a need to learn from our young people and to hear their unique experiences. As a result, we began work on developing leadership skills with young people diagnosed with dyslexia, who then became 'Dyslexia Ambassadors'. They shared their lived experience through PowerPoint and talks at assemblies, then visited the Early Learning Centres/classes to discuss this further and answer questions. Feedback was positive from both the ambassadors who felt proud of themselves, and their peers who had a better understanding. A few younger children said they aspired to be an ambassador in the future.

Through working with our young people and families, the Dyslexia Ambassadors have now become part of a broader team of enthusiastic ‘ASN Ambassadors’ who are role models, share their experiences with their peers, and plan events such as ‘Neurodiversity Celebration Week’. All classes are involved in celebration weeks from Early Learning to P7, and parents are able to participate when they come to parents’ evening. Photographs and posters are also prominently displayed in classes and common areas.

For those young people who are not ready to share their lived experience, we work with parents to advocate on their behalf. This was recently done discreetly by a class teacher for a young person with diabetes, who wanted peers to know information about their condition but wasn’t yet ready to share their individual experience. Older ASN Ambassadors will mentor younger peers so that the role continues to grow and foster positive relationships throughout the school community.

Staged Intervention Framework

The Additional Support Needs service have developed a comprehensive guide for schools bringing together a detailed guide to supporting children and young people, case studies, an A-Z of support and a guide to training opportunities for practitioners and support staff. Alongside this guidance, the service worked with Enquire (Children in Scotland) to develop training modules for support staff working in education. This supports staff in education establishments to understand their statutory duties in relation to additional support needs under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

Case Study: Parents Plus Early Years' Programme

The Early Years, Additional Support Needs and Educational Psychology Services have worked collaboratively to offer the Parents Plus Early Years’ Programme to all families with children in the early years. The programme combines a social-learning group model of support with a solution-focused preventative framework that builds on parents’ strengths.

Since May 2023 staff have ran four programmes with 41 families of children aged 2-5 who have Additional Support Needs. Two programmes have been run by Early Years’ staff for 18 families. Any adult who has a significant role in a child’s upbringing can attend a programme.

In December 2024 the Senior Educational Psychologist (Early Years) and the Additional Support Needs Teacher (Early Years) became the first people in Scotland to achieve accreditation in this programme, broadening how and to whom it can be delivered.

Data is routinely gathered to help ensure that there is equity for all families in accessing the programme and the approach to recruitment is adapted to best meet the needs of all families.

Families report that the programme provides them with the knowledge, strategies and confidence they need to better support their children and improve outcomes for their whole family.

Parent of 2-year-old with Additional Support Needs attending a Parents Plus Early Years Group recorded the following in their child’s Learning Journal:

"I attended a Parents Plus Group at the end of October 2023 and it lasted 7 weeks.

I didn’t realise how much it would change my relationship with my child as the group taught me some strategies to help bond and understand them in a better way. The group leaders went at our pace and didn’t rush us through it.

We learned about the pause button (which has helped me in a massive way) and ways to help me deal with my child as they are non-verbal.

The group helped me to understand more about myself as a person as well as a parent.

I didn’t realise how much I had changed as a person and as a parent and I couldn’t thank the group enough for that.

Me and my child are much better together now as a team, and I feel much happier now as I can understand and help them a lot more."

Falkirk Council Licensing Board deals with the granting of licences for the sale and supply of alcohol and for various gambling activities. The members of the Board are local members who are appointed by Falkirk Council. Applications are made to the Licensing Section who provides the day-to-day administrative support to the Board.

The requirement for Licensing Boards to produce an Equality Mainstreaming and Equality Outcomes report lies in the Equality Act 2010 and the specific duties which are imposed by The Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012. Falkirk Licensing Board adopted Falkirk Council Outcomes for the period of 2021-2025 and plans to continue this approach for 2025-2029.

As a Licensing Authority, Falkirk Council remains committed to promoting equality and inclusivity within its licensing functions. Progress in mainstreaming equality within our licensing activities from 2023 to 2025 has been limited, however we have identified the challenges and areas of improvement. We will learn from these experiences and implement actions to better integrate equality principles into our licensing processes.

Statement of Licensing Policy

The new Licensing Board was appointed in November 2023. 

Training of Licensing Board Members took place in 2023.

Under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, applicants for a premises or provisional premises licence must provide a Disabled Access and Facilities Statement. This statement details how accessible the venue is for disabled people, including information on ramps, accessible floors, signage, and other facilities. The requirement aims to ensure that disabled individuals can access information about the accessibility of a venue before visiting it. While the statement does not compel venues to provide specific aids, it raises awareness among applicants about the importance of accessibility and encourages them to consider improvements.

Licensing officers at Falkirk Council provide essential support to individuals with learning or language barriers to ensure they can successfully complete their application tests. This support includes offering one-to-one assistance, where officers take the time to explain the questions in a clear and accessible manner. By breaking down complex information and using plain language, they help applicants understand the requirements and processes involved.

Case Study: Sensory Impairments in Premises

The Licensing Board was reviewing its policy and aimed to increase the number of consultees for future consultations. They reached out to the Forth Valley Sensory Centre to engage with individuals who have sensory impairments that could be incorporated into the Licensing Board's policy and presented to the Board for consideration.

Officers met with the sight loss ambassador at the Sensory Centre, who introduced them to other staff members with various sensory challenges. One of the main concerns highlighted was the increased use of outdoor areas in front of pubs/restaurants who had permission to use part of the public footpath. This was a legacy of the pandemic when outdoor drinking had proven popular. An unintended consequence however was that some outdoor drinking layouts had proven to be particularly challenging for someone with sight impairment as there could be seating /tables present and removed the next day. Challenges also arose when a guide dog was accompanying its user as the dog could easily get confused or tangled in and around the chairs if there were no external barrier around the approved area. Laura also commented on dimly lit premises and the difficulties this can present in reading menus/signs.

The presentation raised awareness among Board members about the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals in alcohol licensed premises. The impact of this is evident in the questions posed to applicants at Board meetings in relation to challenges encountered by visually impaired individuals and similar questions raised by Board Members at site visits to licensed premises.