Case studies

Last Updated: 20 August 2025

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SQA Young Talent Strategy: Building Inclusive Culture – Read more

Context: SQA identified need to create more inclusive pathways for young people and change recruitment culture.

Approach: Developed comprehensive Young Talent Strategy 2024-25 focusing on cultural change and capability building.
SQA: Comprehensive data and employee network approach – Read more
Context: SQA needed robust data to understand workforce equality demographics and make informed decisions that advance equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Approach: SQA implemented comprehensive equality policies and established clear accountability structures for workforce diversity monitoring and employee networks.

Implementation – Data Matters campaign:
- Collaborated with employee networks to align equality data questions with Scotland’s Census 2022
- Developed a ‘Data Matters’ campaign that increased colleagues completing their equality data on internal systems
- Employee networks provided concrete examples of how data had been used, such as evidence of success in the Disability Confident scheme
Impact:
- Achieved over 80% equality data declaration rates across all categories
- Recorded an increase in interviews offered to disabled applicants who met minimum requirements
- Over one hundred staff identified as unpaid carers, leading to development of a Carers Network
- Created a Carer Support Hub and carers policy
- Delivered internal awareness raising workshops to understand carer needs
Key learning:
- Employee networks must have clear connections to data collection and business improvement
- Networks should reflect preferred language and terminology of their communities
- Data campaigns are more effective when led by employee networks themselves
- Regular monitoring and adaptation based on network insights drives meaningful change
(Source: SQA Equality Mainstreaming Report 2023-25 )
Advanced

SQA: Removing digital barriers in exams through Equality Impact Assessment – Read more

Context:
ICT forms an integral part of learning, teaching, and assessment. SQA had stringent security restrictions on internet connectivity for devices used in assessment, which had been designed as standards for Windows devices. Following the COVID pandemic, centres increasingly purchased iPads and Chromebooks — more affordable and suited to learning and teaching — which require internet connectivity to operate. This created a situation in which learners were learning on Apple or Chromebook devices distributed by local authorities but were being assessed on less familiar Windows devices. For learners who relied on digital assistive technology (such as screen readers or colour personalisation), this created a specific and identifiable barrier, as some assistive technologies were only available on Chromebook or Apple systems that could not operate without an internet connection.

Approach:
SQA carried out an Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) of its ICT security policy for assessment, using research and consultation with learners and specialist groups to identify the differential impact of its existing requirements on disabled learners and others. The findings were used to revise the policy.
Advanced

SQA: Treating Care Experience as a protected characteristic in policy and practice – Read more

Context:
As a named Corporate Parent under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, SQA has specific legal duties and responsibilities to care-experienced people, including taking action to tackle discrimination they face. Care-experienced people, their supporters, and others — including Who Cares? Scotland — have called for Care Experience to become a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010. SQA recognised that it could act to treat Care Experience as a protected characteristic within its own processes without waiting for a change in law, and that doing so would help it meet its existing Corporate Parenting responsibilities.

Approach:
SQA made a commitment to ensuring its policies consider Care Experience as a protected characteristic. It did this primarily by updating its Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) process and staff training to incorporate the needs of care-experienced people, and by aligning its Corporate Parenting and equality and diversity workstreams.
SQA: Young talent strategy innovation – Read more
Context: SQA identified a need for more development pathways for colleagues under 28 to ensure they feel valued and can build careers at SQA.

Approach: SQA revised and realigned their Young Talent Strategy for 2024-25 to create more inclusive recruitment and development practices.

Implementation:
- Revised recruitment training to provide valuable feedback for young colleagues’ development
- Secured commitment from hiring managers to recruit based on work activity experience rather than years in position
- Developed a Skills Matrix (a tool used to assess and track employees’ skills and competencies) for young talent to identify development opportunities
- Created Young Talent Career Development Mentoring Programme pairing young colleagues with experienced staff
Impact:
- Five new Modern Apprentices hired in August 2024 and six additional vacancies advertised in March 2025
- Six new Foundation Apprentices and five new Career Ready Interns in 2024
- Eight new Young Talent Career Development Mentoring partnerships
- 18 new members of the Young Talent Network
- Achieved Investors in Young People Gold accreditation
Key learning:
- Removing barriers based on years of experience opens opportunities for young talent
- Mentoring programmes create valuable knowledge transfer
- Recognition schemes validate and encourage continued improvement
(Source: SQA Equality Mainstreaming Report 2023-25 )
Advanced

Supporting Care Experienced Children and Young People in Edinburgh – Read more

A case study describing how the City of Edinburgh Council is embedding a children’s rights-based approach to support care-experienced children and young people. It covers whole-systems approaches aligned with The Promise, partnership work with Who Cares? Scotland, professional learning for school staff, and a range of targeted programmes including mentoring, outdoor learning, and therapeutic support.
Foundation

The FAIR approach – putting a human rights based approach into practice – Read more

A guide to the FAIR approach for applying human rights standards and principles, including a diagram demonstrating good practice impact assessment and case studies showing FAIR approach implementation.
Foundation

The PANEL principles – Human Rights Based Approach – Read more

A video series explaining PANEL principles for taking a human rights based approach, providing an accessible introduction to systematic human rights implementation.

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