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a 'minifesto' on women and Scotland's public services

Both carers and users

Women make up 52% of the population of Scotland.

As employees and service users of our public services, they represent the majority. Under a Scottish Parliament, the development and improvement of our public services will benefit women in many ways. Scotland's public services must work for women, be accountable to them, and listen to what women have to say.

Giving women a say in their services

Women should have an involvement in running the services that affect them. Women are under represented on many decision-making bodies, particularly at higher levels.

Control of services must be devolved to the most appropriate level, where services can be strategically planned but also where women can have a real, practical say.

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Greater consultation

The new Parliament should support the Women in Scotland Consultative Forum, and also use new ways to access women's opinions.

Consultation processes should pay due regard to accessibility, including issues such as travel, caring responsibilities, physical access and the provision of information in a range of formats. Women in Scotland would benefit from community planning across a whole range of services. Decisions on public services that affect women should be determined and shaped by women at a local level.

Local authorities are best placed to adopt a strategic overview, allowing them to co-ordinate and integrate as well as deliver the services women want, when and where they want them.

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Proportional deficit

Parliament must increase the number of women, including young and old women, black and minority ethnic women, disabled women, lesbian women, and women from both rural and urban communities, participating in the democratic processes. We should work towards at least 50:50 representation in terms of the general balance on all decision-making bodies including local government, the health service and other public bodies.

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Importance of equality issues

We welcome the recommendation that the Scottish Parliament should have an equality unit and equal opportunities committee, with training provided to all MSPs and officers. There should also be a Minister with responsibility for equalities who should be a member of the Scottish Executive.

Equality proofing is needed for all potential legislation, and policy and statistics should be disaggregated by gender and ethnicity. We believe the Scottish Parliament and the bodies it is responsible for, should draw up plans for equality of access for all, both physically and in access to information and policy making.

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Choosing quality services

It is vital that the views of women, as the main users of, and workers in, the public services are taken into account when choosing quality services.

In order to provide quality services, public services should be publicly provided and run, and not subject to Private Finance Initiatives which will be less accountable and prove expensive for future generations.

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Family friendly policies

There is a need for fully-funded family-friendly policies for consumers of public services, as well as in workplaces. In particular; we want to see widespread childcare and nursery provision together with comprehensive policies for carers with other dependants.

Women still accept the main responsibility for childcare. Provision is not only in short supply, but is often inaccessible on a financial or geographical basis.

Pre-school provision brings significant benefits to children. Good quality, affordable, flexible and accessible pre-school and after-school childcare should be a priority for the Scottish Parliament.

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Health

Women in Scotland need a modern health service that is responsive to their needs. With one of the highest rates in Europe for breast cancer and heart disease, a preventative and educative approach is required, as well as a service that takes account of their clinical needs. A strategic approach to women 5 health will have long-term benefits.

We place a high value on one-stop clinics and integrated services for health, local government and voluntary sector services and welcome initiatives such as the William Street Clinic and the Cranhill group in Glasgow and hope these can be used as models.

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Housing

Bad housing has a serious effect on women's health and their self-esteem. Many women on low incomes have limited, if any, choice, when it comes to affordable and quality housing. A properly regulated house building programme would improve the quality of women's lives in Scotland.

Consultation with women in local communities about the type of housing they require would go a long way to alleviating their frustrations and improving the quality of their lives.

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Violence against women

Even after increased publicity and successive zero tolerance campaigns, violence against women is still unacceptably high.

The Scottish Parliament must act seriously on this issue to ensure that the shelter; advice and support that many women need, are made available. Leaving it to the criminal justice system is not enough.

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Other services

These are just some examples of what properly funded public services can do to improve women's lives.

There are many other issues that need to be addressed such as low pay, access to services and the decision making process, and vastly improved equality initiatives for employees and service users alike.

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Choosing teamwork

Women play a major role in the provision of public services but too often they are the forgotten members of the team.

If the team are all employed by the organisation providing the services, they have a real commitment to the services they provide, be the team player a man or a woman. This means the auxiliary as well as the doctor; the school meals staff as well as the teacher; the home help as well as the social worker. From the cleaner to the chief executive. Women still make up the majority of those in low paid jobs and remain noticeably absent in the higher paid professions, in all sectors of the Scottish economy.

The public services team must be re-assembled to provide an integrated, flexible and accountable service with staff treated fairly and equally and given the respect they deserve.

Continued use of private provision via the Private Finance Initiative, arms-length trusts, market testing and other means, is particularly damaging to women as employees in public services. The caring, domestic and support services that these proposals sell off are predominantly delivered by women.

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Highly trained, quality staff

The provision of quality accessible training at the workplace is crucial for women if the aim of life long learning for the whole team is to mean anything. Women need conditions that recognise the positive contribution they make as part of a directly employed team, rather than a variety of private sec-tot employers with different aims, objectives and vested interests.

Women, in both urban and rural areas, want the Parliament to invest in flexible and integrated education and training.

Lifelong learning for all is an important step towards the support and back up needed to improve women's lives. By its very nature, this must be responsive to people's needs across the generations. To this end, links between pre-school education, schools, further and higher education, and community education should be reintroduced, and be able to be democratically controlled.

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Local government - setting standards

Local councils are major employers of women, who comprise between 50-70% of the workforce of mos local authorities. Local government staff, currently debarred from standing in local elections, should have this restriction removed. Equality issues should be at the forefront of local authorities agendas and should be monitored by dedicated equality departments. Policy making, too, should be measured against high standards of equality. The idea of a small 'cabinet' or elected provost taking decisions and excluding most councillors is not appropriate.

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Voluntary sector recognition

Women form the majority of paid staff and volunteers in the voluntary sector. The role of the voluntary and related sector must be recognised as a distinctive and significant public service provider and resourced accordingly. Financial uncertainty and cutbacks affect women as direct users of voluntary services, as employees and as carets who must cover the shortfall in provision.

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Being listened to

Having their contribution valued and being listened to Working for employers who respect their staff, providing family friendly employment policies and promoting equal opportunities for all, are the aims of this minifesto for women When these principles are adopted, we can truly say that we are;


This minifesto and a full copy of Serving Scotland, A manifesto For Scotland's Public Services, is on UNlSONScotland's Website at http://www.unison-scotland org. uk.

It is also available in different languages and formats from UNISONScotland, 14, West Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RX. tel 0141-332 0006, fax 0141 342 2835, e-mail c.bartter@unison.co.uk.

Photos by Alan Wylie, ex three nurses by Douglas Robertson, and the gardener by Murdo McLeod.

Published by UNISONScotland as part of its Serving Scotland campaign, UNISON House, 14 West Campbell Street, Glasgow G2 6RX. Tel 0141 332 0006.

 

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Home | Serving Scotland Manifesto | Women in UNISON

 

Giving women a say in their services
+ Greater consultation
+ Proportional deficit
+ Importance of equality issues

Choosing quality services
+ Family friendly policies
+ Health
+ Housing
+ Violence against women
+ Other services

Choosing teamwork
+ Highly trained, quality staff
+ Local government - setting standards
+ Voluntary sector recognition

Being Listened to


Carol Peggie
Carol Peggie is a Nursery Nurse working for Fife
Local Authority. She chairs UNISON's Scottish Women's Committee

"Women have a strong interest in the best possible provision of public services."

She says. "As both a provider and a user of services I recognise the need for proper family friendly policies - both in Holyrood and in Scotland generally.

"Women want our Parliament to deliver public services as a priority"


Marie Garrity
Marie Garrity is a Health Visitor working in Glasgow.
She is Community Convenor for UNISON's Glasgow
Health Branch

As a health care professional working in the community, Marie is well aware of the need for care services to be integrated.

"Our William Street Clinic is a good example of a one-stop clinic" She says, "With nursing and health visiting, podiatry, physiotherapy, dental and dietician services and homeless, nursing and residential teams.

"A strategic approach to women's health has long-term benefits, but we need proper resources to allow us to deliver quality services."