The Equality Act 2010 requires all public bodies – such as councils, NHS boards and health and social care partnerships – to publish equality outcomes at least every four years. Equality outcomes aim to achieve specific and identifiable improvements in people’s lives by eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations between communities.

The council believes that everyone in Midlothian is entitled to fair, equal and inclusive access to our services, regardless of their background or identity. The consultation on the draft Equality Outcomes for 2025-2029, will give local people the opportunity to directly shape our equality activities over the next four years.

The council said: “The purpose of the survey is to gather people’s views on the draft equality outcomes. We want to know if people think we’re focusing on the correct issues or if there are other issues which should be addressed. We’re also giving people the opportunity to suggest specific and practical actions to tackle the issues which are important to them.”

The draft outcomes were developed with partners including Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership, NHS Lothian, West Lothian Council and East Lothian Council. These outcomes are based on research and evidence from a range of local and national sources, and discussions with services and organisations that work to support people in the Lothians region.

The survey is based around six key equality themes identified as priorities from the council’s research and preliminary stakeholder engagement: Education, Work, Living Standards, Health, Justice and Participation.

Launching the consultation, Cllr Connor McManus, Midlothian Council cabinet member for equalities, said: “The council is committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, and embedding these values into everything we do.

“We want people from all backgrounds to share their thoughts on the draft outcomes. Your feedback will directly inform the development of the final outcomes and help us to agree practical actions that can make a real difference to people’s lives.”

You can have your say by completing the online survey here.