The Equally Safe at Work Community of Practice: Why working together matters

The Community of Practice peer support network had their first session back on 27^th February 2025, and the focus of the day was understanding and embedding key elements of gender-sensitive practice. We were pleased to see many familiar faces, and also welcome new employers to the group.

Currently, 17 employers across the public and third sector are working towards the Equally Safe at Work accreditation and an additional 30 employers across Scotland are actively engaged in the Community of Practice peer learning network. Membership includes employers from across the third and public sector, including local governments, NHS boards, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, COSLA, and Scottish Government.

Since the first meeting of the Community of Practice, the peer learning network membership has grown significantly, which has offered new insight and fresh perspectives in discussions. Employers’ active participation in the meetings has enhanced its value, and the unique contributions from across sectors and organisations has resulted in employers taking away practical actions and ideas to test our in their own workplaces.

What is the Community of Practice?

The Community of Practice was first developed in 2023 to test out a new approach of shared learning by bringing together different sizes and types of organisations at different stages of their journey on gender equality and VAW. The aim was to find out whether participation in the group helped improve employment practices on gender equality. The evaluation of Equally Safe at Work found that the Community of Practice proved to be a useful mechanism for employers to build relationships, share information, and problem solve through common challenges.

The Community of Practice has further developed into a dedicated space for employers involved in the Equally Safe at Work accreditation programme to share best practice and learning to advance their gender equality work. Additionally, it works well to introduce employers to the programme, and to support them to get ready to work towards accreditation in the future.

Highlights from past Community of Practice meetings

Since its inception, the Community of Practice has continued to evolve, whilst ensuring that member feedback has guided the general direction of the network. Having an online platform dedicated to the Community of Practice was among the suggestions from employers on how to get more out of the group. This led to the development of a KHub group page where members can ask each other questions, easily share resources and access all Close the Gap and Equally Safe at Work materials to support their work.

By seeking member input, it also meant that they could vote on the topics to discuss at each meeting for the year. The meetings for the Community of Practice covered a variety of topics which included:

• Embedding an anti-racist approach in your gender equality practice;
• The role of leaders in tackling women’s workplace inequality;
• Workplace culture and the impact of negative workplace cultures, particularly on women’s employment experiences;
• Sexual harassment and employment law; and
• Successes and hopes for 2025.

At our most recent meeting, members shared that when thinking about gender equality and violence against women in their organisation, they would like to see better intersectional data in the future, reduced pay gaps, and improved understanding of what violence against women involves. From feedback, members noted that they left the session energised and eager to share their learnings with their own teams and organisations.

What’s worked

What has been vital to the success of the Community of Practice has been the participant engagement and continued commitment. It’s positive that so many new members have joined the group in the past year, but it’s been equally important that members have remained engaged throughout the programme of meetings for the Community of Practice. This high level of engagement has been encouraging for new members and has demonstrated the benefits of having a collaborative environment where shared learning is prioritised:

“Coming to these sessions is so positive. I am a new entrant to the programme, but these are invaluable for shared ideas and practice.” (Member of Community of Practice)                                                                                                                   

When the Community of Practice first began, it was expected that only Equally Safe at Work leads would be in attendance. Now, it has expanded out to staff across organisations who are interested in learning more about best practice, and about what other people are doing in the space of gender equality. This helps bring together a diverse range of views, experience, and expertise to the group as staff are from a variety of roles and sectors.

The desire to hear from employers about the different types of work they’re doing on gender equality has been evident, with members keen to know the specifics about how others were improving their reporting processes on VAW, how they disseminate resources effectively and increase engagement with hard-to-reach groups in surveys. Ultimately, the common goal of advancing gender equality and sharing ways of doing this has been reassuring for employers but especially for smaller organisations who may not have equalities teams or HR departments. This helps to foster a sense of community, despite organisational differences and structures.

Others found that there isn’t just one section of the Community of Practice that works well for them. The level of information, structure of the meetings, and length of time between meetings work effectively for them to remain engaged in the group. However, it is the overarching theme of being able to meet people from other organisations and learning from them that consistently comes through in all member’s feedback. The collective responsibility to share learning and advance gender equality is clear and appreciated, as multiple accredited employers delivered presentations throughout the year, sharing their experiences and valuable insight about what it’s like being part of the Equally Safe at Work journey and the vital work they’ve done as part of this.

How to get involved with Equally Safe at Work and the Community of Practice?

There are two ways to get involved and improve your gender- and VAW- sensitive practice. This includes, becoming an employer of choice through our Equally Safe at Work employer accreditation programme. Register your interest and start your journey now by completing the form here.

If you’re not quite ready to begin the process of accreditation but seek to improve your gender equality practice and gain access to this dynamic and supportive network, you can become a member of the Community of Practice. Here you will receive the latest updates about the Community of Practice, Equally Safe at Work and the wider work of Close the Gap including events and research. Join our Community of Practice peer learning network here.