gypsy traveller action plan

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Gypsy/traveller action plan agreed between scottish government and cosla.

Kaukab Stewart

Improved access to housing, education and health services and tackling discrimination are at the heart of a new Gypsy/Traveller Action Plan agreed between the Scottish Government and COSLA.

The voices of Gypsy/Travellers have helped shape the Plan, which acknowledges improvements in many of these areas, but recognises further progress needs to be made.  

The Scottish Government and COSLA will work with stakeholders to take forward measures in the Plan.

Key actions in the plan include:

• Supporting local authorities to provide more and better accommodation, by taking steps for funding to be accessed under the Affordable Housing Supply Programme from 2026-27, and ensuring planners understand the needs of Gypsy/Traveller communities
• Measures to remove barriers to education and improve educational outcomes for Gypsy/Traveller children and young people
• Improving Gypsy/Travellers’ access to and experience of healthcare
• Working to remove barriers to accessing benefits and build understanding among employers of the inequalities faced by Gypsy/Travellers, with practical tools to support recruitment and retention.
• Challenging prejudice and discrimination and helping communities to influence decision-making

Equalities minister Kaukab Stewart said: “Improving the lives of Scotland’s Gypsy/Traveller communities is a significant human rights commitment and is crucial in helping us deliver the fairer Scotland we want to see.

“The voices of Gypsy/Travellers across Scotland are at the centre of this second national joint action plan, and it is a testimony to the collaborative work of national and local government, third sector organisations, and most of all, the determination of Gypsy/Travellers to ensure better futures for their communities.

“We know current initiatives are having a positive impact on the lives of Gypsy/Traveller communities across Scotland, like the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund and the success of the Community Health Worker project in overcoming barriers to accessing health and other statutory services.

“However, there is still work to do. Through the actions in this plan we will build on the successes we have had to date and make further progress in many areas such as accommodation, health, education and combating discrimination.”

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Commission Hears the Human Rights Concerns of the Gypsy Traveller Community in Scotland

Friday 20 October 2023

Gypsy Travellers from across Scotland have highlighted significant human rights issues facing the community to the Scottish Human Rights Commission. Here our Executive Director,  Jan Savage reflects on the work still to be done.

The significance of the human rights issues faced by the Gypsy Traveller community in Scotland has been a longstanding area of concern for the Commission. In March 2023 Shelley Gray, member of the Commission, and former Chair Ian Duddy met with residents of the Bobbin Mill site in Pitlochry, Tarvit Mill in Cupar, Double Dykes sites in Perth as well as community members from Falkirk and Angus. People raised concerns on a range of human rights issues, including racism and discrimination, access to services and poor-quality accommodation. All of these had a significant impact on both physical and mental health. Community members also spoke of their ongoing investigations into reports of historic removal of children from Gypsy Traveller families and forced migration. The communities also shared a wealth of evidence relating to the ‘Tinker Experiment’ [i] and spoke of their campaign for an apology as well as a permanent inter-cultural peace centre to promote understanding of Scottish Gypsy Traveller culture.

These issues were further highlighted to the Commission at a recent launch event of the report ‘Our Human Rights Matter- A Human Rights Monitoring report by the Residents of Double Dykes, in Perth’ . The event which took place on the 25 th of September was hosted by Mangin Manishes, a voluntary organisation run by and for Gypsy Travellers. The event was supported by Making Rights Real.

At the event the Commission heard testimony from people living at the Double Dykes Site about the findings of their monitoring report which highlighted significant concerns in relation to:

• Children’s Rights including the right to safety, social development, and play (UNCRC [ii] Article, 3, 27 and 31)
• Rights to Accommodation (ICESCR [iii] Article 11)
• Rights to Participation (UDHR [iv] Article 21 and ICESCR Article 25)
• Rights to Live Free from Discrimination (UDHR Article 1)

The Commission is committed to working alongside community members to further explore the human rights denials they are experiencing.  The Gypsy Traveller community in Scotland have waited too long to have the discrimination they have faced recognised.

We will therefore take this work under consideration as we identify and develop our Spotlight Project areas of key concern in 2024-25.

Part of this work will be informed by what Commission heard from community members from Bobbin Mill, who highlighted the impact of policy and practice in relation to Gypsy Travellers including forced settlement and the ‘Tinker Experiment’.

Community members outlined the trauma they had experienced as a direct result of this attempt to eradicate the Gypsy Traveller culture, which began in 1946, and how this continues to impact the community today. This is particularly felt by community members when they are denied their right to self-define as a Gypsy Traveller and preserve their heritage. The right to free self-identification is the cornerstone of minority rights as stated under Article 3 of the National Minority Framework [v] . Individuals have the right to decide themselves whether they wish to be identified as such. This has been reinforced by the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities [vi] who outlined this identification must be made in relation to an objective criteria including, but not limited to, minority language, religion, and cultural practices.

The experiences shared by community members from Double Dykes and Bobbin Mill do not comply with international best practice, the convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination [vii] .

In particular, at this stage, the Commission has grounds for concern around how Article 5 of the National Minority Framework is being addressed in Scotland. This outlines there is an obligation on states to provide,

 “… the conditions necessary for persons belonging to national minorities to maintain and develop their culture, and to preserve the essential elements of their identity, namely their religion, language, traditions, and cultural heritage”.

At present, Gypsy Travellers in Scotland do not have recognised legal National Minority Status, this is despite the UK ratifying the framework convention in 1998. However, test cases such as K MacLennan v GTEIP in 2008 [viii] have established ethnic minority status for Gypsy Travellers in Scotland. This position was supported by Anastasia Crickey former Chair of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination who also attended at the launch of the ‘Our Human Rights Matter’ report. Anastaisa Crickey at the event stated that, in her view, the discrimination faced by the Gypsy Traveller community in Scotland is a form of racism and should be acknowledged as such.

At the event, the Commission responded to the community by welcoming and commending the ‘Our Human Rights Matter’ report and outlining the Commission’s scoping work on these issues to date.

Thanks to the publication of ‘ Our Human Rights Matter’ , the recommendations contained within it, and the continued engagement from campaigners from across Scotland, the Commission is developing an enhanced understanding of the human rights denials facing the Gypsy Traveller community.

The Commission is also aware of the 2019 commitments included in the Scottish Government and COSLA Improving Lives of Scotland’s Gypsy Traveller’s’ Action Plan [ix] . As part of our remit as Scotland’s National Human Rights Institution we will seek to better understand the impact of this in practice.

In the meantime, the Commission wants to assure community members of its commitment to work alongside them to identify and challenge rights abuses.

If you would like to find out more, please contact Oonagh Brown Participation and Policy Officer via email on: [email protected]

[i] From conversations with community members the Commission recognises this term has been used as a derogatory term to the community. However, community members request that in relation to the ‘Tinker Experiment’ this term be used to highlight the injustices they have faced.

[ii] United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

[iii] International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

[iv] Universal Declaration on Human Rights

[v] See: CETS 157 - Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (coe.int)

[vi] See: Council of Europe

[vii] See: International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination | OHCHR

[viii] See: REF Case study search

[ix] See: Improving the lives of Gypsy/Travellers: 2019-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

[x] See: Gypsy/Travellers - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

[xi] See:  Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland: A Comprehensive Analysis of the 2011 Census (www.gov.scot)

[xii] See: Gypsy/Traveller Sites in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

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Gypsy/Traveller Work

National Action Plan

Improving the lives of our Gypsy/Traveller communities is a significant human-rights commitment for Scottish Government and COSLA and is crucial to delivering a fairer Scotland.

The national action plan was published in 2019 to address these inequalities and sets out work on five themes to improve outcomes for the communities:

• More and better accommodation
• Improving access to public services
• Better incomes in and out of work
• Tackling racism and discrimination
• Improving Gypsy/Traveller representation

The initial actions in the plan have been developed with the advice, support and challenge of advocates, activists and members of the Gypsy/Traveller communities with delivery of priorities being adapted in response to feedback received through community conversations, cross party and ministerial working groups.

For more information see Improving the Lives of Gypsy/Travellers

Health Inequalities in the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Community – How we are making change happen?

Posted on 24 June 2022 by Kelly Muir

June is Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History month (GRTHM) - an opportunity to raise awareness of and celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller history, culture and heritage. Kelly Muir, Senior Health Improvement Officer with the Inclusion Health team, explains what Public Health Scotland (PHS) and partners are doing to improve Gypsy/Travellers’ lives.  

Scottish Government analysis of the 2011 Census data showed that when compared to the ‘White: Scottish’ group, Gypsy/Travellers were twice as likely to have a long-term health problem and were three times more likely to report ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health.  In fact, the analysis showed that on every indicator of what is required to live a happy, productive and fulfilled life, Gypsy/Travellers were worse off than any other community in Scotland. 1

Much work has happened since the 2011 census to address the significant inequalities experienced by Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland. The Scottish Government Race Equality Framework 2016-2030 commits to ensuring equality of opportunity for all Scotland’s Gypsy/Travellers. The joint Scottish Government and COSLA national action plan, Improving the Lives of Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland 2019-2021 (external website) , says that improving the lives of Gypsy/Travellers is crucial ‘if we are to tackle deep-rooted inequalities and deliver a fairer Scotland’.

Some of the inequalities experienced by the Gypsy/Traveller community are:

• A higher suicide rate than the general population - six times higher for Gypsy/Traveller women and almost seven times higher for Gypsy/Traveller men. 2
• Poorer mental health - often linked to poverty, social exclusion, stigma and hate crime. In a recent study one Gypsy/Traveller described experiences of hate crime as ‘as regular as rain’. 3
• Barriers when accessing health services - These included difficulties registering with GPs, poor staff attitudes and lack of trust of services because of previous experiences. 4
• Lower uptake of preventative health services - Including antenatal and postnatal care, childhood development assessments and dental services, and missed routine appointments because of lack of postal address. 5
• Living in unsafe environments - Little or no access to basic amenities due to lack of adequate site provision can often lead to families living next to busy roads or waste ground. 6

PHS has been working with partners for several years to help reduce inequalities experienced by the Gypsy/Traveller community. Thanks to the concerted effort by national and local partners to work innovatively and collaboratively, we are starting to see real change. 

We’ve worked with Scottish Government and COSLA to shape and inform the national action plan, ensuring improving health outcomes is a key component, and working with partners on actions within the associated health and wellbeing delivery plan.

Improving Health Outcomes – on the ground

We’ve contributed to proposals that have seen pilot projects set up in local areas.

Community Health Matters (external website)  is a project delivered by MECOPP, which has seen local Gypsy/Traveller women trained as Community Health Workers (CHW). The aim being to work with people in their community to understand and address health and wellbeing issues. It has been up and running for just over six months, with five CHWs in place and is making a difference.  They provide support including: assistance with GP registration, accompanying people to healthcare and covid vaccination appointments, undertaking Mental Health First Aid training and raising awareness of services available to those with mental health conditions. They also identify and act on cross cutting issues such as accommodation and education to improve overall wellbeing. The project will be evaluated later in the year, but it is already showing the impact building trusted relationships can have on supporting people to access services.

Mums Matter in Fife (external website) (PDF) aimed to make maternity, health visiting and income maximisation services more accessible to Gypsy/Traveller women. An early key achievement of the Mums Matter project was that it identified that Badgernet, the national recording system for maternity care, did not include an identification code for Gypsy/Traveller ethnicity. This was raised at a national level and an identification code for Gypsy/Traveller ethnicity was added to the system. 

Access to Healthcare – GP Registration cards  which aim to make registering with a GP easier have been developed in partnership. Gypsy/Travellers have regularly reported difficulty when registering with a GP, often because they do not have a permanent address or identification, neither of which is needed to register. The cards inform patients and front-line staff of the right everyone has to primary care and have proved a popular aide.

A National Approach

Probably the most valuable achievement is the cross-sector relationships established and built between Scottish Government, COSLA, local health board and HSCP colleagues, and key third sector partners. PHS established and manages the NHS and HSCP Gypsy/Traveller Forum, which brings people working with Gypsy/Travellers in local areas together to share their learning and experiences. It also enables them to influence national policy. This joined up approach to the work has provided opportunities for collaboration such as:

• Contributing to the Framework for Local Authorities and partners on keeping Gypsy/Travellers safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Developing an e-learning module for NHS and health and social care staff to raise awareness of Gypsy/Traveller culture, lifestyle and the inequalities they experience. 
• Providing advice on the aspects of place that support health and wellbeing to inform the development of a design guide for Gypsy/Traveller sites.

Partnership working with local areas and third sector organisations allows us to connect with and hear directly from local Gypsy/Traveller communities, which is essential when we’re planning and redesigning services.    

We know there is still a way to go. Analysis of the 2022 census will give us some insight in to whether things have improved over the last 10 years for Scotland’s Gypsy/Travellers. In the meantime, PHS will continue to work with partners on improving access to services, particularly in primary care, supporting Gypsy/Travellers to understand their rights to healthcare, raising awareness of the inequalities experienced by Gypsy/Travellers and highlighting where change is needed.  

If you’d like to learn more about Gypsy, Roma, Traveller History month visit Gypsy Roma Traveller History Month website (external website) .

• Scottish Government, Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland: A Comprehensive Analysis of the 2011 Census , 2015 (PDF)
• Friends, Families and Travellers, A research paper: Suicide prevention in Gypsy and Traveller communities in England , 2020 (PDF)
• Greenfields, M & Rogers, C, Hate: ‘As regular as rain’, A pilot research project into the psychological effects of hate crime on Gypsy, Traveller and Roma (GTR) communities , 2020 (PDF)
• Equality and Human Rights Commission , Inequalities experienced by Gypsy Traveller communities , 2009
• McFadden et al, Enhancing Gypsy/Travellers’ trust: using maternity and early years’ health services and dental health services as exemplars of mainstream service provision , 2018
• Greenfields, M & Brindley, M, Impact of insecure accommodation and the living environment on Gypsies’ and Travellers’ health, 2016 (PDF)

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Gypsy/Travellers action plan: 2023

Sets out actions to help improve the lives of Gypsy/Travellers covering the period June to September 2023.

Improving health outcomes

Information on rights and entitlements.

Producing clear, accessible, and appropriate information on rights and entitlements and how to access them (for example on Patient Rights).

June – September 2023 focus

A range of work continues to be taken forward in relation to this action. 

Facebook page and other sources of information 

Managed by Article 12, the Facebook page continues to share important public health messaging with the community. 

Relevant information will continue to be shared in a number of other ways, including articles and newsletters in publications such as the Barrie News and the Travellers Times. 

Information on available health and care services 

Work is being progressed, in partnership with local authorities, to develop a leaflet highlighting local NHS services for those staying in unauthorised G/T encampments. This will be informed by findings from the evaluation of the Negotiated Stopping places pilot being led by PHS.

Scottish guide to health and care services 

Work is also being progressed to develop a Scottish version of guidance (similar guidance has previously been published in England) that will act as a guide to health and care services for the G/T community. Publication is expected in late March ’23. 

Inclusive public health messaging 

The project, jointly funded by SG & PHS and led by MECOPP, will focus on improving public health messaging for minority ethnic groups, with a specific focus on the G/T community. 

A lead for the project has been recruited and commenced their role in Dec ’22. 

NHS Scotland Gypsy/Traveller Steering Group 

PHS established a senior Steering Group in mid-2022, chaired by North Lanarkshire Director of Public Health Josephine Pravinkumar. The Group will bring together senior officers from a range of agencies to: 

• provide a point of escalation for any significant issues raised by Scottish Gypsy/Travellers, including cross-organisational challenges, and addressing blockages and barriers to accessing NHS services or care in Scotland
• support the development, implementation, and long-term sustainability of the Community Health Matters service, ensuring its learning and challenges are shared across NHS Scotland
• consider the priorities, opportunities, and challenges in the implementation of the Scottish Gypsy Traveller Health and Social Care Work Plan 2022/23, a sub-section of the Scottish Action Plan for Improving the Lives of Scottish Gypsy/Travellers

Training public sector staff

Providing good quality training and advice to frontline public sector staff, on how to support Gypsy/Travellers to access services fairly (for example working with NHS Scotland and Health and Social Care Partnerships to address specific health and social care needs, with solutions co-produced with Gypsy/Traveller communities).

NHS /HSCP G/T Forum 

THE NHS/HSCP Gypsy Traveller Forum continues to meet regularly and to share information on best practice, ongoing work and arising issues of concern. Feb 2023 meeting focused on mental health. 

Agreement to develop simple directory of mental health resources. 

Recruiting from the community

Recruiting and supporting Community Health Workers from Gypsy/Traveller communities, to provide health advocacy on a wide range of health and social care issues, learning from good practice in other countries.

The interim evaluation of the community health worker programme was completed in August 2022. It demonstrates successful early implementation of the Community Health Worker service. 

Three additional CHWs were recruited by MECOPP in late 2022, taking the total number to 7 CHWs. The work undertaken by the CHWs and the wider MECOPP Community Health Matters Programme has continued to receive positive feedback and deliver significant support to the community. 

Scottish Government has now confirmed a final year of funding that will enable the service to continue for the remainder of the current financial year (2023-24).

This additional funding guarantees continuity of provision in 2023-34 as plans for mainstreaming improvements from 2024-25 onwards are made, recognising the clear need for improved services within the Gypsy/Traveller community given the specific barriers and challenges they continue to face in accessing health and other vital services.

The NHS Scotland Gypsy/Traveller Steering Group has established a short life working group which will consider how best to embed learning and best practice in Health Board core service provision, and identify the most appropriate model going forward to ensure improved access to and experience of healthcare for the Gypsy/Traveller community. Officials from Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland are actively supporting this work.

Supporting community pharmacists

Supporting community pharmacists to use health literacy tools and techniques, developed as part of the Health Literacy Plan for Scotland (2017-2025) and Primary Care Transformation.

The Scottish Health Literacy Action Group continue to promote relevant e-learning modules to pharmacists. 

Work is ongoing to raise awareness of Pharmacy First amongst the G/T community, explaining what services community pharmacists can offer the community. 

A workshop was held in Oct ‘22 with community health workers, SG officials and relevant NHS staff about pharmacy first. This enabled those developing and implementing pharmacy first to identify the barriers the community face in accessing pharmacy first services. 

Solutions to overcoming these barriers were discussed and included working with the community to develop and disseminate a pharmacy first booklet.  

Improving mental well-being

Working with Gypsy/Traveller communities to identify what information and support they feel they trust and need to improve their mental health and well-being, as part of the Mental Health Strategy in Scotland (2017-2027) and the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan – ‘Mental Health - Scotland's Transition and Recovery.   

Two specific SG funded projects continue to be progressed: 

Mental Health Matters 

Led by MECOPP, the project will pilot specific mental health and wellbeing support to the Gypsy/Traveller community. Two part time mental health posts (a team leader and family support worker) were appointed in June 2022 and, alongside the existing post of mental health and welling worker (adults and older people), were incorporated to form the MECOPP Mental Health Matters Team.

Progress in Dialogue

Progress in Dialogue aims to tackle hate crime, stigma and discrimination experienced by Gypsy/Travellers, via social media and mainstream media, which has such a detrimental impact on the community’s mental health and well-being. Specific work/progress has included: 

• training and awareness sessions have been offered to a number of organisations including the TENET education network; Scottish Government Race Equality team; STV news; BBC news
• work to plan awareness raising sessions with Secondary schools and Local authority teams in areas with large Gypsy/Traveller demographics

Community health workers 

Issues related to mental health are amongst those most frequently being highlighted as a concern by the CHWs. As such their roles have involved increasing awareness about services and support for those with mental health conditions, as well as undertaking Mental Health First Aid training and applying their learning to provide support and signposting/referring on as appropriate. 

Mental Health Equality Forum 

SG’s Mental Health Directorate has established a Health Equality Forum to hear first-hand about issues experienced by specific equality groups.

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• Improving the Lives of Gypsy/Travellers

COSLA and the Scottish Government have agreed an 18-month extension on the action plan ‘Improving the lives of Gypsy/Travellers 2019 -21’. COSLA is committed to using this time to support Local Authorities to have greater Gypsy/Traveller representation, tackle racism and discrimination and provide more and better accommodation as well as safe and healthy stopping places.

COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Councillor Kelly Parry, said: “COSLA and Scottish Government Action Plan “Improving the lives of Gypsy/Travellers 2019 – 2021” Improving the lives of Gypsy/Travellers: 2019-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) gave the commitment to work together to improve the lives of Gypsy/Travellers.

“With the support of Gypsy/Travellers, partner organisations and Local Authorities we have made good progress in some areas but recognise that this is not enough. We remain committed to delivering all the actions in the plan, recognising that more time is needed to do so.

“The Scottish Government and COSLA have therefore agreed to extend the life of the plan for a further 18 months and end in October 2022. This gives us the opportunity to follow up on actions that cannot take place until COVID 19 restrictions are lifted and prevents us from losing the momentum we’ve gained during the pandemic.

“A key commitment in the Action Plan was for the Scottish Government and COSLA to review housing and investment programmes to ensure the needs of Gypsy/Travellers were included going forward. “Scottish Government have announced that up to £20 million will be made available over the next five years for more and better Gypsy/Traveller accommodation as part of Housing 2040. This funding, part of Scotland’s first long-term national housing strategy, will give local authorities the ability to improve existing sites and expand provision over the next five years. This builds on £2 million allocated to site improvement in 2020-21.”

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• New research calls for action over lack of mental health care for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities
• Published: 28.09.2023
• Mental health

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities face some of the most stark inequalities in access to healthcare in England and remain subject to dire mental health outcomes.

New  research  out today commissioned by the NHS Race and Health Observatory, and led by The University of Worcester, addresses the lack of mental health care provision, despite the significant need, and captures first hand insight and good practice examples from six effective services. These services are mainly run by voluntary Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller organisations for members of these communities.

Factors, both structural and systemic, mean considerable shame and stigma is still associated around the term mental health with some communities preferring to use terms such as ‘bad nerves’. Whilst shame, stigma and structural barriers contribute to a number of areas in which Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities experience health inequalities, this is worsened by a lack of granular data and tailored health services, as well as healthcare professionals who do not understand the communities’ needs or lifestyles. Mental health services are especially poor for these groups, and data shows a high number of suicides.

It is estimated the suicide rate of this group is up to seven times higher than for all other communities, and that they have a life expectancy of up to 10 years less than the national population average. Lack of access to digital services, low literacy levels, shortage of local and national data collection, and limited financial investment all significantly hamper access to local health services and prevent customised services.

These and more findings will be presented at an online report launch of  Inequalities in Mental Health Care for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller Communities, Identifying Best Practice  https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/db645204-11fd-47ac-8f40-e1561af20c6f@b85e4127-ddf3-45f9-bf62-f1ea78c25bf7  taking place on  Thursday September 28, between 3.30 – 5pm.

Speaking ahead of the launch,  Dr Habib Naqvi, Chief Executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory  said:

“We know that Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities face stark challenges in accessing psychological therapies and other mental health services. This report lays bare the mental health issues and stigma faced by these communities first hand. We are pleased to have co-produced with these communities, a clear set of practical, tangible actions and recommendations for more equitable mental healthcare provision.”

The launch will include a presentation of the research around the significant mental health needs of these communities; first-hand experience and insight from those involved in the case study sites; a Q&A and practical recommendations for health and mental health providers to action around the country.

Expert panellists include representatives of the Observatory’s Mental Health working group, the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Social Work Association and the University of Worcester.  Insight gathered over 12 months of research was undertaken in collaboration with research co-authors, Gypsy and Traveller Empowerment Hertfordshire UK (GATE Herts), and the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller Social Work Association (GRTSWA) and involved 70 community and 21 staff members.

Dr Peter Unwin, Principal Lecturer in Social Work, University of Worcester,  said:

“It has been a pleasure to carry out this research in co- production with community members and to have met so many inspiring people who have developed mental health services against the odds. We should all now work together to ensure that this report on the health inequalities in Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities leads to real change and equality of opportunity.”

Despite the lack of national investment in national mental health care provision, there are many examples of locally organised services doing targeted work with these communities.  Researchers visited effective services run in Hertfordshire, Leeds, Lincolnshire, York, Cambridgeshire, and Ireland (the latter due to its provision for young people). Each site represents an example of novel, progressive initiatives which have broken down barriers for Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities in need of mental health support.

Data was difficult to fully assess regarding the uptake and impact of services, due in part to the organisations studied not having the resources to collect and analyse such data and also to non-reporting of ethnicity (for fear of discrimination).

Professionals’ lack of expertise and knowledge about Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller cultures was further identified as a significant deterrent to take-up of mainstream services.  In 2022, Friends, Families and Travellers noted that out of 89 suicide prevention plans in England, only five mentioned Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities and only two listed any action plan strategy.

This month’s  England Suicide Strategy  (2023-2028) gives two mentions to Gypsies, Roma and Travellers but does not afford these communities priority status nor mention them in its associated Action Plan.

Josie O Driscoll, Chief Executive Officer, GATE Herts, said:

“GATE Herts as a community led organisation has a huge task ahead to try to normalise and destigmatise mental health issues within our communities if we are to begin to reduce deaths by suicide. Over 80% of Gypsies and Travellers surveyed by GATE Herts in 2018 had been personally affected by suicide and have been known to experience multiple bereavements by suicide, two to five family members on average.

“Despite all of this, Gypsy and Traveller communities are rarely considered in local policies and strategies and while we are delighted that we are recognised as an at risk group in the newly published Suicide Prevention Strategy, it doesn’t go far enough and a lot more needs to be done to tackle entrenched inequality and serious disparities faced  by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.”

Across the six good practice case studies identified in research, the majority of funding was charitable and short term, reflecting the lack of investment from Government and NHS in potential lifesaving, mental health resource and suicide reduction services.

Co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Gypsies, Traveller and Roma, Baroness Whitaker , said:

“The stark inequality in mental health outcomes in the Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities, so well captured in this report, must now be addressed properly by state provision.  Implementing the excellent recommendations would go far to give a measure of fair treatment to these already disadvantaged  communities, who suffer so much prejudice and discrimination.”

Feedback from individuals obtained from focus group and individual interviews, provides a rich insight.  One participant said: “They understand the way we speak here, and don’t use that fancy language when they talk to us – other services often speak in a way we don’t understand.” Men, in some cases, were reluctant to acknowledge mental health problems because this is traditionally seen as sign of weakness. Another participant said: “I think it’s difficult for men to talk about. No one likes to admit that something’s going wrong for him. He has to be the big man.”

‘Drop-in’ services – not badged as ‘mental health’ services – were highly valued by community members and dealt with a wide range of problems spanning mental health issues to neighbour disputes and financial difficulties.

Several other interviewees mentioned how, in their past experiences, allocated time that should have been spent on their own therapy, was instead taken up by them explaining Gypsy, Roma, or Traveller culture. Reflecting on the worst thing about being a Traveller, a young girl pointed to the fact that people think Traveller girls have “no hopes or dreams, unlike most other young women from all other ethnicities.”

Key findings include:

• Widespread fear and mistrust of services among these communities towards public services, a structural barrier that needs to be removed.
• A lack of local and national data collection, preventing customised service provision, and slowing down investment.
• Waiting lists and digital forms of access do not fit with the needs of many Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller communities.

All aspects of engagement were co-produced with members of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller  communities who validated and agreed the report’s recommendations, conclusions and outputs. Researchers are now calling for actions from the NHS, Local Authorities and mental health providers to address inequalities beyond health and consider broader structural issues.

Jackie Bolton, co-founder of the Gypsy Roma Traveller Social Work Association,  said:

“I believe this report will benefit members of our communities who have suffered in silence for too long. As a Traveller myself I’ve seen how poor mental health and suicide impacts on individuals and families. From the perspective of a Social Worker I can see it’s a systemic issue with services just not knowing how to help us; this report will change that.”

A number of report recommendations, grouped under Policy, Research, Practice and Celebration, include :

• NHS England should publish standards to ensure that local data collection is improved across both statutory sectors and voluntary Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller organisations – without good data and understanding, investment in services is unlikely to happen.
• Research funders should recognise the need for research that addresses the particular sensitivities regarding the mental health issues of Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller peoples in the UK.
• The few men’s Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller groups in existence should be involved in research into their needs and experiences in order to establish what works in this neglected area of mental health.
• Events such as ‘Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month’ should be celebrated within school, health, and social care services.

Researchers also note the gap in health and social care workers being taught about the cultures of Gypsies, Roma, and Travellers, the lack of diversity training programs that include these communities and the few role models of professionals and leaders from Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller backgrounds.

Local development plan evidence report - defining Gypsies and Travellers: consultation

Closed 15 Feb 2023

Opened 21 Dec 2022

[email protected]

Feedback updated 24 Mar 2023

We asked for views on the Scottish Government’s proposed definition of ‘Gypsies and Travellers’ for the purposes of section 16B of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. This would be provided in Local Development Planning Regulations that will overall support the implementation of the future local development plan system, a system which manages the development and use of land in the long term public interest.

We asked 7 consultation questions. These sought views on our proposed definition of ‘Gypsies and Travellers’, how councils can better involve the Gypsy and Traveller communities in planning consultations and processes, and the impact this (or any) definition would have in businesses and protected characteristics (to inform the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment and Equalities Impact Assessment).  We asked for responses by 15 February 2023, allowing 8 weeks for comments.

As part of this consultation, we also conducted four in-person engagement events with Travelling community members and have been considering the feedback from these events alongside the online responses.

You provided us with 41 responses to our consultation questions. These included responses from 23 organisations and 17 individuals. Respondents included local authorities, housing services, Gypsy/Traveller representative bodies, Travelling Showpeople organisations, third sector organisations and other professional bodies, as well as communities and individuals.

Respondents were generally supportive a definition of ‘Gypsies and Travellers’ to provide clarity on the Evidence Report consultation stage of the local development plan. Key recurring issues with our proposed definition included:

• The need to recognise ethnic Gypsy/Travellers as a distinct category to Travelling Showpeople
• The acknowledgement that Travellers stop travelling for various reasons that cannot be pinpointed exactly and thus cannot be listed in one definition
• The need to ensure that the definition is not so broad that it includes non-travelling people, as the proposed definition included ‘persons who require the provision of land for temporary or permanent living’ and this is not restricted to Gypsies and Travellers

We have taken account of the responses which have informed the final definition to be included in Development Planning regulations, laid in Parliament on the 24 th March 2023.  

Results updated 24 Mar 2023

• Local Development Plan evidence report – defining Gypsies and Travellers: analysis of responses to consultation

Published responses

View submitted responses where consent has been given to publish the response.

The Scottish Government wants to ensure planning authorities properly involve the Gypsy/Traveller community in planning the future of their places. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 therefore requires planning authorities to seek the views of Gypsies and Travellers in preparing Evidence Report for their Local Development Plans (LDPs) and to include a summary of the action taken by planning authorities to meet accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers.

  A previous consultation in late 2021/early 2022 on Local Development Plan regulations and guidance proposed to hold a separate consultation on the definition of Gypsies and Travellers for the above purposes, to enable targeted involvement of the community and an explanation of the specific matters associated with this requirement. 

We are now seeking views on a proposed definition of ‘Gypsies and Travellers’ for the specific purposes of the planning legislation. 

We will take account of views received to inform the drafting of secondary legislation, which provides the legal framework for preparing Local Development Plans (LDPs).  We want to engage with members of the Gypsy/Traveller community and other travelling communities.  We want to hear from those working closely with them, third sector organisations/representative bodies of the Gypsy/Traveller community and local authorities .

Read the consultation paper  

Why your views matter

We want to establish the most appropriate definition of ‘Gypsies and Travellers’.  This is needed to enable planning authorities implementing the legislation to have a better understanding of who the Gypsy/Traveller community are and how their needs can be met.  We want to hear views on our proposed definition, any issues and what changes would make it better.

Input to this consultation will inform the definition for planning purposes.  The definition is relevant to the way planning authorities plan for the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers. It will enable the community to voice their needs to planning a uthorities and promote relationship s with th e community going forward.

The engagement will help to fulfil the requirements of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. Responses will be published along with final impact assessments.

*Please c ontact us if further time is needed to complete your response*

• Local Development Plans – defining Gypsies and Travellers: consultation paper
• Consultation on a Proposed Definition of 'Gypsies and Travellers' for The Purpose of Local Development Plan Regulations on Evidence Reports: Interim Impact Assessments
• Communities and Third Sector
• Housing and Regeneration

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A community forgotten – limited progress in providing culturally appropriate sites for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities in Wales

Without urgent action, the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community will “continue to be treated like second class citizens in Wales” according to the Senedd’s Local Government and Housing Committee . This followed a recent inquiry undertaken by the Committee on the provision of sites for the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community.

The Committee found that the situation facing traveller communities in Wales was “concerning”, and highlighted inaction by both the Welsh Government and local authorities in ensuring the provision of sufficient culturally appropriate sites in Wales.

The Senedd will debate the Committee’s report and recommendations on Wednesday 23 November . This article should be considered alongside the Welsh Government’s recently published Anti-racist Wales Action Plan which seeks to address aspects relating to a “lack of site provision and poor quality of Gypsy and Traveller accommodation in Wales”.    

Are local authorities meeting their statutory duties?

Local authorities in Wales have been required by law since 2014 to both assess the accommodation need of the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community, and to meet that identified need. Gypsies and Travellers Wales noted that Wales, through the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 , is seen to be “trying to instil legislation and policies that are positive” for the travelling community. The Welsh Government also has powers to direct a local authority to meet the needs identified in its assessment, if it is apparent it has failed to do so.

Stakeholders generally view the legislative and policy framework that supports the development of sites for the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community in Wales as robust and principled. The Committee heard however there is frustration over its implementation and delivery locally. Travelling Ahead, a key stakeholder supporting Gypsy, Roma and traveller families told the Committee that families question whether the duty to meet traveller accommodation needs is “worth the paper that it’s written on”, with little in the way of results on the ground.

The Committee heard evidence that not one local authority has done what the frameworks sets out to achieve. Gypsies and Travellers Wales asserts that one of the biggest failures of the legislation is that “local authorities are not being held to account, where they’re not meeting the needs and meeting the duties as set out”. The Committee concluded that the Welsh Government should prioritise improving accountability and monitoring.

The Committee argued that more effective and robust monitoring arrangements are required if sufficient progress is to be made. It recommends that the Welsh Government “tightens its monitoring arrangements and hold local authorities to account if they are not fulfilling their statutory duties”. 

Finding a place to call home

Local authorities highlighted the challenges they face in finding suitable sites that meet the need of the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community, including issues relating to acquiring land and planning.

The lack of suitable land and limited progress on developing new sites increases the pressure on existing provision. The Committee’s report states that sites are often overcrowded and in “desperate need of repair”. Many sites are without appropriate facilities for the young, often located in inappropriate places, far from local services and in areas considered to generate the “least hostility”. The Committee report notes that too often traveller communities find themselves next to busy A roads and infrastructure, depriving the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community of any connection to the natural environment.

The Committee describes this situation as “unacceptable”, a view shared by the Minister for Social Justice who asserted that it was “totally unacceptable to have them [sites] beside busy roads and inappropriately not located near schools”. The Committee notes an “urgent need to work with the communities” to understand what is “right and appropriate for them”. 

Not all families wish to live on a local authority sites, with many seeking their own parcel of land to set up home. Too often, however, families face costly legal battles with very little support to navigate the planning system. It’s an area the Committee wishes to see more work and progress on from the Welsh Government to help families with the specialist advice needed. The Welsh Government has committed to commission a three-year pilot programme to provide trusted, independent advice to people looking to develop private sites in Wales.

What is the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan and how will it help?

The Anti-racist Wales Action Plan sets out a vision for an anti-racist Wales by 2030. It was developed in collaboration with a wide range of communities, including the Gypsy, Roma and traveller community. The Action Plan states that people in this community in particular often find themselves on the:

margins of society and face racism, including restrictions on their life choices and being denied culturally appropriate accommodation.

It was a theme the Committee heard throughout the inquiry, with Travelling Ahead stating that “some of the things that have gone on locally and regionally would not be acceptable if that was about any other group, or any other group of citizens or any other ethnic minority.”

The Action Plan sets out to:

• create a national network of transit provision to facilitate travelling life;
• review current funding policy for Gypsy, Roma and traveller sites;
• revise guidance to ensure the design and location needs of communities are better reflected; and
• ensure existing legal mechanisms are fully utilised to ensure compliance with legislation.

Despite welcoming the Action Plan, the Committee remained unconvinced that the commitments in it “will improve the situation”. Its recommendations for the Welsh Government include:

• setting out a timescale for evaluating the effectiveness of the Plan in helping to provide sites for Gypsies Roma and travellers; and
• including community councillors within training programmes for elected members on “Gypsy and Traveller communities’ culture, needs and strengths”.

Actions speak louder than words

The Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS accepted all 21 of the Committee’s recommendations , noting that they’re “in line with our current and future plans”.

One recommendation called on the Welsh Government to explain how it will use its powers to ensure that local authorities deliver on their duties. The Minister said the Welsh Government is committed to work co-operatively with local authorities to support the development of “robust plans that meet the needs of Gypsy, Roma and Travellers”. So far, there seems to be little movement towards using Ministerial powers to compel a local authority to meet its assessed need where it has failed to do so. However, calls to use such powers may increase if authorities fail to comply with the duty in future.

According to a member of the traveller community giving evidence to the Committee , “Wales […] leads with the policy and with the diversity and with equality and the emphasis on culture and tradition”. Yet, at a local level, it too often “feels like the memo’s been missed”.

And here lies the challenge for the Welsh Government – despite establishing what is considered a relatively robust legislative and policy framework to enable progress, if it fails to translate into tangible outcomes locally, the Gypsy, Roma and traveller communities will, as Race Alliance Wales noted , feel like “the Welsh Government has failed them”.

Article by Osian Bowyer , Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament

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