Guidance – Equality Monitoring From (18.07.11)

The use of equality monitoring forms has become common over recent years. They help to inform local authorities, organisations and businesses about who uses their services, the people who live and work in their community and people who visit the area.

Monitoring the diversity profile of people who work for organisations and use services is critical in addressing inequality and making services fairer for all.

Many existing forms vary greatly and often do not include the additional protected characteristics as set out in the new Equality Act 2010.

Despite increased awareness of Equality there are still many barriers to effective collection of monitoring date. These include:

  • Explanation about why the information is being sought.
  • Concerns about privacy and confidentiality.
  • Opportunities to access the information in different languages or formats.
  • Support from staff to complete the form, or staff trained to address questions about diversity monitoring.
  • Distribution and availability of forms.
  • Questionnaire fatigue – people being asked the same set of questions each time they use public services.
  • People not getting feedback once they have submitted information – on who uses the service or what has changed as a result of consultation activity.

It is essential that those providing services know who they are providing it to and how to provide it best. Every effort must be made to obtain relevant data, assumptions and speculation or reliance on national data is simply not good enough!

The attached Equality Monitoring Form was developed by the CIEP Project Team – Equality for all the Districts (2009 – 2011). This guidance and the format of the form were designed to assist with consistent data collection across Cumbria. When used correctly is will provide relevant and informative date that will assist with the provision and impact of service and facilities thatyou provide in your community.

Before using the equality monitoring form you firstly need to consider:

  • What you want to gain from the information requested?
  • How you intend to use the information? (Identify trends, create actions, monitor uptake of services, and produce information for publication.)
  • What information you are seeking?
  • Where and how do you intend to obtain the information? (Attach to other documentation, internet and websites, street surveys, through other organisations or 3rd party, or face to face meetings.)
  • Can you share or combine this activity with another local partner organisation?
  • How and where will you store confidential information?
  • How you will dispose of the information when you have finished with it?
  • Is the information useful to someone else? (partner organisation, members, county/national data banks etc)
  • Do not collect data that will not be used!
  • Include something that explains why diversity information is being sought (this could be an introductory paragraph or a short explanation that is attached to the form. The model form which accompanies this guidance has an explanation to help you.)

Personal Information and Confidentiality

Some questions asked can be very personal to individuals and it is important to provide assurance that the information will be kept confidential.

If the monitoring form is distributed with other documentation where a person completing the form can be identified, a separate envelope for return should be provided. This will provide confidence to the person completing the monitoring form that all information provided is genuinely anonymous and can not be attached to other documentation provided i.e. job application, benefit claims or complaint forms etc.

Completing the form correctly

It is important to be clear about how you want the form to be completed i.e. please state other if not listed, indicate with a tick, *delete where applicable etc. This can prevent difficulties when collating and calculating the information.

People should also have the option to of using ‘undeclared’ or ‘refused to declare’ if they do not want to declare. This is better than people not completing the form, as it helps you to know if there is more work you need to do to raise awareness of diversity monitoring.

The Equality Act 2010

The standardform incorporates all the ‘protected characteristics’ as defined in the Equality Act 2010. Under the Public Sector Duty you have a choice about whether to include all of the Protected Characteristics when designing monitoring forms. However, you need to be able to demonstrate your reasoning if you decide not to include all Protected Characteristics within the monitoring form. The legislation allows you to decide on what is appropriate. Advice from the Equality Human Rights Commission suggests that age, gender, ethnicity and disability data should be maintained.

Age Groups

The question ‘What is your date of birth (Day/Mth/Year)’. It would help staff if a matrix for dates of birth is available. It makes it easy and quick to input date and can also helps to avoid mistakes being made.

E.g.What do you consider your age group to be?

Under 16 / 17 to 25 / 26 to 35 / 36 to 45
46 to 55 / 56 to 65 / 66 to 75 / 76 or over

Ethnicity

The listed races and nationalities on the form are a representation for the county (as of 29.06.11). Use of all these are optional, though it is important to consider what you are using the form for, or refer to the Census 2011 categories.Sometimes due to lack of space options are not provided and the question ‘What do you consider your race to be?’ can be used. If you do this it is important to attach a link to the list of ethnic groups in the Census 2011.

People under 16

Where the monitoring form is specifically used for young people under the age of 16 years, the use of questions requesting information about sexual orientation and pregnancy should not be used unless with extreme caution and permission.

Disability

The Equality Act (2010) recognises a disability as a long term limiting a condition that affects a person health for 12 months or longer. This means that a broader group of people would be recognised as disabled under the Equality Act than would be eligible for disability specific services and support such as Disabled living Allowance, Blue Badge Schemes or social care packages. It helps to offer people the option of declaring if they consider themselves to have a long term condition that affects their health, as this is more likely to reflect the true picture.

Supporting people to complete the form and accessibility

Assistance in completing the form should always be offered. Where possible alternative formats should also be available. However, it is important to ensure that any facilitation has been sourced before offering this service.

Cumbria County Council has guidance on how to produce information in accessible formats and languages. The guidance can be found on:

Consultation on this document

Consultation was carried out with the following organisations: Local Government Improvement and Development, AWAZ, Cumbria Disability Network, OutReach Cumbria, the six Cumbrian authorities, Allerdale Borough Council, Barrow Borough Council, Carlisle City Council, Copeland Borough Council, Eden District Council and South Lakeland District Council.

Guidance was sought from: Census 2011, Inclusion London, Equality Human Rights Advice and Guidance (Equality Act 2010), Stonewall and CHANGE.

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