Corporate report

Our diversity and inclusion strategy

Published 23 May 2019

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cma-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy-2019/our-diversity-and-inclusion-strategy

Diversity and inclusion (D&I) remain at the top of our agenda. We seek to build a truly diverse organisation that reflects the wider UK population and consumers we serve. Diversity brings different insights, creates challenge and encourages change and innovation. This in turn produces more accountable and trusted public services and better decisions because they are more attuned to the needs and interests of all consumers.

A commitment to inclusion lies at the heart of our organisation. This plan follows on from our 2015-2019 Equality Scheme to set out:

  • what we achieved in the last year
  • our future plans to meet our public sector duties under the Equality Act 2010
  • our broader vision and plans for embedding an inclusive culture within the CMA and celebrating all aspects of diversity

We have made significant progress already but there is still more to be done. We have undertaken a wide range of activities since the last progress report, working with our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group and diversity networks, strengthening our inclusive culture. The CMA’s overall diversity profile shows we’ve increased our ethnic diversity and attracted more colleagues with disabilities, catching up with the gender and LGBT+ diversity we are proud of. However, we still have much work to do to improve our Senior Civil Service (SCS) diversity. We remain determined to do more than just meet our legal obligations and this report outlines our ambitious plans to continue to promote equal opportunities to make the CMA a truly inclusive employer.

Andrea Coscelli Chief Executive & Equality and Diversity Champion

Amelia Fletcher Non-executive Director & Equality and Diversity Champion

Our achievements last year

We have much to celebrate this year. Our growing internal networks are delivering impactful programmes whilst our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group have steered us to achieve significant milestones.

The highlights

We achieved Disability Confident Employer accreditation showing our commitment to welcome people with disabilities and empower them to develop their careers within the CMA.

We signed the Race at Work Charter, showing our leadership commitment to ensuring that the CMA is an inclusive organisation that supports its BAME members of staff in their professional development.

We conducted a review of our flexible working arrangements and made improvements to provide modern and agile work practices; a key to retaining staff when we move to Canary Wharf, increasing our presence in the Devolved Nations and attracting talented people in the future.

We became a Stonewall Diversity Champion showcasing our commitment to building an inclusive organisation with diversity of thought, action and innovation; allowing us to benchmark ourselves against the best employers to ensure our services are world class.

We built the strength of our existing diversity networks, including launching our LGBT+, VisAbility, Race, and Women’s Networks. Networks have held rich programmes including high profile guest speakers, training and internal events including:

  • publishing the CMA’s mental health plan setting out our strategy for promoting good mental health and well-being in the workplace
  • well-attended wellbeing events – and widely read blogs – to raise awareness of mental health and wellbeing issues, including an engaging session from Matthew Rodda on the importance of listening and stress awareness
  • investing in training in mental health awareness, including Mental Health First Aiders and Wellbeing Confident Leaders and Mental health in the workplace training to help managers feel more confident in supporting the health and wellbeing of staff
  • diverse guest speakers including Shahzad Younas, CEO and Founder of Muzmatch and Srin Madipalli, the founder of Accomable (now part of AirBnB) who spoke about faith and inclusion being central to their business models
  • a rolling series of ‘Tea and Talk’ presentations exploring the personal experiences of CMA staff; including fostering, eating disorders, vision impairment and flexible working

The Race network has delivered an exciting programme this year. We have pushed ourselves to be more proactive and ambitious, supporting the CMA to meet its commitments to the Race at Work Charter to attract, develop and retain diverse talent at the CMA. We are collaborating with others so that the CMA is part of the wider equality and diversity initiatives that are taking place across Government to drive a step change in the CMA’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion.

Dipesh Shah - Race network co-chair

Our objectives and actions for 2019 - 2020

Our D&I programme for 2019 - 2020 has three main objectives designed to attract diverse talent, retain diverse people and enable them to progress their careers. Each objective is detailed below together with some of our planned actions.

Building a workforce that reflects and understands the public we serve

We will:

  • implement diverse SCS interview panels to provide different perspectives
  • provide further high-quality unconscious bias training for hiring managers
  • review our use of social media and outreach work to improve access into the CMA from under-represented groups
  • pilot a ‘Returnship’ programme to attract people with professional skills and experience who have had time away from the workplace
  • remove gender bias in recruitment using inclusive language and alternative recruitment methodologies

Ensuring all colleagues feel valued and can contribute to our success

We will:

  • promote flexible working practices through the launch of new guidance and workshops for all colleagues and managers
  • enter the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, to give us insights on how we are doing and how we can improve
  • progress from being a Disability Confident Employer to becoming a Disability Confident Leader
  • promote collaboration and intersectionality across the CMA’s diversity networks and those across the Civil Service

Empowering our colleagues to succeed whatever their background

We will:

  • empower colleagues to succeed through the benefits of mandatory career conversations and by raising awareness of and promoting the use of the CMA’s and the Civil Service’s personal development programmes.
  • provide targeted support for our diverse talent through mentoring, coaching and senior sponsorship.
  • establish a reverse mentor programme for all our senior and executive directors.

Our current diversity

The dashboard below shows our diversity profile as at 31 March 2019.

The CMA has a declaration rate of over 90% in all categories with the exception of disability which stands at 84%. Only a very small number (an average of 3%) of those that completed the data have indicated they would ‘prefer not to say’.

All staff

Overall, nearly twice as many staff identify themselves as BAME or LBG+ as they do in the Civil Service as a whole. We have become a Disability Confident Employer and refreshed out flexible working policies to better support part time workers and those with a disability.

50.88% of CMA staff are female, 13.61% work part time, 19.86% identify as BAME, 4.46% identify as having a disability and 5.68% of CMA staff identify as LGBT+.

Gender

Our gender profile has remained stable across the period 2016-2019 with an equal gender balance for all staff and women representing 41% of SCS.

Pie chart showing that from 2016 to 2019 50% of CMA staff have identified as female. In comparison to SCS staff where 41% identified as female in 2016, 39% in 2017, 43% in 2018 and 41% in 2019

Age

The majority of staff at 36% fall in 30 to 39 age range. Our age profile remains broadly similar to Civil Service means.

Pie chart showing that 36% of CMA staff are between the ages of 30 and 39, 26% are between ages of 40 and 49, 19% are under 30, 16% are between the ages of 50 and 59, and 3% are 60 or older.

Race

20% of staff are from a BAME background, with Asian or Asian British as the largest ethnic group. We are working improve BAME representation at senior levels.

69% of CMA staff identify as non BAME. 20% identify as BAME. 9% are not declared and 2% prefer not to say. Of all CMA staff 17% identified as BAME in 2016, 18% in 2017, 21% in 2018 and 20% in 2019.

Religion

CMA staff represent a wide range of beliefs. The highest proportion of staff at 39% identify as having no belief.

Pie chart showing 39% of CMA staff identify as having no belief, 31% Christian, 11% no belief, 7% prefer not to say, 5% Muslim, 4% Hindu, 1% Jewish, 1% Sikh, 1% Buddhist and 1% other.

Sexuality

Our declaration rates for sexuality are amongst the highest in our sector and the Civil Service. 83% of all staff are straight and 6% are LGB+.

Pie chart showing that 83% of CMA staff identify as straight, 6% identify as being LGBT+, 6% have not declared what they identify as and 5% prefer not to say.

Disability

5% of all staff have a disability, with 3% of them working at senior level.

76% of CMA staff don't have a disability, 16% are not declared, 5% identify as having a disability and 1% prefer not to say. In 2016 4% of CMA staff identified as having a disability, in 2017, 2018 and 2019 5% identified as having a disability.
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