Corporate report

Equality data 2021 - 2022

Updated 17 March 2023

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Section 1: Executive Summary

Introduction

This report demonstrates how the Insolvency Service is meeting its Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010. Monitoring the equality and diversity of our workforce also shows us the effect of our employment policies and processes, which enables us to identify areas where there may be differences between groups and where interventions may be required.

This report covers the period between 01 April 2021 and 31 March 2022. Unless specified to the contrary, the data is as at 31 March of the relevant year.

Headlines

• It is not a mandatory requirement for employees to provide diversity data. This can result in insufficient information being recorded in some areas to make meaningful analysis

• Work continues to encourage employees to complete their diversity information on the HR/Payroll system. This has delivered positive results. The outcomes help inform all our policy changes and help assess business impacts.

• The representation of women in the Insolvency Service (57.4%) is higher than the Civil Service figure (54.2%).

• The representation of our employees from ethnic minority backgrounds based on declarations is 18.8% but compared to the overall number of employees the rate reduces to 13.1%. This illustrates one of the issues with low recording rates.
• Our representation of disabled employees 15.1% as at 31 March 2022 has increased from 14.1% in March 2021.
• Overall the recording rate for sexual orientation is 61.2% across the agency which is again a large increase from last year.
• There has been a slight increase in part-time working to 17.5% from 16.6% the previous year. Of those who work part-time, the proportion of women is 79.3% which has largely remained the same percentage.

Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Inclusion First has the following aims:-

Our Vision

We want to be a great organisation where everyone can feel comfortable, accepted, valued, and supported to be their true self and deliver their best.

Our approach

Our new Diversity and Inclusion strategy is Inclusion First which was launched in 2021. This was developed before the Civil Service launched its own plan because this was delayed and was finally published in February 2022. Following the launch of the Civil Service plan, we have reviewed our own action plans to check that we are meeting its requirements.

Inclusion First

Key areas to deliver our vision

• Culture - Building and thriving in an inclusive environment.
• Representation - Attract, engage and retain individuals from a range of diverse characteristics and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Capability – building capability to meet all changing developments
• Access to our services – accessibility for all.

To help promote and mainstream diversity and equality we also have Diversity Champions who are members of our Executive Leadership Team. Additionally, each one of our employee network groups have been sponsored by a named senior leader.

In 2020 to widen awareness and governance of Diversity and Inclusion a new Diversity Forum was created which is led by one of our Diversity Champions with business and our network group representation.

The Diversity Forum helps to promote diversity and inclusion across the agency and raise awareness and celebration of events, achievements, news, and policy changes across the agency. The forum provides governance, support and guidance for the network groups and assists in clarifying the direction and priorities for diversity and inclusion within the agency.

The Diversity Forum will proactively support the Insolvency Service and Civil Service vision to be a brilliant, diverse, and inclusive place to work, by empowering our people to bring their true self to work.

The Forum does this by:

• Encouraging everyone in the agency to promote diversity and inclusion and challenge inappropriate behaviour
• Working collaboratively with each other to make a positive difference
• Supporting our Networks in achieving their ambitions and yearly objectives
• Creating a healthy and productive working environment for everyone
• Continuously scanning horizons to promote and share best practice and innovation
• Supporting the agency in delivering the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and assisting in the continual review and updating of the strategy to ensure that the agency remains aligned to its objectives and that the strategy remains fit for purpose

The group meets every other month and is tasked with bringing back information to their directorates and leading on/driving actions needed to re-enforce our inclusive culture.

Section 2: Our Networks

We are also supported by our network groups. We currently have ten network groups:-

The Disability Health Network Group - aims to promote understanding of and empathy for the issues faced by disabled colleagues and customers across the agency by positively influencing the attitudes and assumptions of our people.

The Faces network - aims to positively promote ethnicity and race equality within the agency, and to work to ensure individuals within the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic group are treated fairly and offered equal opportunities.

Break the Stigma – aims “to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues by promoting awareness and providing support for all”

The Women’s Network Group – aims to support each other and share experiences regardless of who we are.

LGBT+ - aims to help colleagues and allies to get together to share experiences and to help to make the Insolvency Service a better place for LGBT+ people.

Part Time Workers network - aims to provide part time workers a forum to share experiences and frustrations in a constructive manner, offer peer support and to look for possible solutions to the issues raised.

Carers Network- supporting carers within the Insolvency Service and supporting workplace changes.

Grass Roots – supporting the environment.

The Shed – our men’s network aims to help create a more diverse, inclusive and equal place to work

No Limits – aims to support equality and fairness for people from a low socio-economic background.

Section 3: Employee Declaration Rates

The employee profile analysis is based on a headcount figure of 1810 as at 31 March 2021 and 1733 as at 31 March 2022. (All the relevant periods last from 1 April to 31 March), and unless otherwise stated, excludes temporary workers. Any actual figure of 5 and under will be represented by an Asterix (*) to protect individuals from being identified. The Insolvency Service grading system is as follows:

Band A1 - Administrative Assistant

Band A2 - Administrative Officer

Band B1 - Executive Officer

Band B2/B3 - Higher Executive Officer

Band L - Insolvency Examiner

Band C - Senior Executive Officer

Band D - Grades 7 and 6

SCS - Senior Civil Servant

Table1: Employee Head Count

	2020	2020	2021	2021	2022	2022
Grade	People post (count)	People in post (%)	People in post (count)	People in post (%)	People in post (count)	People in post (%)
Band A	561	33.7	639	35.3	581	33.5
Band B	264	15.9	329	18.2	337	19.4
Band L	400	24	372	20.6	330	19.1
Band C	296	17.8	314	17.3	329	19
Band D	135	8	148	8.2	144	8.3
SCS	10	0.6	8	0.4	12	0.7
Total	1666	100%	1810	100%	1733	100%

In some areas, the declaration response is low, but the rates have been increasing due to repeated activity aimed at encouraging people to declare their diversity details (see Table 2). It is not mandatory for employees to complete this information.

Table 2

Equality Strand	Declaration Rate 31/03/20	% Declaration Rate 31/03/20	Declaration Rate 31/03/21	% Declaration Rate 31/03/21	Declaration Rate 31/03/22	% Declaration Rate 31/03/22
Sex	1666	100%	1810	100%	1733	100%
Age	1666	100%	1810	100%	1733	100%
Race	975	58.5%	1183	65.4%	1207	69.6%
Disability	1226	73.6%	1294	71.5%	1283	74%
Religion and Belief	878	52.7%	1084	59.9%	1117	64.5%
Sexual Orientation	766	46%	1016	56.1%	1060	61.2%

Section 4: Overall Employee Equality Data

4.1 Sex:

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As of 31 March 2022, 57.4% of our employees were women compared to 56.7% at 31 March 2021. The Civil Service has an overall figure of 54.2% in 2021 which are the latest figures available.

4.2 Age:

In the year ending 31 March 2022 30.4% of employees were in the 50 to 59 age band.

4.3 Race/Ethnicity:

Based on those who have reported their race/ethnicity (69.6% declaration rate as at 31 March 2022), the percentage of employees in post from ethnic minority backgrounds has slightly decreased last year to 18.8%. Although this reduces to 13.1% of ethnic minorities groups compared to the total number of employees.

4.4 Disability:

The proportion of employees who classified themselves as having a disability or long-term health condition has increased to 15.1% as at 31 March 2022 compared to 14.1% as at 31 March 2021with the Civil Service disability rate being 13.6%.

4.5 Religion and Belief:

There has been an improvement in the percentage of employees who have recorded their religion and belief. Christian is the highest recorded religion at 41.5% with the second highest being Agnostic at 8.2% based on a 64.5% declaration rate.

4.6 Sexual Orientation:

The declaration rate for sexual orientation is improving again with a current rate of 61.2% as at 31 March 2022 up from 56.1% last year.

4.7 Gender Re-assignment:

The agency is part of the Civil Service, and we will be making best use of resources for employees in government departments and agencies who have changed or need to change permanently their perceived sex (transsexual/transgender), or who identify as intersex. The Insolvency Service has only just started to monitor employees who have changed their assigned sex from the one assigned at birth. Presently, there is no analysis in this area due to low recording rates.

4.8 Pregnancy, Maternity and Paternity:

The Insolvency Service is committed to ensuring that employees can access the full range of benefits available in connection with pregnancy, maternity, and adoption which in turn will enable employees and skills to be retained. To achieve this, the Insolvency Service has a range of policies and practices in place. On 31 March 2022 20 people were recorded at on a career break, maternity/adoption or paternity/birth leave.

The Shared Parental Leave Regulations 2014 came into force in December 2014 and allows eligible mothers, fathers, partners, and adopters to choose how to share time off for work after their child is born or placed for adoption

Section 5: Learning and Development:

The Insolvency Service considers the development of its employees as a key part of our talent strategy and provides a range of centrally managed learning and development opportunities for all its employees. Some of these opportunities are specifically targeted towards those with protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 or where a particular group is currently under-represented in our workforce. Others may be less targeted but nevertheless aid development and retention of these groups.

All employees have access to Civil Service Learning which contains e-learning and direct face to face learning opportunities on several learning and development opportunities.

Records of local training are not held centrally and therefore it would involve disproportionate costs to undertake a diversity analysis of those who have undertaken training. Further consideration will be given to how this information could be captured

HR Business Partners have also delivered and helped facilitate training for the directorates they represent.

6 Full/part-time working:

The Insolvency Service encourages managers to accommodate a variety of working patterns which includes part-time employment.

The number of part-timers in the agency as of 31 March 2022 is 17.5% an increase from last year (16.6%). 79.3% of part time employees are women which is a decrease from last year (80.4%).

6.1 Flexible working:

The Insolvency Service recognises the benefits of flexible working in helping it attract and retain a talented and diverse workforce. After Covid the minimum expectation of office attendance was reintroduced. This also helps employees to balance other priorities e.g., caring responsibilities for a better work-life balance.

The Insolvency Service operates several flexible working patterns:

• Flex working, where an employee works part of their working week in the office and part at home.
• Remote working, where an employee works from an office that is not their normal base.
• Flexi time
• Compressed hours
• Staggered working hours
• Job Sharing

Section 7: Discrimination, harassment and bullying:

The Insolvency Service employees take part annually in the Civil Service People Survey, in which they are asked if they have been discriminated against, or experienced bullying or harassment at work. In the 2020/21 survey the results reduced from the previous year, 87% of employees stated that they had not experienced discrimination compared to 86% the previous year. However, 6% of employees stated that they had experienced discrimination and 7% preferred not to say.

Incidents of perceived bullying and harassment have been largely consistent over the previous three years. In the 2021 survey 87% of employees stated that they were not subject to bullying and harassment, but 6% stated they felt they had been bullied and harassed and 7% preferred not to say.

Going forwards, we are looking to put in place or further embed a number of initiatives aimed at reducing the levels of perceived discrimination, bullying and harassment. Some of the initiatives planned and recent introductions include:

• Behavioural and cultural change that focuses on respect and the ways we can better support those employees who feel that they are subject to bullying and harassment.
• Creating a speak up culture.
• An increased emphasis on dispute resolution and the use of mediation.
• A new Wellbeing strategy was launched.

Section 8: Methodology

This report shows the demographics of the Insolvency Service’s workforce as of 31 March 2022 and utilises monitoring data from the year ended 31 March 2022 to assess the fairness of employment processes. Where comparisons are made to Civil Service data the figures are from 31 March 2021 (published May 2022). Employees included in the analysis includes all permanent and fixed term employees but not agency workers or consultants.

The monitoring data is extracted from the Insolvency Service’s internal records. With regards to employees in post, leavers and joiners, the data is as recorded on our HR/Payroll system. Employees are responsible for completing and updating their own diversity information online. Consequently, there may be some small differences arising as a result of, for example, employees on loan to other Government Departments who are removed from payroll records but remain on the HR system. Selected data held on the HR system was also renamed by the service provider and therefore there were some slight data issues as a result.

Where appropriate, the agency’s diversity information has been compared to Civil Service data as of 31 March 2021.