FOI release

FOI22/23-031 - Diversity FOI

Published 18 January 2023

Our ref: FOI22/23-031

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000

Thank you for your email of 13 June in which you requested from the Insolvency Service:

1) Does the Insolvency Service currently issue new employees with any and or all the following….

(a) A language guide or similar which advises employees on the most appropriate words, phrases, and terms to use when writing to and or communicating with and or referring to their colleagues and or members of the public and or the organisation’s clients/customers/service users and or representatives and employees in the organisation’s stakeholder and partner organisations. Typically, such a guide will outline words, terms, and phrases to avoid for whatever reason while providing more acceptable words, terms, and phrases. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be issued/held digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction video/film.

(b) A guide or similar which helps and encourages staff to promote diversity and inclusivity both in the workplace and or in their dealings with members of the public and or in their dealings with the organisation’s clients/customers/service users and or in their dealings with employees in and or representatives of the organisation’s stakeholders and any partner organisations. The guide will include but will not be limited to advice on best practice when it comes to diversity and or inclusivity and or anti-discrimination policies. It will encourage staff how to avoid discrimination on the grounds of race and or religion and or gender and or sexuality and or age and or disability and or political belief and or social class and or income and or social background. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could include on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be held / issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.

(c) A guide or similar which alerts staff to the existence of microaggressions and or unconscious bias in the workplace. The guidance will extend to what the organisation and or staff can do to tackle the problems of microaggressions and unconscious bias.

(d) A guide or similar which advises staff on the importance of respecting and using a person’s preferred gender pronoun. That person could be a colleague and or a member of the public and or one of the organisation’s customers/clients/service users and or an employee and or representative of a stakeholder or partner organisation. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation’s intranet site and or it could be held /issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.

2) If you have answered yes to any part (or indeed all of question one) can you please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.

3.Since January 1, 2019, has the organisation issued any kind of guidance (as defined in question 1 a to d) to other employees other than new recruits. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued.

Your request has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

I can confirm the agency holds the information that you have requested and I have provided answers to your questions below:

Q1 (A) – We have a “Writing for Customer Guidance” which is provided.

Q1 (B) – Please see attached Inclusion and diversity guidance which is available to new starter staff. Information on Diversity and Inclusion is on our intranet and is provided.

Q1 (C) – We hold no guidance relating to this matter

Q1 (D) – please see attached gender identity and intersex guidance which relates to both diversity and inclusion, and pronoun guidance. Please note that this guidance is intended for staff when managing staff, rather than guidance for customers.

Q2 – the guidance we hold that relates to these matters is attached to this response.

Q3 – The information which is included in this disclosure is available to all staff via the intranet and can be accessed at any time.

If you are not satisfied with the response we have provided you and would like us to reconsider our decision by way of an internal review (IR), please contact our Information Rights Team at foi@insolvency.gov.uk or by post at:

Information Rights Team

The Insolvency Service

3rd Floor

Cannon House

18 Priory Queensway

Birmingham

B4 6FD

United Kingdom

You also have the right to contact the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) if you wish for them to investigate any complaint you may have regarding our handling of your request. However, please note that the ICO is likely to expect an IR to have been completed in the first instance.

Kind regards

Information Rights Team

The Insolvency Service