Setting Equality Objectives

Data Capture: Why, where, what, who and how?

Brenda Weston (Policy and Research) Equality South West

“An equal society recognises people’s different needs, situations and goals and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and be”.

(The Equalities Review Final Report, Cabinet Office, 2007)

Equalities Review Final Report 2007

 

“The data available on inequalities are inadequate in many ways, limiting people’s ability to understand problems and their causes, set priorities and track progress... even where data do exist, they are not consistently used well or published in way which makes sense.”

Why prioritise equality data capture?

• Requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty

• Accountability

• Service efficiency and effectiveness

Requirements of the PSED

‘Due regard’ means that “public bodies will need to understand the effect of their policies and practices on equality. This will involve:– looking at evidence – engaging with people - staff, service

users and others, and – considering the effect of what they do

on the whole community.”

Accountability

“Public bodies will need to publish - in a way that is accessible to the public - • Equality objectives every four years;

• Information (annually) to demonstrate their compliance with the general Equality Duty;

• Information relating to their employees (for bodies with 150 or more staff) and others affected by their policies and practices (such as service users).

Service Efficiency and effectiveness

“Failure to take equality and diversity into account can often lead to poorly designed services that are inefficient and ineffective.”

(Audit Commission Value for All: Equality and Diversity Scheme, 2009-2012)

‘Measuring Equality at Local Level’

( 2008)• “Data users in local government and elsewhere need

to first prioritise the equality questions they are trying to answer.”

•  “...it is essential that users of data ... first exhaust existing data sources to answer these equality questions.”

• “Equality data will be improved if people responding to requests for data understand the purpose(s) that the data will be used for, and those asking for the data understand and value the information as useful for their own purposes.”

 

‘Prioritising equality questions’What are the questions you want the data to answer? Have you got sufficient, reliable data to be able

to answer this at the moment?... ... or is your starting point gathering evidence

to identify the right questions?

National ‘overview’ reports may help.. • EHRC ‘How Fair is Britain?’ (October 2010)• ‘Hills Report’ (January 2010)• ‘Marmot Review’ (February 2010)

‘Exhausting existing data sources’ (or getting it out of your

system!) Do LINs/in-house statisticians know about the Public Sector

Equality Duty, the evidence requirements and the EMF?

What population/socio-economic data do they currently use?

Are these analysed by ‘protected groups’ wherever possible?

Do your ‘customer’ surveys, monitoring forms, complaints procedures etc ask about protected group status?

Are surveys etc anonymous where possible to facilitate responses around ‘sensitive identities’?

Do anonymous staff monitoring and recruitment processes include questions relating to all protected groups?

‘Ensuring respondents understand what data

collection is for...’• Essential to understand and acknowledge

sensitivities relating to some equality groups.

• Make absolutely clear (1) the equality aims of data collection (2) how it will be used (3) that confidentiality is guaranteed.

• Emphasise that people can leave blank any question they prefer not to answer.

• Ensure that employees/job applicants feel safe in disclosing their details, and understand the benefits they will gain.

Feedback from LGB+T surveyMost PP&T contributors favour sexual and gender

identity monitoring.• “I really believe that sexuality (like heritage or religion) should be

represented on forms, with the option given not to disclose. I realise that people get up in arms about sexuality being asked on a form, but that to me only illustrates our culture's shame around sexuality, and I want to be counted and recognised!”

• “... a large number of health and social care providers do not know (the) mix of people they are providing services for...”

• “(All) agencies have an awful lot of work to do before the stats they have will fully reflect our presence and needs…”

• “Less invisibility. I find I have to really make it very clear that I am not heterosexual.”

Where else can we find data?

• The Equality Measurement Framework

• OCSI equality data tool

• Using/generating qualitative data

• Finding out what others have to share

The EMF – what is it?• The EHRC’s statistical frameworks, made up of indicators and

measures from relevant national data sources

• The adults’ EMF provides a Framework that is recommended for use “by all public bodies to agree priorities, set targets and evaluate progress towards equality”

• Uses indicators and measures to form a matrix covering

o All equalities strands

o Ten equality ‘dimensions’ or ‘domains’

o Outcomes/process and choice/control

• LINs/statisticians need to know about the EMF: Details available from EHRC website: http://www.equalityhumanrights.com

Advantages of using EMF• Whole-person (not agency based) approach

focused on the “central and valuable things in life that people can actually do and be.”

• ‘Improving Local Equality Data’ (ILED) workshops (Scotland) agreed practical benefits could be got from

“Potentially using the EMF to frame data, to make easier comparisons across organisations, to prioritise issues, or as a conceptual tool” 

• Drawbacks: Significant gaps remain – especially at local level

The OCSI South West equalities data tool

• Collates South West data disaggregated (where possible)

– By local area

– By equality strand/socio-economic status

• Uses national data sets relevant to equalities

• Can be used by people familiar with statistical datasets

• Funded by Equality South West and SW RIEP http://www.swo.org.uk/resources/data-tools/

• Drawbacks: Similar gaps to EMF; based on pre-2009 data

Using/generating qualitative data

• Qualitative data recognised as important by EHRC

• Helps fill the gaps in/explain the local realities behind

statistical data

– Desk research: Framing existing research to relate to the EMF 10

dimensions of equality: helps identify gaps in qualitative data

– Commissioning/hosting engagement events: consultations, focus

groups, interviews, surveys with targeted protected groups ...

– ...using some or all of the 10 dimensions as topic guide

Example of ESW topic guideFeeling well, staying healthy, and getting the right health care

Notes

Are there particular things about living where you do that affect your physical or/and mental health?

How good are the health services that you use?

Do you think there important services that are missing?

Are there experiences you might feel able to share?

What could be done to improve things?

Sharing data• The logic of LAAs, partnership working and building

community profiles remains. “Key stages of building community profiles are – collecting information at a national and local level – consultation with key stakeholders – public, private and voluntary sector – open engagement with target community to hear their experience,

needs and aspirations – being explicit about how the information will be used to shape

strategies.” (IDeA)

• Sharing equality data, and seeking to harmonise methods makes local sense and spreads the load!

Other specialist sources of data...

• Equality and Human Rights Commission http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/publications/our-research/

• Government Equalities Office http://www.equalities.gov.uk/research,_facts_and_figures/publications.aspx

• Equality and Diversity Forum http://www.edf.org.uk/

• Equality South West http://www.equalitysouthwest.org.uk

• National single issue equality bodies (e.g. Age UK)

Key reports and publications• EHRC Triennial “State of the Nation” report an all

equality strands, using ten ‘dimensions’ of equality. (1st report: ‘How Fair Is Britain’, plus summary http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/key-projects/how-fair-is-britain/)

• ‘Hills Report’: An Anatomy of Economic Inequality in the UK: Report of the National Equality Panel (January 2010). Inequalities in economic outcomes and differences related to protected characteristics http://www.equalities.gov.uk/pdf/NEP%20Report%20bookmarkedfinal.pdf

• ‘Marmot Review’: Fair Society, Healthy Lives )February 2010). A Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England post 2010 http://www.marmotreview.org/AssetLibrary/pdfs/Reports/FairSocietyHealthyLives.pdf

Thank youQuestions/ discussion?