Monitoring diversity and inclusion

Why monitor?

To offer equal opportunities, prevent discrimination and support under-represented groups, it is essential to monitor our work. We can change what we measure. Data helps us measure success and enables us to identify which of our approaches work and which don’t. At ScreenSkills we monitor to inform decisions on where to direct our resources and services. It helps us create a culture of diversity and inclusivity in the screen industries.

Our approach is supported with statistics and research and built on best practice guidelines from the Government and organisations such as ACAS. This guide has been written as a free online resource that can be used to improve diversity monitoring practices and to provide organisations with up-to-date information on diversity and inclusivity statistics in the UK.

In this guide, we explain which questions we ask and most crucially why, and how we aim to increase the number of people that fill in our diversity monitoring form. It provides clear reasons why gathering diversity data is important. The template at the end of this guide may be used to help organisations draft, implement and improve their own diversity and inclusivity monitoring practice.

Increasing the number of people answering diversity questions

We encourage people to fill in our ScreenSkills diversity monitoring form for the following three reasons:

1. Questions, questions

Wherever you go, people want to know many things about you. Your age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, whether you’re a parent or have caring responsibilities. What is this information used for? At ScreenSkills, we use it to inform decisions on where to direct our resources and services. It helps us to create a culture of diversity and inclusivity. We can’t improve – or improve the screen sector we serve – without your help.

2. It’s not about you personally, it’s the big picture

We’re all told to be careful about sharing our personal information, in case it should fall into the wrong hands. It is quite sensible to protect your personal information. But when you give information to ScreenSkills, you can be sure we deal with the data responsibly, in accordance with the law.

We cannot force you to give us personal information. If you prefer not to, then please select that option when filling in your form. But it is difficult for ScreenSkills to improve diversity and inclusivity when we do not know who is out there. Your data really makes a difference to us.

3. What we want and why

What information are we looking for? We want to ensure that we have the most accurate information about your age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic background, parent/carer status and geographical location.

This data helps us understand the industry workforce better and provide support to under-represented groups. It helps us to plan for the future, invest resources wisely and deliver our services in the right way. Please help us help you and the industry.

Setting targets for diversity and inclusivity

ScreenSkills diversity and inclusivity targets for the initiatives it supports are to achieve a participation rate of:

• For gender, 50% female
• For ethnicity, 20% minority ethnic
• For disability, 10% disabled and people who have a learning difference, impairment or long-term condition
• For sexual orientation and gender identity, 10% lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans
• For nations and regions, 50% outside London

These targets are based on UK population statistics provided by the Government on disability, ethnicity and gender.

Preventing discrimination: The Equality Act 2010 and the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998

ScreenSkills strives to be an inclusive organisation and is determined to meet the aims and commitments set in our diversity and equal opportunities policy, which is in line with the Equality Act 2010 and the Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998. We want the screen industry to reflect the diversity of the UK.

The Equality Act 2010 does not require any minimum length of continuous employment, or any employment at all in the case of a job applicant, for a discrimination claim to be made. It makes discrimination unlawful at all stages – from when a role is advertised and interviewed for, through to the last day of employment and beyond, including any references.

The Equality Act 2010 lists nine protected characteristics:

• age
• being or becoming a trans person (*gender identity)
• being married or in a civil partnership
• being pregnant or on maternity leave
• disability
• race, including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin (*ethnicity)
• religion, belief or lack of religion/belief
• sex (*sex as a term is often referred to as ‘gender’)
• sexual orientation
• Given the complex historical context of Northern Ireland, legislation has been enacted there to ensure fair employment and prohibit acts of discrimination, principally in the area of religious belief or political opinion

ScreenSkills aims to go beyond legal requirements and considers additional measures of inclusivity including:

• caring responsibilities and returnships (including parents and carers re-entering the industry)
• employment status
• geographical location (including representation of nations and regions)
• socio-economic background

Resources for recruiting a diverse workforce

ScreenSkills aims to offer equal opportunities, prevent discrimination and support under-represented groups in the screen industries. We continually seek advice and resources from the Government and organisations such as ACAS. We recommend the following free resources:

• Recruiting Staff: a toolkit published by ACAS in January 2019. If you are pressed for time, read pages 17, 18, 22, 27 and 28 on how to avoid any unintended or unconscious bias when sifting applications, prepare and conduct interviews, select the best candidate for the job, comply with GDPR, recruit without discriminating and provide reasonable adjustments for disabled job applicants.
• Prevent discrimination: Support equality: a toolkit published by ACAS in June 2018. If you are pressed for time, read pages 7, 8, 9 and 11 on how to prevent discrimination when recruiting, how to prevent unacceptable behaviours, such as bullying and harassment, and guidance on training and dismissal.
• Questions you cannot ask when recruiting: guidance by the Government on which questions you cannot ask when recruiting, such as asking whether a person is married, single or in a civil partnership or whether they have children or plan to have children.
• Employing people with protected characteristics: guidance that helps you find out how to choose the right candidate and that clarifies how you can choose a candidate with an under-represented ‘protected characteristic’ over one without when both are suitable.

ScreenSkills' diversity and inclusivity monitoring form:

When asking diversity monitoring questions, we follow good practice and write an introductory clause to inform participants of ScreenSkills commitment to diversity and equal opportunity, our aim to create a diverse and inclusive industry and how we comply with data protection legislation:

"ScreenSkills strives to be an inclusive organisation and is determined to meet the aims and commitments in our diversity and equal opportunities policy, which is in line with the Equality Act 2010. The policy includes creating a workforce that reflects the diversity of the UK and encouraging diversity and inclusivity in the screen industries.

You can help us by completing this form. If you prefer not to, then please select that option when filling in your form. But it is difficult for ScreenSkills to improve diversity and inclusivity when we do not know who is out there.

All of the information we collect is processed in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and any other applicable data protection legislation in the UK. No third parties will be given access to the personal information provided unless we are required by law to do so. For more information explaining how we use your data please see the privacy policy, cookies policy and website terms and conditions."

These are the following questions we ask:

Age

Question: What is your date of birth?

dd/mm/yyyy

[insert date box with UK date format and if applicable, set lower age limit for +18 and include link to terms and conditions]

Why we ask this question: According to a parliamentary report in January 2019, the UK youth unemployment rate is 11.7%, which means more than 500,000 people aged 16-24 are unemployed. Ofcom’s Diversity and equal opportunities in television 2018 reports that 31% of the working age population in the UK is over the age of 50, but only 16% of employees in the screen industries is aged 50-64 years old. To improve employment opportunities for under-represented age groups, the Office of National Statistics recommends requesting a date of birth then assessing accumulated data in age brackets according to standard census classification as follows (please note we have replaced ‘<16’ with ‘0-15’ and ‘65’ with ‘65+’):

• 0-15
• 16-24
• 25-29
• 30-34
• 35-39
• 40-44
• 45-49
• 50-54
• 55-59
• 60-65
• 65+

Disability

Question: The Equality Act 2010 defines disability as ‘a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial & long term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities’. Do you consider yourself to have a disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition?

• Yes
• No
• Prefer not to say

If yes, what best describes your disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition? [Please tick all that apply]

• Two or more impairments and/or long-term conditions
• A specific learning difference such as dyslexia, dyspraxia or AD(H)D
• General learning disability (such as Down's syndrome)
• A social/communication impairment such as Asperger's syndrome/other autistic spectrum disorder
• A long-standing illness or health condition such as cancer, HIV, diabetes, chronic heart disease or epilepsy
• A mental health condition, such as depression, schizophrenia or anxiety disorder
• A physical impairment or mobility issues, such as difficulty using arms or using a wheelchair or crutches
• Deaf or serious hearing impairment
• Blind or a serious visual impairment uncorrected by glasses
• A disability, impairment, learning difference or long-term condition that is not listed above
• Prefer not to say
• Prefer to self-describe: _________________

NB Another example of good practice from disability charity Scope’s equal opportunities monitoring form is the following clause and question: The Equality Act defines a disabled person as someone who has a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to perform normal day-to-day activities. It also covers people who have been diagnosed with HIV, cancer or multiple sclerosis. (Definitions: ‘substantial’ means more than minor or trivial; ‘long-term’ means that the effect of the impairment has lasted, or is likely to last, for at least 12 months; ‘normal day-to-day activities’ include everyday things like eating, washing, walking and going shopping.’) Does the Equality Act’s definition of being disabled apply to you? Yes/No/Prefer not to say.

Why we ask this question: According to a parliamentary report, only 51.3% of people with disabilities of working age (16-64) were employed in 2018, compared to 81.4% of people without disabilities. In the Diversity in TV report 2018, 6% of employees self-defined as having a disability, but this is extremely low compared to the UK average figure of 18%. The Government launched the Disability Confident campaign in 2014 to encourage UK employers to recruit and retain disabled staff and regularly publishes the list of employers signed up to the scheme. To monitor and improve employment opportunities for people with disabilities, this question was devised in consultation with the Business Disability Forum and drafted from guidance given by its information and advice service.

Ethnicity

Question: What best describes your ethnic group? [Please tick one only]

Asian/Asian British

_ Bangladeshi            _ Chinese        _ Indian              _ Pakistani               _ Prefer not to say  

Any other Asian background please specify here ___________________________

Black/ African/ Caribbean/ Black British

_ African              _ Caribbean        _ Prefer not to say  

Any other Black/African/Caribbean background, please specify here _______________­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______

Mixed/multiple ethnic groups

_ White and Asian       _ White and Black African       _ White and Black Caribbean                         

_ Prefer not to say  

Any other mixed background, please specify here __________________________

White

_ British           _ Gypsy or Irish Traveller      _ English             _ Irish              _ Northern Irish       _ Scottish                _ Welsh      _ Prefer not to say 

Any other white background, please specify here ___________________________

Other ethnic group

_ Arab            _ Prefer not to say

Any other ethnic group, please specify here _______________________

Prefer not to say ethnic background 

Why we ask this question: According to a parliamentary report from March 2018 the UK unemployment rate was 6.3% for people from minority ethnic backgrounds compared to 3.6% for people from a white background. Among people aged 16-24, unemployment rates were highest for people from a black background (26%) and from a Pakistani or Bangladeshi background (23%). This compared to a rate of 11% for people aged 16-24 from a white background. According to the 2018 Diversity in TV report by Ofcom, 13% of employees in the screen industries are from minority ethnic backgrounds. This figure is extremely low given that 40% of the population in London and the South East has a minority ethnic background. At the same time, many jobs in the screen industries are located in London and the South East. In production, 65% of employees are London-based, for example. Minority ethnic employees are also under-represented across content and creative roles while at a senior management level, minority representation levels have not improved for years. In addition, Animation UK’s 2018 report suggests that 6% of the UK animation workforce are from a minority ethnic background and that 94% are white. To monitor and improve employment opportunities for people from different ethnic backgrounds, this question was devised in consultation with ACAS and categories are established by the Office of National Statistics.

Gender

Question: What best describes your gender?

• Intersex
• Man
• Non-binary
• Woman
• Prefer not to say
• Prefer to self-describe: _________________

Why we ask this question: A parliamentary report from March 2018 indicated that the female employment rate was 70.8% compared to 79.7% for men. According to Ofcom’s 2018 Diversity in TV report, 46% of employees are women, but they only hold 41% of senior management positions. A Work Foundation report in 2017 found that only 20% of key production staff are women and Nesta found that women represented only 34% of off-screen roles in UK film crews in 2017. Finally, Animation UK reported in 2018 that women represent only 40% of the animation workforce. To monitor and improve employment and training opportunities for under-represented groups including women, this question was devised in consultation with ACAS and the categories are taken from the ACAS Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form.

Gender identity

Question: Do you identify as trans?

• No
• Yes
• Prefer not to say
• Prefer to self-describe: _________________

Why we ask this question: According to Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain: Trans Report 2017, one in eight trans employees (12%) has been physically attacked by colleagues or customers in the last year, and half of trans and non-binary people (51% and 50% respectively) have hidden or disguised the fact that they are LGBT at work because they were afraid of discrimination. In order to monitor and improve the workplace experience of trans people, this question was devised in consultation with Stonewall and taken from their guidance Do Ask, Do Tell: Capturing data on sexual orientation and gender identity globally.

Sexual Orientation

Question: What best describes your sexual orientation?

• Bi/Bisexual
• Gay man
• Gay woman/Lesbian
• Heterosexual/Straight
• Prefer not to say
• Prefer to self-describe: _________________

Why we ask this question: According to Stonewall’s LGBT in Britain: Work report 2018, almost one in five LGBT people (18%) who were looking for work said they were discriminated against because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity while trying to get a job in the last year. More than a third of LGBT staff (35%) have hidden or disguised that they are LGBT at work in the last year because they were afraid of discrimination. To monitor and improve workplace experience for LGBT people, this question was devised in consultation with Stonewall and taken from their guidance Do Ask, Do Tell: Capturing data on sexual orientation and gender identity globally.

Socio-economic background

Question: What type of school did you mainly attend between the ages of 11 and 16?

• Attended school outside the UK
• Independent or fee-paying school - bursary
• Independent or fee-paying school - no bursary
• State-run or state-funded school - non-selective
• State-run or state-funded school - selective on academic, faith or other grounds
• Don’t know
• Prefer not to say
• If other, please specify here: _________________

Why we ask this question:  Although socio-economic background is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, understanding social mobility and the social and economic background of the workforce is considered key in helping to form an accurate picture of how open and accessible an industry is. The Social Mobility Commission promotes social mobility by challenging employers, the professions, universities and schools to play their part in promoting social mobility and the Government compiled a debate pack on social mobility and the economy in March 2018 to progress this agenda. According to the Diversity in TV report by Ofcom in 2018, all of the main five broadcasters have acknowledged that this is a key area with which the industry needs to continue to engage. This question was devised in consultation with the Bridge Group and taken from its guidance in the 2018 Ofcom report Diversity and Equal Opportunities in Television to begin to monitor opportunities for people from different socio-economic backgrounds.

Question: Please think about the parent or other care-giver who was the highest income earner in your house when you were around 14 years old. What kind of work did they do? If this question does not apply to you (because for example, you were in care at this time), you can indicate this below.

• Clerical and intermediate occupations e.g. secretary, personal assistant, nursery nurse, office clerk, call centre agent
• Middle or junior managers e.g. office manager, warehouse manager, restaurant manager
• Modern professional occupations e.g. teacher, nurse, social worker, artist, musician, software designer
• Routine manual and service occupations e.g. van driver, cleaner, porter, waiter/waitress, bar staff
• Semi-routine manual and service occupations e.g. postal worker, security guard, machine worker, receptionist, sales assistant
• Senior managers and administrators e.g. finance manager, chief executive
• Technical and craft occupations e.g. fitter, plumber, printer, electrician
• Traditional professional occupations e.g. accountant, solicitor, scientist, medical practitioner
• Long-term unemployment e.g. claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year
• This question does not apply to me
• Prefer not to say
  

Why we ask this question: Although socio-economic background is not a protected characteristic under the Equality Act 2010, understanding social mobility and the social and economic background of the workforce is considered key in helping to form an accurate picture of how open and accessible an industry is. The Social Mobility Commission promotes social mobility by challenging employers, the professions, universities and schools to play their part in promoting social mobility and the Government compiled a debate pack on social mobility and the economy in March 2018 to progress this agenda. According to Ofcom’s 2018 Diversity in TV report, all of the main five broadcasters have acknowledged that this is a key area with which the industry needs to continue to engage. This question was devised in consultation with the Bridge Group and taken from its guidance in the 2018 Ofcom report Diversity and Equal Opportunities in Television to begin to monitor opportunities for people from different socio-economic backgrounds.

Geographical location

Question: What is your current UK postcode?

Please enter your current UK postcode ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­______________

• England
  • Please choose region (drop down box of listed regions from ONS: South East, London, North West, East of England, West Midlands, South West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, North East)
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales
• Prefer not to say

Why we ask this question:  Findings from the Work Foundation in 2017 suggest that 65% of the UK film production workforce is located in London and the South East. In order to improve employment opportunities across nations and regions, this question was devised to build a more accurate picture of the geographical spread of the UK screen workforce.

Caring responsibilities

Question: Do you have caring responsibilities? If yes, please tick all that apply

• None
• Primary carer of a child or children (under 18 years)
• Primary carer of a disabled child or children (under 18 years)
• Primary carer or assistant for a disabled adult (18 years and over)
• Primary carer or assistant for an older person or people (65 years and over)
• Secondary carer (another person carries out main caring role)
• Prefer not to say

Why we ask this question: With the introduction of Shared Parental Leave in 2015, the Government encourages flexible working. The Government and ACAS have published guidance on what employers must do when a request for flexible working is made. In order to monitor employment opportunities for people with caring responsibilities, this question was devised in consultation with ACAS and taken from the ACAS Equality and Diversity Monitoring Form.

After asking these questions we follow good practice and write a conclusion clause to thank participants and to ask for any feedback:

"Thank you for filling in this form. We want our screen industries to be inclusive and welcoming to everyone – if there is more we could do to improve your experience, please get in touch be emailing us at: support@screenskills.com or by direct messaging us on Facebook or Twitter."

Updates to the diversity and inclusion questionnaire 

From January 2023, ScreenSkills stopped asking the following questions since they are not used to set our business targets. Additionally, data previously collected has been separated from user accounts and has been anonymised according to best practice.

1. What best describes your religion or belief?
2. In what area of the UK did you predominantly grow up?
3. Are you returning to work following an extended period (12 months or more) of absence?
4. In the past 12 months, what has been your employment status for most of that time?
5. Are you married or in a civil partnership?

Last updated 12 June 2023