The work ONS does has huge impact on shaping equality and diversity policies nationwide.
As we provide the statistics that enables society to best understand the experiences of people grouped by a range of characteristics (age, sexual orientation and disability, for example), we're best placed to not only meet our equality duties internally, but to position ourselves as a best practice organisation for equality and diversity.
Our diversity network groups include All ages: Carers; Disabilities (including Mental Health); Ethnic Minority & Cultural; Expatriate; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Transsexual; Religion or Belief; Welsh Language and Culture; Work-Life Balance.
Our work in this area has seen many initiatives and achievements:
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We have a robust Respect at Work policy
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We are 134 out of 378 on the Stonewall Equality Index
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We have been highly commended by the Employers Forum on Belief Awards
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We have won a prestigious Employers Forum on Age award in the category 'Best Public Sector Overall'
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We piloted and are rolling out a 'Managing People with Disabilities' course for line managers
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We have undertaken a 'reasonable adjustments' audit to enable fair processes
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We are piloting an 'Expert Patients Programme' aimed at supporting staff with long term health conditions
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We are working with the Civil Service Disability Task Force
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We liaise with the Life Opportunities Survey to identify issues surrounding engagement of disabled people in society
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We offer stress and mental health training to managers
Other major areas of our work internally include exploring issues around part-time working and supporting women into senior positions.
