Equality Monitoring
An explanation why Solihull collects equality monitoring information.
Equality monitoring is the process we use to collect, store and analyse data about people's diversity. It is useful to highlight possible inequalities, investigate their underlying causes and remove any unfairness or disadvantage. Monitoring, therefore, is not an end in itself but provides the data for the review of policies and for identifying areas requiring improvement.
The Council collects equality monitoring information for a number of reasons broadly related to the Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010 (For more information, please see our webapage on Equality and Diversity Legislation).
Usually, equality monitoring relates to one or more of the nine protected characteristics established by the Act: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
Although there is no legal duty to collect monitoring information against individual protected characteristics, "in order to have due regard to the aims of the general equality duty, public authorities must understand the impact of their policies and practices on people with protected characteristics. Collecting and analysing equality information (including from engagement, where relevant) is an important way for public authorities to develop this understanding." [Equality and Human Rights Commission, "Equality Information and the Equality Duty: A Guide for Public Authorities, December 2011]
Equalities information must be relevant and proportionate. This means that we have to have good reason for collecting the information and we have to collect it in a way that does not seem excessive (such as asking someone to complete a form if they have requested a leaflet).
Solihull Council’s Equality Monitoring Guidance can be found in the attachments section on the right of this page. There is also a useful leaflet, produced by Stonewall, on the benefits of equality monitoring called 'What's it Got to Do with You?'
The specific equality duty on public authorities to publish equality information (please see our webpage on The Public Sector Equality Duties: Solihull Council's Information and Objectives) covers both 'Employment' and 'Services and Other Functions' .
Equality monitoring must be sensitive to issues associated with human rights and privacy, and we are happy to receive advice from people involved or from representative agencies/groups when establishing new monitoring procedures.
Monitoring our Services
Gathering equality monitoring information is essential if we are to be certain that we provide equal access to our services for everyone, and that we can demonstrate this is the case should we be asked to prove it.
Equality monitoring lets the Council see how services have operated in the past, but more importantly can be used to inform action and future service delivery. It is essential for effective planning and analysis of the services we provide. Monitoring can tell us which groups are using services and how satisfied they are with them. This data can then be used to:
- Highlight possible inequalities
- Investigate their underlying causes
- Remove any unfairness or disadvantage.
Monitoring as an Employer
Part of the specific equality duty on public authorities is to publish information that demonstrates we are meeting our responsibilities as employers.
Our employees are strongly encouraged to record their own equality profiles against most of the nine protected characteristics on our management information database. This enables us to ensure we are treating our employees fairly in terms of training and development opportunities, flexible working and staff retention. It also provides us with valuable information to support our aim of ensuring our employee profile matches as far as is practicable the communities we serve.
Our recruitment and selection information is supplied through West Midlands Jobs Portal, which advertises and processes all our jobs vacancies.