How we present personal characteristics

This page describes how we present information on personal characteristics gathered for equality, diversity and inclusion purposes.

For some areas of data we use summary categories. We describe below how we summarise data.

Contents

  1. Rounding of data
  2. Yes / no responses
    • Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history?
    • Is English your first language?
    • Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?
    • Were you born in the UK?
  3. Caring responsibilities
  4. Disability
  5. Ethnicity
  6. Gender and sex
  7. Religion and belief
  8. Marital or civil partnership status
  9. Sexual orientation

Rounding of data

Wherever we present data on these characteristics, we apply HESA rounding principles. This means that:

  • Counts of people are rounded to the nearest multiple of 5.
  • Percentages (like % of students who are disabled) are not published if they are fractions of a small group of people (fewer than 22.5).
  • Averages (like average age or average salary) are not published if they are averages of a small group of people (7 or fewer).

Yes and no responses

Where a question is replied to with the option of 'Yes', 'No' or 'Prefer not to say' we present those values, with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied. This covers the following questions:

  • Do you consider yourself to be trans, or have a trans history?
  • Is English your first language?
  • Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?
  • Were you born in the UK?

Caring responsibilities

We ask staff the question 'Do you have caring responsibilities?'. Individuals are able to select from a range of options including 'Prefer not to say'.

We present their responses with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.

Disability

We ask staff the question 'Do you have a disability?. Individuals are able to select from nine categories of disability, 'No known disability or condition' or 'Prefer not to say'. Individuals can provide up to three separate responses to record additional disabilities.

We also hold some older records where employees answered the question with a yes / no response.

We present this data in three ways:

  1. Each type of response is displayed separately, with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.
  2. A summary of data presenting records under the headings 'Disabled', 'Not disabled', 'Prefer not to say' and 'Not known'. This is our default presentation.
  3. A summary of data presenting records under the headings 'Single disability', 'Multiple disabilities', 'Not disabled', 'Prefer not to say' and 'Not known'. Where the data includes records containing the older 'yes / no' response, they are shown under a further heading of 'Disabled'.

We choose the type of presentation according to the context of the report or the wish of the requester.

Ethnicity

We ask staff the question 'What is your ethnicity or ethnic group?''. Individuals are able to select from a range of ethnicities or 'Prefer not to say'.

We present this data in four ways:

  1. Each type of response is displayed separately, with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.
  2. A summary of ethnicities under these headings:
    • Asian / Asian British, which includes:
      • Asian - Bangladeshi or Bangladeshi British
      • Asian - Chinese or Chinese British
      • Asian - Pakistani or Pakistani British
      • Asian - Indian or Indian British
      • Any other Asian background
    • Black / African / Caribbean / Black British, which includes:
      • Black - Caribbean or Caribbean British
      • Black - African or African British
      • Any other Black background
    • Mixed / multiple ethnic groups, which includes:
      • Other mixed background
      • Mixed - White and Black Caribbean
      • Mixed - White and Black African
      • Mixed - White and Asian
    • White, which includes:
      • White - Roma
      • White - Irish
      • White - Gypsy or Irish Traveller
      • White - English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, British
      • Any other White background
    • Other ethnic group, which includes:
      • Gypsy or Traveller
      • Arab
      • Any other ethnic background
    • Prefer not to say
    • Not known

    3. This is our default presentation.

  3. An alternative summary presenting records under the headings 'White British', 'Ethnic minorities', 'Prefer not to say' and 'Not known'.
  4. An alternative summary presenting records under the headings 'White', 'Ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities)'', 'Prefer not to say' and 'Not known'.

We choose the type of presentation according to the context of the report or the wish of the requester.

Gender and sex

We ask staff questions about gender and sex. These questions include:

We also hold the individual's legal sex, which is required for paying staff.

Gender identity

We ask staff the question 'What is your gender identity?''. Individuals are able to select from 'Woman', 'Man', 'Non-binary', 'Prefer to self-describe' or 'Prefer not to say'.

We present their responses with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.

Sex (self declared)

We ask staff the question 'What is your sex?''. Individuals are able to select from 'Female', 'Male', 'Other' or 'Prefer not to say'.

We present their responses with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.

Using gender and sex values for analysis

In order to carry out EDI activities such as data analyses and gender pay gap reporting, we need a gender marker for all staff. However, we do not have responses to the question 'What is your gender identity' for all employees.

To meet this need, we derive a gender marker from the data we hold, in this order of preference:

  • the individual's response to 'What is your gender identity?'; if not held then
  • the individual's response to 'What is your sex?'; if not held then
  • the individual's legal sex

We present this data under these headings:

  • Man, which includes:
    • responses of 'Man' to the question 'What is your gender identity?'
    • responses of 'Male' to the question 'What is your sex?'
    • a legal sex of 'Male'
  • Woman, which includes:
    • responses of 'Woman' to the question 'What is your gender identity?'
    • responses of 'Female' to the question 'What is your sex?'
    • a legal sex of 'Female'
  • Other, which includes:
    • responses of 'Non-binary' or 'Self described' to the question 'What is your gender identity?'
    • responses of 'Other' to the question 'What is your sex?'

Religion and belief

We ask staff the question 'What is your religion or belief?'. Individuals are able to select from a range of options including 'Prefer not to say'.

We present this data in two ways:

  1. Each type of response is displayed separately, with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.
  2. A summary of religion / belief using these categories:
    • No religion, which includes:
      • agnostic
      • atheist
      • no religion
    • Religious / belief, which includes:
      • Buddhist
      • Christian
      • Hindu
      • Jewish
      • Muslim
      • Sikh
      • Spiritual
      • Pagan
      • Any other religion or belief
    • Prefer not to say
    • Not known

We choose the type of presentation according to the context of the report or the wish of the requester.

Marital or civil partnership status

We ask staff the question 'What is your marital or civil partnership status?'. Individuals are able to select from a range of options including 'Prefer not to say'.

We present their responses with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.

Sexual orientation

We ask staff the question 'What is your sexual orientation?'. Individuals are able to select from a range of options including 'Prefer not to say'.

We present their responses with 'Not known' representing records where no response has been supplied.