Review and update your equality monitoring information using Inside UCL

What do we mean by ‘equality monitoring information’ and why is it important? 

Equality monitoring information includes data on protected characteristics such as disability status, gender and sexuality, ethnic identity and other characteristics. Regularly checking and updating this information gives UCL data that it can use to provide more meaningful insights that can lead to positive change. 

We use this information in a number of ways: 

• To better understand the make-up of our workforce, and to see if there are barriers preventing entry to UCL for any particular groups; 
• To see if there are any gaps affecting particular groups within our workforce – for example, UCL publishes information on its gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps – and work to address these, in accordance with best practice and with our own EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) policies; 
• To assess the impact of initiatives that seek to address these gaps. 

Why am I being asked to do this? 

At the moment, we are not confident that our Equality Monitoring Information is as up-to-date or complete as we would like it to be. This information is crucial to institutions like UCL to identify where we can do better when it comes to EDI, in line with our institutional priorities. A strategic review of EDI is currently under way in preparation for the development of a UCL-wide EDI Strategy – robust equality monitoring information will be key to the success of this. 

The Inside UCL team has been working hard to provide a much faster and more intuitive way to update your data, and we’re now asking everyone to take a few minutes to check and update their information using Inside UCL.  

Going forward, we’ll be issuing regular reminders to 'spring clean’ all your information, including equality monitoring data, contact information, emergency contacts, etc. 

What about confidentiality – who has access to this information and will I be identifiable within it? 

Colleagues in HR have access to equality monitoring information as this is necessary to process and submit the institution’s annual Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) return. Access to the information is strictly controlled and only accessed on a need-to-know basis.   

For the purposes of equality monitoring, the data is primarily considered on an anonymised and on a group / larger sample basis.  As such, an individual’s identity is protected, and we cannot identify individuals as we use the data to consider how we can make EDI improvements. 

However, some monitoring may be undertaken on a smaller group basis, e.g.: 

• To track progress on EDI data on leadership programmes in terms of diversity of participants 
• Where a research funding body wants to know if grants have been used for under-represented groups  
• To inform faculty / department equality action planning e.g. diversity of staff for grant funding or impact assessment.  

UCL’s Data Protection Officer (DPO) considers requests for identifiable data in order to ensure the legitimacy and business case of such requests.  In all cases, information is shared on a strictly need to know and confidential basis

All personal data is treated in the strictest confidence at all times in line with the Data Protection Act 2018.

How do I check and update my information? 

It’s now really quick and easy to update your personal information, which will be confidential: 

1. Go to the Inside UCL app and click on the My Details’ tile. 
2. Under ‘Personal details’, click on ‘Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)’ to review your data. You can add and change your information here.  
3. Under ‘Personal details’, click on e.g.  ‘Disability’ to review your data. You can confirm that you have no disability, or add disabilities here.  

What kind of initiatives does having robust data help to support? 

UCL runs a number of schemes for underrepresented groups, including the B-Mentor programme (with academic, professional services and PGR streams) and Accelerate to Leadership. 

One mentee from the UCL B-MEntor scheme (Professional Services stream, 2022-23), said

“As part of the application process for B-MEntor, I was required to share data on my ethnicity so that my eligibility for the programme could be confirmed, and I had no problems with sharing this data. For me, my mentor has been really helpful. We have never met face to face but this hasn’t been an issue as remote meetings have worked well for us. I have turned to him for advice on various occasions. I’ve been in a Grade 6 role for nearly 14 years but now I have an interview for a secondment in the area that I have been interested in for a long time. He was the first I shared my news with and we will be having a catch up before my interview.” 

Where can I find out more? 

We have produced a list of FAQs, including questions about data protection, what the data is used for and who has access to it, on the EDI website.