Data collection

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects annual data on the equality profiles of staff and students in all UK higher education institutions (HEIs), on gender, race, disability and age.

ECU distributes staff equality data to every HEI each year, disaggregated by gender, race, disability and age.

ECU is working with HESA to develop a dedicated equality function in the heidi data management tool, a web-based management information service. The equality function will be rolled out to all institutions that subscribe to heidi by August 2009. This will allow institutions to draw down data in relation to relevant equality categories (eg the number of female or black and minority ethnic students in a particular academic subject area, or the numbers of staff who have declared a disability) in relation to each equality area where HESA collects data. This will ensure the HESA data set is being used effectively by those responsible for planning and implementing equality and diversity within institutions.

A report on Mapping equality data in the higher education sector has been published by ECU.

ECU has also published a State of the sector statistical report, based on the 2006/07 HESA returns.

Staff disclosure

Statistical data are reliable only if the information on which they are based is accurate. In 2006/07 only 2.24 per cent of academic staff declared a disability, and 2.9 per cent of professional and support staff. According to the former Disability Rights Commission (now EHRC), 19 per cent of the working age population in Britain are disabled.

ECU is developing a project on Staff disclosure of equality data, working with institutions to trial interventions to improve the disclosure rate for staff with disabilities.

Further information

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the UK's independent authority set up to promote access to official information and to protect personal information.

The ICO provides guidance and information highly relevant to monitoring for equal opportunities legislation, including fulfilling the race, gender and disability public duties. Its website provides the most up-to-date guidance on data collection, data protection, record keeping and legal issues relating to accessing records. This includes best practice in employee monitoring and the management of health records.