Diversity statistics

The Undercover Policing Inquiry is staffed by a highly motivated, skilled and diverse workforce. The Inquiry is committed to promoting and ensuring equality and valuing diversity.

The Inquiry conducts a diversity snapshot survey annually, which collects data focused on the protected characteristics defined by the Equality Act 2010. The available data on the Inquiry’s workforce as of September 2021 is included on this page.

Please note

Where grade-level data has been provided, grades have been grouped to protect the identity of individual respondents and allow for comparability across the different grading systems used within the Inquiry. To provide the greatest level of detail possible for each characteristic, the grade groupings differ between characteristics.
The statistics provided are based on the responses supplied by the 77% of Inquiry staff who completed the survey.
The following Civil Service grades are used within the Inquiry (in order of seniority): Administrative Officers (AO), Executive Officer (EO), Higher Executive Officer (HEO), Senior Executive Officer (SEO), Grade 7 (G7), Grade 6 (G6), Senior Civil Service (SCS).
Within the Inquiry’s Counsel team, the following grading system is used (in order of seniority): Junior Junior, Second Junior, First Junior, Lead Counsel.

Sex

49% of Inquiry staff who responded are female. In the highest grade grouping, this figure is 29%.

Chart 1: Sex of Inquiry staff, 2021

Description for Chart 1

49% of Inquiry staff who responded are Female and 51% are Male.

Chart 2: Sex of Inquiry staff by grade, 2021

Description for Chart 2

In the EO/HEO/SEO grade grouping, 69% of Inquiry staff who responded are Female and 31% are Male.
In the G7/Junior Junior grade grouping, 39% of Inquiry staff who responded are Female and 61% are Male.
In the G6/Second Junior grade grouping, 60% of Inquiry staff who responded are Female and 40% are Male.
In the SCS or higher/First Junior or higher grade grouping, 29% of Inquiry staff who responded are Female and 71% are Male.

Ethnicity

33% of Inquiry staff who responded are from an ethnic minority background. In the highest grade grouping, this figure is 6%.

According to figures released by the Office of National Statistics, 12.9% of the UK’s working population identified as an ethnic minority in June 2021.

Chart 3: Representation of ethnic minorities in the Inquiry, 2021

Description for Chart 3

12% of Inquiry staff who responded are from an Asian or Asian British background, 16% are from a Black or Black British background, 2% are from a Mixed background, 4% are from another ethnic group and 67% are from a White background.

Chart 4: Representation of ethnic minorities in the Inquiry by grade, 2021

Bar chart showing representation of ethnic minorities in the Inquiry by grade, 2020. Described under 'Table for Chart 4'.

Description for Chart 4

In the EO/HEO/SEO grade grouping, 17% of Inquiry staff who responded are from an Asian or Asian British background, 58% are from an Black or Black British background and 25% are from a White background.
In the G7/JJ grade grouping, 12% of Inquiry staff who responded are from an Asian or Asian British background, 6% are from a Mixed background, 12% are from another ethnic group background and 71% are from a White background.
In the G6 or higher/Second Junior or higher grade grouping, 6% of Inquiry staff who responded are from a Black or Black British background and 94% are from a White background.

Age

Chart 5: Proportion of Inquiry staff by age, 2021

Description for Chart 5

15% of Inquiry staff who responded are in the 20-29 age bracket, 36% are in the 30-39 bracket, 25% are in the 40-49 bracket, 21% are in the 50-59 bracket and 4% are in the 60-64 bracket.

Chart 6: Proportion of Inquiry staff by age and grade, 2021

Description for Chart 6

In the EO/HEO/SEO grade grouping, 31% of Inquiry staff who responded are in the 20-29 age bracket, 31% are in the 30-39 bracket, 8% are in the 40-49 bracket, 23% are in the 50-59 bracket and 8% are in the 60-64 bracket.
In the Grade 7/Junior Junior grade grouping, 11% of Inquiry staff who responded are in the 20-29 age bracket, 56% are in the 30-39 bracket, 22% are in the 40-49 bracket, 6% are in the 50-59 bracket and 6% are in the 60-64 bracket.
In the Grade 6/Second Junior grade grouping, 30% of Inquiry staff who responded are in the 30-39 age bracket, 50% are in the 40-49 bracket and 20% are in the 50-59 bracket.
In the SCS or higher/First Junior or higher grade grouping, 43% of Inquiry staff who responded are in the 40-49 age bracket and 57% are in the 50-59 bracket.

Disability

Chart 7: Proportion of Inquiry staff considering themselves to have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010, 2021

Description for Chart 7

6% of Inquiry staff who responded consider themselves to have a disability as defined by the Equality Act 2010.

Sexual orientation

Chart 8: Sexual orientation of Inquiry staff, 2021

Description for Chart 8

6% of Inquiry staff who responded identify as LGBT+ and 94% identify as Heterosexual/Straight.

Religion and belief

37% of Inquiry staff who responded reported that they were Christian and 48% reported as having no religion or belief. The most common reported religion or belief after Christianity was Islam (Muslim) at 13%.

Chart 9: Representation of Inquiry staff by religion or belief, 2021

Description for Chart 9

37% of Inquiry staff who responded reported that they were Christian, 2% reported as being Hindu, 2% reported as being Jewish, 12% reported as being Muslim and 48% reported as having no religion or belief.