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GSS diversity and inclusion

This page is currently under review.

Our ambition is to be inclusive in everything we do, as outlined in the Government Statistical Service (GSS) People Priorities, and to ensure the statistics we produce are reflective of the society we serve. To achieve this we need to attract, retain and nurture talented and skilled people from diverse backgrounds with a variety of experiences.

We aim to maximise the potential of all Government Statistician Group (GSG) members regardless of their sex, gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, faith, age or socio-economic backgrounds.

Our action plan

To accomplish this, we will:

  • expand our employment offering, promoting inclusive entry routes
  • increase diversity within the GSG population
  • develop best practice ways of working within the GSG

The new GSS vision, Strength in Numbers, strengthens this commitment to diversity and inclusion in the GSS through the Capability and Community theme.

Our aspirations link to the wider Government Analysis Function, which supports Civil Service analytical professions and other government analysts. We will encourage and promote collaboration with colleagues and align our work with other diversity and inclusion initiatives across the function.

Making the GSS more diverse and inclusive

We have taken various actions to make the GSS more inclusive and to attract a diverse mix of staff. These include:

  • annual recruitment campaigns for Level 4 Data Analytics and Level 6 Data Science Degree Apprenticeships
  • reviewing apprenticeships and apprenticeship recruitment
  • recommending that recruitment management information and metrics should include diversity data
  • encouraging greater collaboration across GSS teams to access more management information on diversity and inclusion
  • the Diversity and Inclusion Shadow Board has been embedded into the Career Framework Steering Group and the Learning and Development Steering Group, which directly feed into the GSS People Advisory Group (PAG)

Working group

The GSS Diversity and Inclusion Working Group is made up of volunteers from across the GSS. The group work on GSS specific diversity and inclusion workstreams aligned to the GSS People Priorities and the GSS vision, Strength in Numbers.

The group will share best practice across the GSS and the wider Analysis Function and share lived experiences through blog posts.

They will also continue to engage with GSS Task and Finish Groups to develop solutions for priority objectives. This will ensure decisions are made with a focus on diversity and inclusion. We provide an independent perspective when necessary through our Shadow Board.

If you would like to volunteer for this working group, please contact the team at GSS.Careers@ons.gov.uk.

Questions about diversity and inclusion

You can contact the careers team at GSS.Careers@ons.gov.uk to ask any questions about diversity and inclusion.

 

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