Guidance and purpose
In response to Black Lives Matter in 2020, new sector guidance on EDI, and acknowledging that there is a problem with racial diversity, Surrey VCSE Alliance set up the EDI Steering Group and EDI Champions Network to support change. A survey was carried out in March 2021, leading to the ‘Ambitions for An Equitable Surrey’ Report.
This new survey aims to collate key EDI information, with a particular focus on Race, Disability and LBGTQ+. It also asks for information about religious belief and ethnic heritage, in particular a number of key religions (we recognise some people have no religion), those of Black African and Black Afro-Caribbean heritage, and those from Southeast Asian/Asian Heritage as these groups experience higher disadvantage in Surrey in several areas.
For this survey:
Minoritised Ethnic Group = all ethnic groups except White British, so will include Gypsy Roma Traveller.
All Asian ethnic people group = Asian; Asian British; Indian; Pakistani; Bangladeshi; Chinese; and any other Asian background.
All Black ethnic people group = Black; African; Black British; Caribbean and any other Black/African/Caribbean background.
Mixed/Multiple ethnic people groups – covers White and Black Caribbean; White and Black African; White and Asian and any other mixed ethnic background.
Disabled people is defined as anyone with a physical or mental health condition lasting or expecting to last for at least 12 months, that impacts their ability to do normal daily activities.
LGBTQ+ people group – covers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, non-binary, intersex, and any other identity under the broadest definition.
For the purpose of this survey, we have amalgamated categories as many have indicated they collect EDI information in several ways. Please try to align data as closely as you can – we accept you may need to tweak some data as best you can. If this is not possible or not available, just say ‘not available’.
From April 2025 onwards, it is our aim to align as a sector with the EDI profiling used by Surrey County Council as this also connects with information collected elsewhere including census data.
We recognise that there are limitations in all labelling approaches, but have tried to keep it simple to enable information to be aggregated.
We fully recognise protected characteristics and inequality affect wider groups, and that there are also issues of multiple disadvantage and discrimination, and intersectionality.
The information will help prioritise actions for collaboration, positive action, and initiatives on all EDI matters, to support equity in governance and leadership, representation and voice, and service/staff accessibility and outcomes.
Please use numbers (not percentages) so we can amalgamate information, and use headcount not FTE. Critically please do not use any personal identifiable information.
If you don’t know please put ‘Unknown’.
If you have any questions, please contact either:
Dalton Leong Maria Mills
Chair Deputy Chair
Surrey EDI Steering Group Surrey EDI Steering Group
dalton.leong@surreyvcsealliance.org.uk Maria.Mills@activeprospects.org.uk