Data collection - protected characteristics: guidance - equality impact assessment

Annex 1: Planned Changes

All guidance notes

• Add information on the importance of and advice on the collection of data in a way that enables intersectional analysis
• Add 'prefer not to say' options to the harmonised questions and provide guidance on its use
• Improve accessibility by providing html versions of the guidance

Age

• Add information and advice on using explicit age ranges and how to manage unknown ages
• Add information and advice on the definition of adult and child in Scottish law
• Add specific wording for proxy responses to the age question
• Provide advice on banding when reporting age data

Disability

• Add information regarding the ongoing work towards a harmonised question based in the social model of disability
• Add clarity to lead-in statements for interviewers regarding fluctuating conditions, new diagnoses, and limiting conditions
• Add information and advice for the collection of proxy responses for disability data
• Improve clarity of how the answers to the questions determine disabled status
• Updating the question responses to be inclusive of those with multiple conditions or illnesses, and to bring the language about impairments in line with current terminology

Ethnic Group

• Add advice on grouping data and reporting grouped data where sample sizes are too small to report
• Add new online format for the harmonised question
• Remove references to comparing data across censuses as NRS does not currently have advice on this for the new response options
• Update the response options to be in line with Scotland's Census 2022
• Update the response options of the linked religion question to be in line with Scotland's Census 2022
• Update advice on language around "minority ethnic" groups vs BME/BAME to be in line with current terminology

Religion

• Move suggested question on religious practice forward to increase knowledge of this issue
• Update the response options to be in line with Scotland's Census 2022

Sexual Orientation

• Consolidate existing questions for different survey formats into a single question for use in all surveys
• Move the information on the ONS Sexual Identity project to an annex
• Removal of discussion that singles out this question as more sensitive than other questions on protected characteristics
• Update language defining sexual orientation and the response options to be more in line with the Equality Act 2010