Equality and Diversity update - March 2013
Key Highlights
A Diversity Week event successfully delivered in November included a programme
of talks highlighting the diversity of our records. Numbers of attendees are
consistently high each year particularly for non talk days. It was used as a platform
to launch a series of campaigns throughout 2012/13 focusing on key topics and
areas beginning with mental health in January, continuing throughout the year. A
talk on mental health and wellbeing, ‘Mind Your Health’ was attended by circa 90
staff members with positive feedback. Campaign pages have been added to Narnia
Equality and Diversity pages with information on mental health conditions and the
campaign. Additional links have been added to the HR pages including support,
help lines and advice on tackling conversations with colleagues regarding mental
health. During LGBT history month in February the new Gay and Lesbian history
guide will be launched, staff from across TNA will present papers at the London
Metropolitan Archives and UKAD conferences, a new exhibition will be on display
and a blog post highlighting work in the area will be posted.
Caribbean through a lens projects still ongoing with some 15 partners working with
the material from now until end March 2013 via exhibitions, educational projects and
reminiscence sessions. The Explore Caribbean Through a Lens landing page to be
launched end of March 2013 showcasing involvement in the project by various
community partners. On 25th March, we are hosting workshops with elders from
our Caribbean through a lens project to explore Caribbean photographic records
and support their family history research.
We are developing the 'Opening Up Archives' bid for the next round of Skills For The
Future funding with colleagues across TNA incorporating improvements based on
lessons learned from the current project. TNA has partnered with the Learning and
Skills Improvement Service, Chartered Institute of Library and Information
Professionals and the Scottish Library and Information Council to publish a survey
on the make-up of the Libraries, Archives, Records and Information Sector
workforce. This will be a useful tool in ongoing TNA and ARA initiatives to develop
the workforce. We are represented on the ARA Diversity Working Group, focusing
on improving opportunities for entry into the archives workforce for disabled people.
We were successful with our investment bid for the Archiving the Arts projects, an
emerging strategy to support sustainability of collecting, preservation and access
across the arts and archives sector. Initial research has identified diversity as a
strong theme for collecting and access. Responses have been received from the
Black Dance Archives and the former head of diversity at ACE. Further
conversations will address gaps in collecting and supporting active participation.
The archives services accreditation pilot is now at the assessing stage, with full
participation from across the range of archives in the sector. ASD is collating its first
annual highlights report to the sector and strategic stakeholders to showcase the
work we have undertaken with and through the sector as part of our leadership role.
UAG19031306a - Agenda item: 6
Funding has been secured from the FTNA to run a Diverse Histories film
competition to highlight areas of the records to new audiences. This is now in the
planning stages to launch in June or July 2013.
Contacts with the following organisations have been made by DSD regarding work
experience placements; Ealing Borough Council, Inspire Education Business
Partnership (dealing with Hackney Borough placements) and an associated school
for students with moderate learning difficulties. DSD continue their work placement
programme with people with autism. Staff attended a campaign launch by the
National Autistic Society to share good practice on the programme with the wider
community. Feedback from Prospects (The National Autistic Society’s employment
support arm) highlights the success in this area of work. ‘We feel that the National
Archives has been one of the most helpful and accommodating organisations in the
UK for us at Prospects and people with ASD, so we will offer you this training
session for free as one way of saying thanks.’ Additionally DSD will be offering
assistance on school projects, such as business challenge days to a local school.
Recent improvements to the current education booking system, is enabling us to
capture more data from schools on first contact and potentially create a fairer
booking system. We will be carrying out an Impact Assessment on this and
additionally the proposed new booking system (CRM).
Ongoing
A further review of the Business as Usual items on the action plan has been carried
out to extract any items that have now been assimilated. A full update including
some BAU items will be included in the annual report for 2013.
The ongoing Through A Lens campaign has seen thousands of users engaging with
our photographic collection online, clocking up almost 5 million views on our Flickr
account. We launched ‘Australasia through a lens’ in January and are planning to
release ‘Middle East and Mediterranean through a lens’ at the beginning of March.
New volunteers have begun work on Your Caribbean Heritage and the Gold Coast
1900 cataloguing work is being prepared for upload to the catalogue. HO 42 has
now had c.50 pieces completed and returned by offsite volunteers.
We are pursuing alternate sources of funding for the SEN project. We are awaiting
confirmation that the Friends of TNA will be able to support our bid by allowing us to
apply using their charitable status. We have continued to attend SEN sessions at
the Museum of London and are building links with additional schools we are
planning to develop our initial programme with. We have also identified and
purchased some initial pieces for a learning collection to use with SEN groups.
Presentation on the Moving Here review was delivered to Executive Team who gave
a strong steer in favour of developing an exit strategy. A definitive response is
currently being developed. Web Archive team have been consulted and testing of
the most recent archived version of the website is being undertaken to evaluate how
complete this is. Partners will be contacted to request perpetual licence agreements
on their content and an editorial review of articles will be undertaken to assess
future risks. Report back to Executive Team is scheduled for end of Feb 2013.
UAG19031306a - Agenda item: 6
HR and TUS are working together to encourage staff to disclose E&D information.
The recruitment team are working on the production of reports to show diversity in
recruitment.
A website access audit will help identify gaps and steps to improve accessibility
further across the online service and to develop skills and knowledge of the web
team to include greater knowledge of specialist users needs. This has stalled due to
inability to fill the vacant User Experience Manager role, which is still vacant despite
external advertising.
Monitoring
Taught education sessions for this quarter
Onsite sessions: 48.4% schools with above average intake of students for ethnic
diversity and 20.31% schools with above average intake for social inclusion
Virtual Sessions: 15.6% schools with above average intake of students for ethnic
diversity and 19.27% schools with above average intake of students for social
inclusion
Online customers November 2012:
Ethnicity:
Asian: 1.44%
Black: 0.72%
Chinese 0.24%
White: 92.79%
Mixed ethnic background: 1.44%
Any other ethnic group (please specify
if you wish): 3.37%
Age:
85.87% of respondents were aged 45+
Under 16: 0.45%
16-24: 0.45%
25-34: 4.71%
35-44: 8.52%
45-54: 11.43%
55-64: 31.39%
65-74: 30.72%
75+: 12.33%
Disability:
None / not applicable: 66.74%
Mobility – getting around: 10.48%
Hearing: 7.97%
Eyesight: 5.47%
Dexterity: Using hands / fingers 2.51%
Learning: (e.g. dyslexia) 0.91%
Mental health: 1.59%
Other (please specify): 4.33%
UAG19031306a - Agenda item: 6
Onsite customers December 2012
Ethnicity:
Asian: 3%
Black: 0%
Chinese 0%
White: 96%
Mixed ethnic background: 1%
Any other ethnic group (please specify if
you wish): 0%
Total respondents 441
Age:
Total respondents: 453
Under 14: 0%
16-24: 6%
25-34: 11%
35-44: 6%
45-54: 12%
55-64: 28%
65-74: 28%
75+: 8%
Disability:
None / not applicable: 87%
Mobility – getting around: 5%
Hearing: 4%
Eyesight: 2%
Dexterity: Using hands / fingers 1%
Learning: (e.g. dyslexia) 1%
Mental health: 1%
Other (please specify): 1%
No response: 54