Introduction and definitions

You may be used to seeing the terms Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). In the profession, we talk about culture, diversity and inclusion because of the critical role of culture in enabling success, and shaping the environment for each individual to play a full role and receive fair recognition for performance and impact.

Introduction

The government first began seriously addressing culture and inclusion around 2015 following the publication of a report on Women in the UK Intelligence Community by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC). A second ISC report on Diversity and Inclusion in the UK Intelligence Community expanded the focus beyond gender to include race and sexuality. You may also like to read this blog post on how Diversity leads to better decision-making published on GOV.UK.

Since then, a number of reviews have taken place which discuss the need for long-term cultural change and commitment to diversity and inclusion across both the profession and the national security community. Improving D&I has multiple societal and financial benefits, through:

• improving attraction of new talent
• retaining our in house talent
• developing an inclusive culture where everyone feels safe, visible and can bring their best selves to work.

A workforce which is diverse in thought and inclusive will ensure the decisions we make are considerate of the many different perspectives and lived experiences of both our staff and the general public.

Civil Service data shows continued year-on-year improvements across diversity characteristics. The British independent think tank, the Institute for Government (IfG) recently reflected in its Whitehall Monitor 2025 Report that today’s Civil Service is more demographically diverse than ever, becoming more diverse in:

• gender
• ethnicity
• disability status
• sexual orientation
• socio-economic background
• faith
• age

The report cites how promoting diversity and inclusion has been a priority for Civil Service leadership in recent years and refers to the work laid out in the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025.

Definitions

Culture

Culture refers to the ideas, customs, and behavioural norms of a particular people or society. Workplace culture is reflected in an organisation’s purpose, leadership, values, traditions and beliefs, and the behaviours and attitudes of its people. As the Civil Service serves, and seeks to represent, the whole of UK society, our culture is closely linked to the norms and values that define UK society.

Diversity

Diversity refers to the practice or quality of including or involving people from a range of different social and ethnic backgrounds and of different genders, sexual orientations, etc. A diverse organisation intentionally nurtures a workforce comprising individuals with a range of characteristics, such as gender, religion, race, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, education, and other attributes.

Inclusion

Inclusion refers to the practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalised, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups.

The Civil Service definition of inclusion highlights three key components:

• Belonging – feeling like you belong in your organisation and team
• Authenticity – feeling like you can be your authentic self at work
• Voice – feeling like you have the opportunity to speak up and are heard

Equality and equity

Equality describes the state of being equal, especially in status, rights or opportunities. It is about more than just a lack of discrimination based on traits like sexuality, gender, and race. In the workplace, a commitment to equality requires continuing effort.