The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is an inclusive organisation. We actively promote equality of opportunity for everybody who has dealings with us, irrespective of their race, gender, disability, religion, belief system, sexual orientation or age.
We have developed an equality scheme which sets out how we approach equality and diversity. You can read further about the scheme below.
ARB undertakes an equality data collection exercise covering applicants, registrants and complainants, in a cost-effective and non-intrusive way.
ARB Equality Survey – Frequently asked questions
What is the Equality and Diversity survey?
The survey consists of five short questions, which should take no longer than two minutes to complete. The information will help compile a picture of the make-up of the Register.
Participation is voluntary and we want as many architects as possible to support us by filling in the survey, to ensure our ways of working are free from discrimination and in line with the Equality Act.
The survey results are automatically uploaded, so there is no manual handling of data.
What is the Equality Act?
The Equality Act 2010 legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society. It replaced previous anti-discrimination laws with a single Act, making the law easier to understand and strengthen protection in some situations. It sets out the different ways in which it’s unlawful to treat someone.
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) is an inclusive organisation. We actively promote equality of opportunity for everybody who has dealings with us, irrespective of their race, gender, disability, religion, belief system, sexual orientation or age.
What is ARB’s duty?
We operate in line with the Government’s public sector equality duty. This duty places a responsibility on all public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and to foster good relations between different groups of people. The duty also extends to publishing information on how we have delivered on that responsibility.
What does ARB do with my data?
We use the information we collect to generate statistics. These statistics, which do not include personally identifiable data, allow us to measure our success in implementing the equality rules, and to ensure that our day to day work is compliant with the law and doesn’t discriminate against any particular group.
For example, we were recently asked by the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust for data on the numbers of newly admitted architects from minority groups. The information was used to highlight the Charitable Trust’s aspiration to help young people from minority backgrounds pursue careers in architecture.
The information collected will also be used to ensure that we target our resources efficiently. For example, we are able to concentrate our regulatory resources in areas that the statistics show are most vulnerable, which increases efficiency and reduces the regulatory burden on those areas of lesser risk.
The collated information we collect about the make-up of the Register will be published to inform the profession and interested parties.
The individual equality data we collect is not published or disclosed to any third-parties.
Do you have further questions?
If you have any questions about the diversity data gathered by us please email Equality@arb.org.uk
Equality Scheme
Message from the Chair
The Equality Act 2010 is perhaps one of the most important pieces of legislation in many years, as it brought together each of the separate strands of diversity under one umbrella.
Our scheme is in line with the Government’s public sector equality duty which places a responsibility on all public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and to foster good relations between different groups of people. The duty also helps to ensure that public bodies consider the needs of all individuals in their day-to-day work.
We first introduced our scheme in mid-2010. Since then, we have begun to see equality become embedded in all areas of our work, not least by the Board, which considers the implications for equality with every decision it takes. The scheme, which is both proportionate and relevant to ARB, will help us to build on our earlier work, and our commitment to providing equality of opportunity for all.
Chair, ARB