Civil Service departments shine in Stonewall Index

Stonewall have launched their Workplace Equality Index for 2018. This year, 9 Civil Service organisations feature in the Top 100 - with a number of central government departments re-entering the list after several years.

The Welsh Government was the top Civil Service organisation in the Index, coming 12th, and closely followed by Ministry of Justice and the Crown Office Procurator Fiscal Service.

Rank	Organisation
12	Welsh Government
13	Ministry of Justice
15	Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
18	Environment Agency
38	Home Office
49	MI6
54	GCHQ
78	Department for Education
93	Intellectual Property Office

Stonewall have also awarded Andy Holmes, from HM Prisons and Probation Service, a special award for Ally of the Year 2018.

Andy Holmes is an active LGBT ally within the Ministry of Justice LGBT employee network, SPIRIT, setting up the UK’s first LGBT network for prisoners and rolling this out across the UK. Since taking on the role of building LGBT awareness in the prison service, Andy has led 76 sessions at 44 prison establishments, reaching over 950 prisoners and almost 2,500 employees. Congratulations Andy.

Several departments have also jumped up the Index outside the Top 100. Public Health England have jumped more than 60 places in this year’s Index - rising to 115th - and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (formerly DCLG) rose by more than 110 places in this year’s index to 199th place. The Department for International Trade rose 143 places in the Index this year too.

Congratulations to everyone in the Index - and especially those in the Top 100.

We recognise that the Stonewall Index is an important tool for putting LGBT inclusion at work on the agenda of Civil Service organisations. We’re going to launching new work this year to support networks in improving their workplace inclusion, and in entering the Index for 2019.