The Â鶹ԼÅÄ has pledged that we will hardwire diversity into everything we do, both internally and for all those who make programmes for us.
Find out more about our diversity, representation and inclusion strategy including our content spend commitments on the Commissioning website.
Diamond diversity reporting
As part of our pledge to improve the diversity of our content and our workforce we need to be able to measure and report on progress. Without knowing where we are now, we can’t confidently improve in the future. To do that we use the industry standard Diamond monitoring system to collect data about the diversity of our programmes.
Diamond is made up of two different types of information:
- Actual: the self-declared diversity characteristics of everyone contributing to the production, including on-screen talent and off-screen crew and production staff. This gives us a picture of the actual make up of our teams.
- Perceived: the diversity characteristics of on-screen characters, presenters and contributors to the programme as viewers might perceive them. This gives us a sense of how our content and storylines are likely to be representing the range of communities across the UK.
Diamond forms are completed via the production reporting system . Find guidance on completing and submitting the forms in the help and resources section below.
Diamond actual diversity data
For Diamond actual data to be truly impactful it needs everyone involved in making our shows to contribute, so we can see the actual make-up of our teams, and see if we are achieving our goals. Where we are, we can build on what’s worked, and where we are not, we can target time and resources to drive change.
Each member of a production team completes personal diversity information via a diversity self-declaration form. Every individual in the team, whether off-screen or on, should receive a link to this form via email. This form covers information for the following key characteristics: gender, gender identity, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability.
To receive a link to this form, the email address of all cast and crew members needs to be entered into Diamond by a member of the production team. This should ideally be done at the beginning of production, not at the end, and production teams should be encouraged to complete their forms as soon as possible.
There should be someone clearly identified on the production responsible for entering these email addresses at the beginning of production.
Team leaders can monitor who has been sent and completed a self-declaration form via the diversity actual form within Silvermouse.
We ask producers to confirm the percentage of the email addresses entered into Silvermouse for off-screen contributors employed on the production in the end of production report. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ expects producers to achieve 90-100% of off-screen email addresses entered. Access the end of production report and download a list of the information required from the finance and invoicing page.
Diamond: guidance for production companies to engage their teams
We expect all production companies working with us to ensure their teams are engaged with Diamond reporting, and to reassure them that the data is completely anonymous.
We ask all leaders and senior members of production companies to be familiar with our best practice guidance to encourage their teams to fill in their diversity self-declaration form:
- The email address of all cast and crew members should be entered into Diamond at the beginning of production, with someone clearly identified to do this.
- Regular mention of Diamond should become part of all production briefings to encourage participation.
- Information about Diamond should be shared as part of a production team’s contractual information, to maximise uptake.
- All production members must be briefed that diversity includes everyone, and we need to hear from everyone in a production, not just the diverse members of a team.
- Teams should reassure contributors that their diversity information will be encrypted and held securely. It will be reported in an aggregated format, so they will not be able to be identified.
- Team leaders may find it useful to share the Diamond (available on the Creative Diversity Network website) during their briefings.
- To encourage everyone in a production - whether they appear on or off-screen – to complete this data, we advise sharing the below information with them.
Diamond: information for individuals in production teams
Diversity data in Diamond is entirely confidential and anonymous. It is only used when doing so would not identify or expose any individual. Added together – the data gives us the best possible picture of whether we are reflecting the make-up of the UK in-front and behind the camera. But it needs everyone to take positive action to do that.
The Diversity self-declaration forms will be sent to you by the production company making the show you are working on. They are quick and simple to complete. The form covers your gender, gender identity, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation and any disability.
Once you’ve completed the form the information stays relevant for two years across any production you work on. No one else can see this information and it cannot be used to make hiring or commissioning decisions.
For further information and guidance about completing the form please see the or the .
How your data is protected
Diamond has been designed to protect individuals’ anonymity. Contributors complete their Diamond declarations themselves, and no-one else can see their data. Information is encrypted and held securely.
The reports produced by Diamond are aggregated and anonymous and information on individuals will never be published and we will never report on individual programmes or production companies.
None of the data is used to make hiring or commissioning decisions.
Companies can provide freelance staff with specific email addresses if they are reluctant to link personal data with their personal emails.
As Diamond involves collecting personal information from contributors, it is subject to obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 and other relevant legislation. Diamond also complies with the broadcasters’ strict security policies.
Diamond perceived diversity forms
All production companies need to provide diversity information at the end of a production, as part of their post-production paperwork. These forms are submitted via the online reporting system .
It is mandatory that diversity reporting is submitted within four weeks of the final episode delivery, or earlier if all data is available.
Visit the delivery timeline for a complete list of a programmes required deliverables.
Diamond resources and support
Further information and guidance on completing Diamond forms can be found on the including .
Additionally, the Â鶹ԼÅÄ Academy website has created on completing and submitting the contributors forms.
Diamond diversity forms are completed va the production reporting system . Users already registered on Silvermouse (including for other broadcasters) can use their existing login.
Visit the contacts page to find technical and non-technical support contacts and training resources for Silvermouse.
Underrepresented groups: the definitions
For all new commissions from 4 September 2024 we ask production companies to commit to at least 25% of their production teams being from the following underrepresented groups. More information about this can be found on the Commissioning website. The definitions for these three groups are as follows:
People from Black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds
Defined as:
- Black/African/Caribbean/Black British. Selection: Black African, Black British, Black Other, Black Caribbean, Other Black background
- Asian/Asian British. Selection: Asian British, Bangladeshi, Chinese, Indian, Other Asian background, Pakistani
- Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Groups. Selection: Mixed Ethnicity
- Other Ethnic Group. Selection: Middle/Near Eastern/Arab, any other Ethnic Group
People who are deaf, disabled and/or neurodivergent
Defined as:
- Under the Equality Act 2010 a person is disabled if they have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities.
- A person may not identify as disabled but as deaf and/or neurodivergent.
People from low-income backgrounds – to achieve socio-economic diversity (SED)
We use ‘parental occupation’ as the key factor to determine this group ie anyone whose parents were in ‘routine and manual occupations’ at the age of 14. For example:
- Semi-routine manual and service occupations such as: postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant.
- Routine manual and service occupations such as: HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter/waitress, bar staff.
Supplier diversity and inclusion policy
We require all Â鶹ԼÅÄ our suppliers to have a diversity and inclusion policy in place. This can make a concept that appears nebulous and abstract, concrete and tangible. A template for this is available from the both website and the .
Independent and Regional Production Ofcom compliance information
As part of our commitment to supporting the growth of television production out of London we need to formally track and record the location of our productions. Suppliers must report this to us via the Independent and Regional Production (I&RP) form, which includes information about where a production company has their substantive base and the percentage of the programmes budget and talent spend in each area of the UK.
Reporting this information is a mandatory requirement for all television productions, and all suppliers must complete and submit this information to us within four weeks of the final episode delivery.
The information is completed and submitted via the online reporting system PTK Regions and must be signed off by the most senior business person on the production responsible for the spend.
The criteria we use to classify a productions location status is defined by Ofcom. Read the .
The location a production will qualify for can be checked in advance by adding the forecast production information into the regional production forecast checker (Excel).
Useful links
Access the .
To request an account please .
Download a
Download the regional production forecast checker (Excel)
Contacts for further support
For technical support about accessing or using the PTK Regions system, please contact regions.support@bbc.co.uk
For general queries around when to deliver the information and rejecting forms, please contact the productions delivery contact or the Children’s media hub for Children’s productions.
For queries about what information to include and regional definitions and status, please contact I&RPOfcomCompliance@bbc.co.uk