Intellectual Property

Equality & Diversity

As an executive agency of the Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), the UK-IPO’s core activities contribute to the achievement of the objectives DIUS has set itself in the areas of accelerating exploitation of creativity and knowledge, pursuing global excellence in research and ensuring better use of science in Government.

Our Trading Fund status means that we operate within a self-financing framework with income derived from fee paying customers. Customer satisfaction drives the business and our staff are central to achieving this.

Actions in Support of Equality and Diversity

The UK-IPO positively considers equality and diversity issues in relation to every aspect of its activities, notably service delivery, recruitment, employment, policy-making and legislation.

Developing and managing the interface with customers

  • We have established mechanisms for listening to customers and delivering the services they want and need. Customers include large companies, solicitors, patent attorneys and other professional intermediaries well versed in the law relating to the protection of intellectual property rights
  • We also cater for those who choose to represent themselves, ranging from individuals to small and medium sized enterprises. We created a Private Applicants Unit in 2001 which acts as a dedicated, specialist and pro-active service for applicants filing without professional representation. The Unit is a practical recognition of the varied needs of customers and offers a comprehensive tailor-made personal support programme for them
  • We have also set-up a new Customer Relationship Management team dedicated to developing and managing the interface with customers and identifying new marketing opportunities

Embedding the concept of intellectual property in the primary and secondary education system

  • We work with educational establishments and organisations promoting the importance of intellectual property to successful business. These include the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship and other bodies committed to diversity and inclusion
  • At the UK Education show on 29 February we launched the Cracking Ideas 2008 competition backed by Oscar winners Wallace and Gromit
  • Cracking Ideas fits in with the National Curriculum and is aimed at 9 to 11 year olds. The aim of the competition, open to every primary school in the country, is to encourage children to be innovative and show them how they can profit from, and protect their ideas. This year’s Cracking Ideas competition External Link uses inspiration from Wallace and Gromit’s new film Trouble At’ Mill
  • For older pupils the Office’s CD-ROM "Think Kit" featuring, amongst others, Jamelia, with quotes referring to the importance of IP to her recording career

Encouraging use of the IP system by under-represented groups

  • UK-IPO marketing activities include working with ethnic business clubs and female innovators to increase awareness of the wealth creating potential of intellectual property rights
  • We also work with the BERR linked Business Links and Regional Development Agencies, Chambers of Commerce and other local agencies
  • A number of these organisations have specialist advisers helping to ensure that awareness raising activity appropriately targets a diverse range of local stakeholders

Access to information and services

  • Access to the information we publish can be requested in alternative formats, including large print, audio cassette or Braille
  • At the end of 2007 we launched our Welsh Language Scheme

Human Resources

  • We are committed to making the UK-IPO a great place to work, where staff are offered flexibility and development, where everyone’s contribution is recognised and diversity is genuinely valued. The guiding principle is that valuing people, and successfully managing inclusion, brings tangible business benefits
  • All staff are allowed to apply for flexible working arrangements (not just those with a statutory right to request). Staff use this flexibility in terms of their hours or location of work in order to care for dependants or pursue their interests outside the workplace. Our aim is that the default response to flexible working should be approval of the request, subject to operational constraints
  • Employee development is extremely important to us and we have worked hard to improve our culture with staff receiving training in inclusive behaviours and valuing diversity
  • As an organisation we are now much more aware of the importance of ensuring that all staff demonstrate the right attitudes and behaviours, as well as the necessary technical skills and capabilities. Accordingly, we are planning a refreshed programme of training for all managers about the knowledge and behaviours required to manage a flexible and diverse workforce so that all staff feel included and able to contribute effectively. This training will be supplemented by a fresh initiative, involving drama-based scenarios, which will be rolled out to all staff during 2008
  • We have a long established Accessibility Advisory Group (AAG), which brings to the attention of management any accommodation or related issues which affect staff because of their disability. The AAG is helping encourage a climate where people are encouraged to come forward with requests for reasonable adjustments

Annual Pay Audits

  • Since 2001 we have conducted annual pay audits investigating any patterns of gender pay inequality
  • The audits inform UK-IPO annual pay negotiations with the trade unions and help in maintaining an acceptable direction of travel on equality and diversity
  • The pay audit provides considerable data which is helpful in establishing metrics in charting progress in areas such as recruitment, development, promotion and retention. These metrics and our staff surveys help us in monitoring improvements in the area of inclusion and diversity

Other actions taken and on-going include:

  • Assessing policies and services using benchmarking tools such as those provided by the Employers Forum on Disability and Opportunity Now
  • We will be repeating the Forum on Disability benchmarking process in 2009
  • Revised promotion/progression procedures designed to improve confidence in the merit based nature of internal selection processes
  • Our procurement staff seek information about the equal opportunities policies and practices of potential suppliers and such factors are taken into account when deciding contracts

International developments

  • In March 2007 the UK was among the first signatories of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Convention promotes the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and freedoms by those with disabilities including access to education, buildings, culture and information. It also refers to intellectual property. The Government is working towards ratification of the Convention and the UK-IPO is playing its part in that process

This is a living document so if you wish to comment you are welcome to do so in response to the DIUS Single Equality Scheme External Link consultation, or, at anytime, direct to:

Mike Dolan
HR Policy/Projects
UK Intellectual Property Office,
Corporate Services Directorate,
Room 3R12, Concept House,
Newport,
NP10 8QQ

E-mail : diversity@ipo.gov.uk