ICAEW will use the survey results to prepare its biennial Probate Diversity Report. The report will give a snapshot of the current diversity profile of staff at ICAEW accredited probate firms.

The information it contains is intended to be a catalyst for firms strategically to consider:

• the mix and ratios of their staff in the light of current trends and peer practices;
• the profile of a firm’s resources and how they play to the diversity of the customer base which they serve;
• the diversity of insight and skills that is being brought into practices that can trigger innovation and expansion of market; and
• the direction of resource and staff ratios within practices.

ICAEW is fully committed to the promotion of diversity, equality and inclusion in all areas of its work, both as an employer and as a regulator, as part of its role in serving the public interest.

All probate accredited firms are required to collect, report and publish data on the diversity of all their principals and employees (not just those in the probate team) every two years. Your firm will need to:

1. Ensure every member of staff completes the survey as close to 31 March 2025 as possible. All firms will need to use the free online survey tool we provide to collect their data.
2. Send the aggregated results to ICAEW by 30 April 2025. The results, along with a short interpretative paragraph, must be submitted to probatediversity@icaew.com by the deadline.
   The summary paragraph is a mandatory part of the survey and your firm’s survey return will not be marked as complete until ICAEW has received both the aggregated results and the summary from you. The submission of your firm’s results to ICAEW must be carried out by your firm, we will not receive the data from our supply partner Riliance (part of The Access Group).
3. Publish the aggregated results on your website by the 31 May 2025. This should include a summary paragraph about the results.

Late submissions will result in a referral to the ICAEW Legal Services Committee and could result in a regulatory penalty.

ICAEW will only keep the aggregated results for three years.

Join our Regulatory Policy team to find out what you need to do to carry out the 2025 survey. The webinar will explain the process and timeline, how to use the free online survey tool that is being provided via our supply partner Riliance/Access Group and any changes for the 2025 survey. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.

Date: 5 February 2025
Time: 1-2pm
Register now

Even if you have been responsible for previous surveys, we recommend registering for the webinar to ensure you have all of the information you need for the 2025 survey.

The webinar will be recorded and available after the session for anyone who wasn’t able to attend on the day.

All permanent and temporary employees should ideally complete the survey. It is optional for staff to respond, but mandatory for firms to carry out the survey. The survey link should be sent to all staff and not just the probate team.

Please also share the questionnaire with employees who are not currently in the workplace eg, those on maternity leave, long-term sick leave (assuming they are in contact with the office and wish to be contacted).

Your firm’s data should be published on your website in a format of your choice. If your firm does not have a website, you must publish the data on some documentation eg as a paragraph in a letter of engagement or in advertising materials. The paragraph should provide a high level summary of the results.

Please be sensitive to the possibility that, if the data is collected from relatively small data-sets, individual staff members may be identifiable. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission states it is important not to breach workers’ or applicants’ confidentiality, or reveal anything which might enable someone to work out information about another person which was provided in confidence.

If the anonymity of individual members of staff may be compromised, you should adapt the information you publish accordingly, for example, by only publishing the less sensitive data.

Access a list of frequently asked questions around the subject of diversity reporting in probate including requirements, statutory and social relevance and how ICAEW handles sensitive data.

• Read the FAQs

As with previous surveys, we’ll publish a summary report which your firm can use to benchmark your firm against other firms to:

• Understand the profile of your current teams and plan for future recruitment.
• Identity opportunities: has your firm got the right people in place to reflect current and future client profiles?

• Read ICAEW's probate diversity reports

If you have any questions about the collection of diversity data, please contact our Technical Advisory team on +44 (0)1908 248 250 or via webchat.