Equality, diversity and inclusion

The Legal Ombudsman has a strategy for ensuring that the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) are at the heart of everything we do – both as an employer and as a public service.   

Our internal approach to EDI aims to ensure that our people are represented and engaged, through building a culture where everyone feels they can be themselves and contribute at their best.  

To help us be a diverse and inclusive place to work, we have four active staff networks: Disability and Carers; LGBTQ+; REACH (Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage); and Women’s. Sponsored and supported by our Executive team, our networks are a key component in creating an environment where everybody can be themselves, contribute, flourish and succeed at the Legal Ombudsman.  

Our external focus is about the service we provide, directly supporting our strategic objective to be a service that’s accessible to everyone who needs us. 

Our full EDI strategy is published alongside our wider three-year strategy. Our accessibility page explains the different types of support we offer to help people use our service.

Professional woman in glasses is working on her laptop. She's wearing a red jacket and is in a wheelchair.

Diversity data: LeO's people

We also publish this data in our annual report and accounts each year. 

Gender
Male   31.9%
Female 67.8%
Prefer not to say  0.3% 
Ethnicity
White 51.5%
Ethnic minority  24.9%
Prefer not to say/not given 23.6%
Disability
Yes 8.3% 
No  68.1%
Prefer not to say/not given 23.6%
Age range
20 to 29 13.6% 
30 to 39  37.5% 
40 to 49 26.0% 
50 to 59 17.9%
60 to 64   3.3% 
65+  1.0% 
Prefer not to say/not given 0.7%

Our data doesn’t always total to 100% due to rounding

Social mobility at LeO

In February 2024, following a previous survey among its Board and Executive Team, LeO ran a social mobility survey for all people at or above line manager level (36 people in total). The results presented a very positive view of social mobility at LeO, with the majority of respondents coming from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Our social mobility sits well above national averages (UK working population and financial/professional roles). 

  • 47% of our Board and Executive Team and 60% of our management team are from working class/lower socio-economic backgrounds.
  • 93% of our Board and Executive Team went to a state school, and 80% of these individuals’ parents didn’t go to university.
  • 90% of management team went to a state school, and 84% of these individuals’ parents didn’t go to university.

Gender pay

Our latest report is available here.

Diversity data: LeO's customers

This data relates to the consumers involved in cases LeO resolved in the 2023/24 financial year. Each aspect of this data represents between 600 and 700 consumers, and we are working to increase the number of people who participate in this type of survey. 

Gender
Female  46% 
Male 52%
Prefer not to say 2% 
Ethnicity 
Asian/Asian British 9%
Black/African/Caribbean/Black British  5%
Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Groups 1%
Other Ethnic Group  2%
Prefer not to say 4% 
White  78%
Health disability 
Yes 62%
No 33%
Prefer not to say 6%
Religion
Atheist  10%
Buddhist  1% 
Christian  48% 
Hindu 2%
Jewish 1%
Muslim 6% 
None  19%
Other  4%
Prefer not to say  10%
Sikh  0%
Sexual orientation 
Bisexual 1% 
Gay man  1%
Gay woman/Lesbian 1%
Heterosexual/straight  90% 
Other 0% 
Prefer not to say  6% 
Age
0-17  0% 
18-25 2% 
26-35 9%
36-45  18% 
46-55 21% 
56-64 23%
65+ 28% 

Our data doesn’t always total to 100% due to rounding

Public awareness of LeO

In 2024 LeO commissioned research into levels of public awareness of its service. This found that: 

  • Unprompted awareness of LeO is 3% - that is, when asked what organisation could help them with unresolved complaints about legal providers, 3% of people spontaneously said “the Legal Ombudsman” (another 10% of people said “the Ombudsman”). 

  • Prompted awareness of LeO is 68% - that is, when prompted around how much they knew about the Legal Ombudsman, 68% of people said they’d heard of us, and 41% said they knew something about us (ie some people had heard of us, but said they didn’t know anything about us).  

LeO will use the full demographic breakdown of these results to help inform and support its EDI strategy and awareness-raising work.