gypsy roma traveller service leeds

The Secret Library | Leeds Libraries Heritage Blog

Gypsy, roma and traveller heritage month.

As June ends and we say goodbye to Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Heritage month, Senior Librarian Louise Birch takes a look at what our Local History collections hold regarding West Yorkshires 7,000 strong Gypsy & Traveller community.

“In many cases Gypsies are invisible in the usual records” Freda Matthews, Gypsies in Leeds Local History (in Aspects of Leeds 1, edited by Lynne Stevenson Tate, 1998)

The majority of local history collections are anchored in records – birth, marriage and death registers, burial records, census records and trade directories.  One thing they have in common is they are based around geographical areas defined by boundaries. 

Searching for a non-geographically based community’s history can be very frustrating. It is certainly easier if your family had a history of settling in one place, but if your search centres around nomadic communities with predominantly oral history traditions, then things become more complex.  But records can be found buried in registers and the census, however a true history needs to come from within the community. A number of years ago we worked with GATE , the Leeds Gypsy & Traveller Exchange, a grassroots organisation doing community activism, social action and advocacy. GATE provided us with images for the Leodis photographic archive, these images when combined with official records build a picture of a Leeds community going back over 400 years. In 1530 laws were passed making the existence of Gypsies travelling over from Europe illegal.  After this you start to find records appearing in Parish registers as families strive for protection from expulsion through documentation.  The first entry in Leeds appears in the 1572 Leeds Parish Register with the birth of Elizabeth, child of Antony Smawleye.

The 1871 Leeds Census records families living in what is called ‘Gypsy Corner’ near Stonegate Farm and Moor Allerton.  Possibly the ancestors of a group who would later settle in the Meanwood area creating an area known as ‘Gypsyville’.

In 1934 an encampment of over 150 vans, tents and huts known as Brickfields, opposite Armley Park, was closed down.   The site had existed for 15 years, a combination of settled and visiting Gypsies, who were evicted using the Public Health Act.  Despite paying rent and having amenities they were evicted with no future site and once again their way of life made illegal.

Freda Matthews worked for the Leeds Travellers Education Service in 1987 and notes that despite families having relations up and down the country, there is a contingent who considered themselves to be ‘Leeds Travellers’, who for the most part either became settled in Leeds or travelled around the city with generations of families staying at the same stopping spaces over time.

Birkby Brow Wood in Morley was one such popular stopping site with the 1941 census showing a camp on this site and Sir Titus Salt’s autobiography recalls seeing the camp as he walked to school from the Manor House in Morley.

Cottingley Springs became one of these regular stopping spaces, possibly because of its position on the Leeds / Morley border – historically police forces from one place would not have jurisdiction in another so to be moved on in Leeds would mean a short hop across the border into Morley.  In 1987, after pressure from advocacy groups, Leeds City Council a set up a permanent site at Cottingley Springs, however the 16 spaces came nowhere near what was needed for the 200 Leeds Traveller families.  In 1990 a second site was opened next to the first with further accommodations, creating a total of 41 spaces.

It’s not just stopping places that tie the Gypsy & Traveller heritage to Leeds.  The Lee Gap Fair in West Ardsley is named for the local vicar Dr Lee who helped keep the fair in existence during Tudor times.  Still running, the Lee Gap Fair is thought to be the oldest fair in England dating back over 800 years.

The advantage of the Leodis photographic archive is that it is not just those images provided by GATE that tell the story of the community in Leeds. Freda recounts the story of Mrs Maggie Doyle of Doyle’s China shop (1937-1963), first on Boar Lane and later Albion Street. Maggie spoke of Gypsy women “placing orders of between £50 and £100 for Crown Derby or Worchester plates and ornaments.  These had to be ordered and sent on so the Gypsies deposited jewellery in her safe until they came round again.”

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History month runs every June, our gallery of images can be found here on the Leodis website. For further images search Leodis using the keywords: Gypsy and Traveller.

Gypsies in Leeds Local History, Freda Matthews: (in Aspects of Leeds 1 , edited by Lynne Stevenson Tate, 1998)

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Hi All, Can I just say a huge thank you for this article. I was part of Leeds City Councils Gypsy, Roma Traveller team and my manager, Peter Saunders, was one of the main instigator of the GRT History Month. It saddens me that in the present day there are no GRT teams left anywhere in the UK. The communities I feel are in the main forgotten, yet they have such a rich culture, unique traditions and a powerful history. Please keep the GRT History Month going every year, it’s people like you that make all ethnic minority communities in Leeds feel valued and respected. Regards Sue Itzinger

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Welcome to Leeds for Learning

• Headteacher Gateway

Celebrating Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month in Schools

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Links to practical resources and ideas Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month (GRTHM) was established in Britain as a way of raising awareness of these communities and their contributions to society, and to offset negative stereotyping and prejudices. The aims of the GRTHM are to: Promote knowledge of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History, culture and heritage;  Disseminate information on positive Gypsy, Roma and Traveller contributions to British Society; Heighten the confidence and awareness of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people to their cultural heritage; Celebrate Gypsy, Roma and Traveller culture and heritage. Since 2008, Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month (June) has been an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions made by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people and communities in all walks of life. Celebrating this diversity in the curriculum instils pupils with respect for their fellow pupils whilst teaching and learning about different cultures. It creates positive self-images, raises self-esteem and confidence for pupils. It provides the opportunity for pupils to explore and learn about different communities and the world. Celebrating diversity can incorporate family, community, national, international, cultural and religious celebrations and how these reflect the values and beliefs of a particular group. It aims to develop cultural understandings and examines the issues of prejudice and racism, still very relevant due to the Black Lives Matter campaign. There are many different strategies and ideas to celebrate Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month in schools. These can be used in June and indeed throughout the whole year to support a broad and balanced curriculum. A Gypsy, Roma and Traveller resource page has been created on Leeds for Learning, where you will find resources, documents and website links to support celebrating Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month in schools. This page can be accessed through the following link: Leeds for Learning GRT resources

You can also download the summary Ideas Sheet below. Celebrating Gypsy Roma and Traveller History Month and promoting different communities in schools is important to ensure that pupils are receiving a broad and balanced curriculum but also in preparing them for life as a global citizen in our diverse world. It will raise the self-esteem and confidence of GRT groups and is a great opportunity to engage parents and the local community in school life. Finally have fun and enjoy celebrating!                   

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• Special Collections
• Our collections
• Traveller and Roma Collections Gypsy

Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Collections

Our Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Collections are made up of a number of separate collections that reference a variety of both ethnic (eg Romany/Irish Traveller) and non-ethnic (eg New Traveller) communities with a nomadic culture, history or lifestyle.

With particular focus on the UK and Europe (USA, Canada and India also feature) the Collections span the 16th century up to the modern day and are one of our Designated Collections .

They include a large number of published works (over 3500 print items) and archive material that includes letters, manuscripts, papers, press-cuttings, art work, research material, photographs and case files.

Find Gypsy, Traveller and Roma material in:

• Rev George Hall Collection

History of the Collections

The Collections began in 1950 when poet and dramatist, Dorothy Una Ratcliffe (niece-in-law to Lord Brotherton) donated her own private "Gypsy library" of print items and archive material along with funds to make further additions.

It became known as "The Romany Collection" and grew into three sub-collections: with the original deposit known as "Romany 1"; later (post 1962) acquisitions of individual items being known as "Romany 2" and print material from both periods listed under BC Rom. These now appear in the catalogue as Romany Collection (1) , Romany Collection (2) and Romany Collection print material respectively.

The funds also enabled the purchase of some smaller collections in the 1970s belonging to:

• Gypsy Lore Society members T.W. Thompson and Rev George Hall

In 2001 the Collection of author/scholar, Sir Angus (McKay) Fraser was donated and later additions included the collections of more contemporary activists Jenny Smith (Bristol area Councillor and Labour Campaign for Traveller Rights) and Diana Allen (Solicitor and Rights Campaigner).

While each Collection reflects a role of an observer, (none themselves were Gypsies, Travellers or Roma) they provide a snapshot of historic attitudes towards and relationships with these communities and collectively offer a chronology from the romanticism of early twentieth century "collectors" to the realities captured by more modern "scholars" and "activists."

The Collections offer a wealth of research opportunities; covering subjects such as art, literature, history, culture, language/linguistics, philology, sociology religion, law, politics, human rights, activism and geography.

In 2017 the Leeds Gypsy and Traveller Exchange (GATE) community collaborated with Special Collections to create a short video introduction to the collections .

How the collection is catalogued

In 2016/17 the entire Gypsy, Traveller and Roma Collections were catalogued (Smith/Allen) and re-catalogued (Fraser/Romany 1 and 2/Kenrick/Dawson) with funding from the National Cataloguing Grant.

In our catalogue

Romany collection (1), romany collection (2), romany collection print material, romany collection (brotherton collection), sir angus (mckay) fraser collection, subject theme: politics and social history.

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• Ethnicity facts and figures homepage Home

Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller ethnicity summary

Updated 29 March 2022

1. About this page

2. the gypsy, roma and traveller group, 3. classifications, 4. improving data availability and quality, 5. population data, 6. education data, 7. economic activity and employment data.

• 8. Home ownership data data
• 9. Health data

This is a summary of statistics about people from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller ethnic groups living in England and Wales.

It is part of a series of summaries about different ethnic groups .

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) is a term used to describe people from a range of ethnicities who are believed to face similar challenges. These groups are distinct, but are often reported together.

This page includes:

• information about GRT data and its reliability
• some statistics from the 2011 Census
• other statistics on the experiences of people from the GRT groups in topics including education, housing and health

This is an overview based on a selection of data published on Ethnicity facts and figures or analyses of other sources. Some published data (for example, on higher education) is only available for the aggregated White ethnic group, and is not included here.

Through this report, we sometimes make comparisons with national averages. While in other reports we might compare with another ethnic group (usually White British), we have made this decision here because of the relatively small impact the GRT group has on the overall national average.

The term Gypsy, Roma and Traveller has been used to describe a range of ethnic groups or people with nomadic ways of life who are not from a specific ethnicity.

In the UK, it is common in data collections to differentiate between:

• Gypsies (including English Gypsies, Scottish Gypsies or Travellers, Welsh Gypsies and other Romany people)
• Irish Travellers (who have specific Irish roots)
• Roma, understood to be more recent migrants from Central and Eastern Europe

The term Traveller can also encompass groups that travel. This includes, but is not limited to, New Travellers, Boaters, Bargees and Showpeople. (See the House of Commons Committee report on Tackling inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities .)

For the first time, the 2011 Census ethnic group question included a tick box for the ethnic group ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’. This was not intended for people who identify as Roma because they are a distinct group with different needs to Gypsy or Irish Travellers.

The 2021 Census had a ‘Gypsy or Irish Traveller’ category, and a new ‘Roma’ category.

A 2018 YouGov poll found that 66% of people in the UK wrongly viewed GRT not to be an ethnic group, with many mistaking them as a single group (PDF). It is therefore important that GRT communities are categorised correctly on data forms, using separate tick boxes when possible to reflect this.

The 2011 Census figures used in this report and on Ethnicity facts and figures are based on respondents who chose to identify with the Gypsy or Irish Traveller ethnic group. People who chose to write in Roma as their ethnicity were allocated to the White Other group, and data for them is not included here. Other data, such as that from the Department for Education, includes Roma as a category combined with Gypsy, with Irish Traveller shown separately.

The commentary in this report uses the specific classifications in each dataset. Users should exercise caution when comparing different datasets, for example between education data (which uses Gypsy/Roma, and Irish Traveller in 2 separate categories) and the Census (which uses Gypsy and Irish Traveller together, but excludes data for people who identify as Roma).

Finally, it should be noted that there is also a distinction that the government makes, for the purposes of planning policy, between those who travel and the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller ethnicities. The Department for Communities and Local Government (at the time, now the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities) planning policy for traveller sites (PDF) defines "gypsies and travellers" as:

"Persons of nomadic habit of life whatever their race or origin, including such persons who on grounds only of their own or their family’s or dependants’ educational or health needs or old age have ceased to travel temporarily, but excluding members of an organised group of travelling showpeople or circus people travelling together as such."

This definition for planning purposes includes any person with a nomadic habit, whether or not they might have identified as Gypsy, Roma or Traveller in a data collection.

The April 2019 House of Commons Women and Equalities Select Committee report on inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities noted that there was a lack of data on these groups.

The next section highlights some of the problems associated with collecting data on these groups, and what is available. Some of the points made about surveys, sample sizes and administrative data are generally applicable to any group with a small population.

Improving data for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller populations, as well as other under-represented groups in the population is part of the recommendations in the Inclusive Data Taskforce report and the key activities described in the ONS response to them. For example, in response to recommendation 3 of the report, ONS, RDU and others will "build on existing work and develop new collaborative initiatives and action plans to improve inclusion of under-represented population groups in UK data in partnership with others across government and more widely".

Also, the ONS response to recommendation 4 notes the development of a range of strategies to improve the UK data infrastructure and fill data gaps to provide more granular data through new or boosted surveys and data linkage. Recommendation 6 notes that research will be undertaken using innovative methods best suited to the research question and prospective participants, to understand more about the lived experiences of several groups under-represented in UK data and evidence, such as people from Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups.

4.1 Classifications

In some data collections, the option for people to identify as Gypsy, Roma or Traveller is not available. Any data grouped to the 5 aggregated ethnic groups does not show the groups separately. Data based on the 2001 Census does not show them separately as there was no category for people identifying as Gypsy, Roma or Traveller. As part of our Quality Improvement Plan, the Race Disparity Unit (RDU) has committed to working with government departments to maintain a harmonised approach to collecting data about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people using the GSS harmonised classification. The harmonised classification is currently based on the 2011 Census, and an update is currently being considered by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

In particular, RDU has identified working with DHSC and NHS Digital colleagues as a priority – the NHS classification is based on 2001 Census classifications and does not capture information on any of the GRT groups separately (they were categorised as White Other in the 2001 Census). Some of these issues have been outlined in the quarterly reports on progress to address COVID-19 health inequalities .

Research into how similar or different the aggregate ethnic groups are shows how many datasets are available for the GRT group.

Further information on the importance of harmonisation is also available.

4.2 Census data

A main source of data on the Gypsy and Irish Traveller groups is the 2011 Census. This will be replaced by the 2021 Census when results are published by the ONS. The statistics in this summary use information from Ethnicity facts and figures and the Census section of ONS’s NOMIS website.

4.3 Survey data

It is often difficult to conclude at any one point in time whether a disparity is significant for the GRT population, as the population is so small in comparison to other ethnic groups.

Even a large sample survey like the Annual Population Survey (APS) has a small number of responses from the Gypsy and Irish Traveller ethnic group each year. Analysis of 3 years of combined data for 2016, 2017 and 2018 showed there were 62 people in the sample (out of around 500,000 sampled cases in total over those 3 years) in England and Wales. Another large survey, the Department for Transport’s National Travel Survey, recorded 58 people identifying as Gypsy or Traveller out of 157,000 people surveyed between 2011 and 2019.

Small sample sizes need not be a barrier to presenting data if confidence intervals are provided to help the user. But smaller sample sizes will mean wider confidence intervals, and these will provide limited analytical value. For the 2016 to 2018 APS dataset – and using the standard error approximation method given in the LFS User Guide volume 6 with a fixed design factor of 1.6 (the formula is 1.6 * √p(1 − p)/n where p is the proportion in employment and n is the sample size.) – the employment rate of 35% for working age people in the Gypsy and Traveller group in England and Wales would be between 16% and 54% (based on a 95% confidence interval). This uses the same methodology as the ONS’s Sampling variability estimates for labour market status by ethnicity .

A further reason for smaller sample sizes might be lower response rates. The Women and Select Committee report on the inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities noted that people in these groups may be reluctant to self-identify, even where the option is available to them. This is because Gypsy, Roma and Traveller people might mistrust the intent behind data collection.

The RDU recently published a method and quality report on working out significant differences between estimates for small groups using different analytical techniques.

4.4 Administrative data

While administrative data does not suffer from the same issues of sampling variability, small numbers of respondents can mean that data is either disclosive and needs to be suppressed to protect the identity of individuals, or results can fluctuate over time.

An example of this is the measure of students getting 3 A grades or better at A level . In 2019 to 2020, no Irish Traveller students achieved this (there were 6 students in the cohort). In 2017 to 2018, 2 out of 7 Irish Traveller students achieved 3 A grades, or 28.6% – the highest percentage of all ethnic groups.

Aggregating time periods might help with this, although data collected in administrative datasets can change over time to reflect the information that needs to be collected for the administrative process. The data collected would not necessarily be governed by trying to maintain a consistent time series in the same way that data collected through surveys sometimes are.

4.5 Data linkage

Linking datasets together provides a way of producing more robust data for the GRT groups, or in fact, any ethnic group. This might improve the quality of the ethnicity coding in the dataset being analysed if an ethnicity classification that is known to be more reliable is linked from another dataset.

Data linkage does not always increase the sample size or the number of records available in the dataset to be analysed, but it might do if records that have missing ethnicity are replaced by a known ethnicity classification from a linked dataset.

An example is the linking of the Census data to Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data and death registrations by the ONS. The ethnicity classifications for GRT groups are not included in the HES data, and are not collected in the death registrations process at the moment. So this data linking gives a way to provide some information for Gypsy and Irish Travellers and other smaller groups. The report with data up to 15 May 2020 noted 16 Gypsy or Irish Traveller deaths from COVID-19.

RDU will be working with ONS and others to explore the potential for using data linking to get more information for the GRT groups.

4.6 Bespoke surveys and sample boosts

A country-wide, or even local authority, boost of a sample survey is unlikely to make estimates for the GRT groups substantially more robust. This is because of the relatively small number in the groups to begin with.

Bespoke surveys can be used to get specific information about these groups. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities list of traveller sites available through their Traveller caravan count statistics can help target sampling for surveys, for example. Bespoke surveys might be limited in geographical coverage, and more suitable for understanding GRT views in a local area and then developing local policy responses. An example of a bespoke survey is the Roma and Travellers in 6 countries survey .

Another method that could be useful is snowball sampling. Snowball sampling (or chain-referral sampling) is a sampling technique in which the respondents have traits that are rare to find. In snowball sampling, existing survey respondents provide referrals to recruit further people for the survey, which helps the survey grow larger.

There are advantages to snowball sampling. It can target hidden or difficult to reach populations. It can be a good way to sample hesitant respondents, as a person might be more likely to participate in a survey if they have been referred by a friend or family member. It can also be quick and cost effective. Snowball sampling may also be facilitated with a GRT community lead or cultural mediator. This would help bridge the gap between the GRT communities and the commissioning department to encourage respondent participation.

However, one statistical disadvantage is that the sampling is non-random. This reduces the knowledge of whether the sample is representative, and can invalidate some of the usual statistical tests for statistical significance, for example.

All data in this section comes from the 2011 Census of England and Wales, unless stated otherwise.

In 2011, there were 57,680 people from the Gypsy or Irish Traveller ethnic group in England and Wales, making up 0.1% of the total population. In terms of population, it is the smallest of the 18 groups used in the 2011 Census.

Further ONS analysis of write-in responses in the Census estimated the Roma population as 730, and 1,712 people as Gypsy/Romany.

Table A: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller write-in ethnicity responses on the 2011 Census

Source: Census - Ethnic group (write-in response) Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, GypsyRomany - national to county (ONS). The figures do not add to the 57,680 classified as White: Gypsy/Traveller because Roma is included as White Other, and some people in the other categories shown will have classified themselves in an ethnic group other than White.

An ONS report in 2014 noted that variations in the definitions used for this ethnic group has made comparisons between estimates difficult. For example, some previous estimates for Gypsy or Irish Travellers have included Roma or have been derived from counts of caravans rather than people's own self-identity. It noted that other sources of data estimate the UK’s Gypsy, Roma and Traveller population to be in the region of 150,000 to 300,000 , or as high as 500,000 (PDF).

5.1 Where Gypsy and Irish Traveller people live

There were 348 local authorities in England and Wales in 2011. The Gypsy or Irish Traveller population was evenly spread throughout them. The 10 local authorities with the largest Gypsy or Irish Traveller populations constituted 11.9% of the total population.

Figure 1: Percentage of the Gypsy or Irish Traveller population of England and Wales living in each local authority area (top 10 areas labelled)

Basildon was home to the largest Gypsy or Irish Traveller population, with 1.5% of all Gypsy or Irish Traveller people living there, followed by Maidstone (also 1.5%, although it had a smaller population).

Table 1: Percentage of the Gypsy or Irish Traveller population of England and Wales living in each local authority area (top 10)

28 local authorities had fewer than 20 Gypsy or Irish Traveller residents each. This is around 1 in 12 of all local authorities.

11.7% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller people lived in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods , higher than the national average of 9.9% (England, 2019 Indices of Multiple Deprivation).

81.6% of people from the Gypsy or Irish Traveller ethnic group were born in England, and 6.1% in the other countries of the UK. 3.0% were born in Ireland and 8.3% were born somewhere else in Europe (other than the UK and Ireland). Less than 1.0% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller people were born outside of Europe.

5.2 Age profile

The Gypsy or Irish Traveller ethnic group had a younger age profile than the national average in England and Wales in 2011.

People aged under 18 made up over a third (36%) of the Gypsy or Irish Traveller population, higher than the national average of 21%.

18.0% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller people were aged 50 and above , lower than the national average of 35.0%.

Figure 2: Age profile of Gypsy or Irish Traveller and the England and Wales average

Table 2: age profile of gypsy or irish traveller and the england and wales average, 5.3 families and households.

20.4% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller households were made up of lone parents with dependent children , compared with 7.2% on average for England and Wales.

Across all household types, 44.9% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller households had dependent children, compared with an average of 29.1%.

8.4% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller households were made up of pensioners (either couples, single pensioners, or other households where everyone was aged 65 and over), compared with 20.9% on average.

All data in this section covers pupil performance in state-funded mainstream schools in England.

At all key stages, Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller pupils’ attainment was below the national average.

Figure 3: Educational attainment among Gypsy, Roma, Irish Traveller and pupils from all ethnic groups

Table 3: educational attainment among gypsy, roma, irish traveller and pupils from all ethnic groups.

Source: England, Key Stage 2 Statistics, 2018/19; Key Stage 4 Statistics, 2019/20; and A Level and other 16 to 18 results, 2020/21. Ethnicity facts and figures and Department for Education (DfE). Figures for Key Stage 2 are rounded to whole numbers by DfE.

6.1 Primary education

In the 2018 to 2019 school year, 19% of White Gypsy or Roma pupils, and 26% of Irish Traveller pupils met the expected standard in key stage 2 reading, writing and maths . These were the 2 lowest percentages out of all ethnic groups.

6.2 Secondary education

In the 2019 to 2020 school year, 8.1% of White Gypsy or Roma pupils in state-funded schools in England got a grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths, the lowest percentage of all ethnic groups.

Gypsy or Roma (58%) and Irish Traveller (59%) pupils were the least likely to stay in education after GCSEs (and equivalent qualifications). They were the most likely to go into employment (8% and 9% respectively) – however, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions about these groups due to the small number of pupils in key stage 4.

6.3 Further education

Gypsy or Roma students were least likely to get at least 3 A grades at A level, with 10.8% of students doing so in the 2020 to 2021 school year. 20.0% of Irish Traveller students achieved at least 3 A grades, compared to the national average of 28.9%. The figures for Gypsy or Roma (61) and Irish Traveller (19) students are based on small numbers, so any generalisations are unreliable.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series was cancelled in 2021, and alternative processes were set up to award grades. In 2020/21 attainment is higher than would be expected in a typical year. This likely reflects the changes to the way A/AS level grades were awarded rather than improvements in student performance.

6.4 School exclusions

In the 2019 to 2020 school year, the suspension rates were 15.28% for Gypsy or Roma pupils, and 10.12% for Irish Traveller pupils – the highest rates out of all ethnic groups.

Also, the highest permanent exclusion rates were among Gypsy or Roma pupils (0.23%, or 23 exclusions for every 10,000 pupils). Irish Traveller pupils were permanently excluded at a rate of 0.14%, or 14 exclusions for every 10,000 pupils.

6.5 School absence

In the autumn term of the 2020 to 2021 school year, 52.6% of Gypsy or Roma pupils, and 56.7% of Irish Traveller pupils were persistently absent from school . Pupils from these ethnic groups had the highest rates of overall absence and persistent absence.

For the 2020 to 2021 school year, not attending in circumstances related to coronavirus (COVID-19) was not counted toward the overall absence rate and persistent absence rates.

Data in this section is from the 2011 Census for England and Wales, and for people aged 16 and over. Economic activity and employment rates might vary from other published figures that are based on people of working age.

47% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller people aged 16 and over were economically active, compared to an average of 63% in England and Wales.

Of economically active people, 51% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller people were employees, and 26% were self-employed. 20% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller people were unemployed, compared to an average for all ethnic groups of 7%.

7.1 Socio-economic group

Figure 4: socio-economic group of gypsy or irish traveller and average for all ethnic groups for people aged 16 and over, table 4: socio-economic group of gypsy or irish traveller and average for all ethnic groups for people aged 16 and over.

Source: 2011 Census

31.2% of people in the Gypsy or Irish Traveller group were in the socio-economic group of ‘never worked or long-term unemployed’. This was the highest percentage of all ethnic groups.

The Gypsy or Irish Traveller group had the smallest percentage of people in the highest socio-economic groups. 2.5% were in the ‘higher, managerial, administrative, professional’ group.

15.1% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller people were small employers and own account workers. These are people who are generally self-employed and have responsibility for a small number of workers.

For Gypsy or Irish Travellers, who were 16 and over and in employment, the largest group worked in elementary occupations (22%). This can include occupations such as farm workers, process plant workers, cleaners, or service staff (for example, bar or cleaning staff).

The second highest occupation group was skilled trades (19%), which can include farmers, electrical and building trades. The Gypsy or Irish Traveller group had the highest percentage of elementary and skilled trade workers out of all ethnic groups.

7.2 Employment gender gap

The gender gap in employment rates for the Gypsy or Irish Traveller group aged 16 and over was nearly twice as large as for all ethnic groups combined. In the Gypsy or Irish Traveller ethnic group, 46% of men and 29% of women were employed, a gap of 17%. For all ethnic groups combined, 64% of men and 54% of women were employed, a gap of 10%.

This is likely to be due to the fact that Gypsy or Irish Traveller women (63%) were about 1.5 times as likely as Gypsy or Irish Traveller men (43%) to be economically inactive, which means they were out of work and not looking for work.

7.3 Economic inactivity

There are a range of reasons why people can be economically inactive. The most common reason for Gypsy or Irish Travellers being economically inactive was looking after the home or family (27%). This is higher than the average for England and Wales (11%). The second most common reason was being long term sick or disabled (26%) – the highest percentage out of all ethnic groups.

8. Home ownership data

Figure 5: home ownership and renting among gypsy or irish traveller households and all households, table 5: home ownership and renting among gypsy or irish traveller households and all households.

Source: England, 2011 Census

In 2011, 34% of Gypsy or Irish Traveller households owned their own home, compared with a national average of 64%. 42% lived in social rented accommodation, compared with a national average of 18%.

In 2016 to 2017, 0.1% of new social housing lettings went to people from Gypsy or Irish Traveller backgrounds (429 lettings).

In 2011, a whole house or bungalow was the most common type of accommodation for Gypsy or Irish Traveller households (61%). This was lower than for all usual residents in England and Wales (84%).

Caravans or other mobile or temporary homes accounted for 24% of Gypsy or Irish Travellers accommodation, a far higher percentage than for the whole of England and Wales (0.3%).

The percentage of people living in a flat, maisonette or apartment was 15% for both Gypsy or Irish Travellers and all usual residents in England and Wales.

In 2011, 14.1% of Gypsy and Irish Traveller people in England and Wales rated their health as bad or very bad, compared with 5.6% on average for all ethnic groups.

In 2016 to 2017, Gypsy or Irish Traveller people aged 65 and over had the lowest health-related quality of life of all ethnic groups (average score of 0.509 out of 1). The quality of life scores for the White Gypsy or Irish Traveller ethnic group are based on a small number of responses (around 35 each year) and are less reliable as a result.

Ethnicity facts and figures has information on satisfaction of different health services for different ethnic groups. For the results presented below, the Gypsy or Irish Traveller figures are based on a relatively small number of respondents, and are less reliable than figures for other ethnic groups.

In 2014 to 2015 (the most recent data available), these groups were the most satisfied with their experience of GP-out-of-hours service , with 75.2% reporting a positive experience.

In 2018 to 2019, they were less satisfied with their experience of GP services than most ethnic groups – 73.0% reported a positive experience.

They were also among the groups that had least success when booking an NHS dentist appointment – 89.0% reported successfully booking an appointment in 2018 to 2019.

The Gypsy or Irish Traveller group were also less satisfied with their access to GP services in 2018 to 2019 – 56.9% reported a positive experience of making a GP appointment, compared to an average of 67.4% for all respondents.

Publication release date: 31 January 2022

Updated: 29 March 2022

29 March 2022: Corrected A-level data in Table 3, and All ethnic groups data in Table 4. Corrected the legend in Figure 1 (map).

31 January 2022: Initial publication.

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Blog: Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month

Posted: may 31, 2022.

This month is Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller History Month (GRTHM). Established in Britain in 2008, GRTHM month raises awareness and explores the history of travelling communities.

The month aims to tackle the negative stigma and prejudices these communities have faced for centuries. It seeks to educate those about their contribution to society and how we can support them and help them feel included in our society.

What are the differences between Gypsy, Roma and Traveller?

There are many differences between Gypsy, Roma and Travellers. Although they are nomadic groups, their communities follow entirely different cultural values.

Romany Gypsies travelled west from Europe around the 10th and 12th centuries during the Roma migration from India. Romany is the word that Gypsy people in England and Wales apply to themselves, hence the term ‘Romany Gypsy’.

The word ‘Roma’ is used as a term for European ‘Gypsies’. Over the past 50 years, there has been an increase in Roma people in the UK.

Irish Travellers are said to have migrated to England in the early 19th century. They mainly came to England after the Great Famine in the 1850s and then after World War II.

This year, the theme for Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month is ‘What Makes a Home?’ .

Gypsy, Roma and Travellers are known for their nomadic lifestyle, however, some families have lived in houses for generations but maintain their cultural identity and travel seasonally.

There are many reasons families move into housing. It can often be difficult to access vital services such as healthcare, dental care, education and employment, especially those that require addresses.

Some may feel that the move into housing is due to a shortage of available sites for vehicles and stopping places. The government has recently implemented new laws  which make the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller nomadic lifestyle more difficult. People are now at risk of having their vehicle (home) confiscated and facing fines and imprisonment.

According to Leeds GATE there are 80 families living on the roadside in West Yorkshire but there are only five dedicated sites for Gyspy, Roma and Travellers to live on, which highlights the few places for the community to settle.

Not only does this affect their way of life, but also affects their mental health with suicide rates being 11% of all deaths in the Irish Traveller community according to the  All Ireland Traveller Health Study .

Their life expectancy from the latest data shows they live around 10 years less than that of the non-Traveller population according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

A helping hand

Leeds GATE i s an organisation led by Gypsy and Traveller people in partnership with others in and across West Yorkshire. They are a resource centre that supports Gypsy and Travellers living in Leeds and passing through.

Leeds GATE will be celebrating GRTHM with a range of events and activities for members of the community. Take a look here .

Here are some resources below to learn more about the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Learn more about the history of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers with this animation .

Tackling inequalities faced by Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. This is a House of Commons Committee report with recommendations to the Government.

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Gypsy Roma Traveller Outreach Worker - Req24689

Job title:  Gypsy Roma Traveller Outreach worker 

Salary:  C1 £26,421.00 - £28,770.00

Hours:  37 per week 

Contract: Fixed term contract 12 months 

Location:  Technorth 

We are excited to be recruiting to the new post of Family Outreach Worker who will support our Czech Slovak community.

The successful candidate will be a part of the Gypsy Roma Traveller team and based within the Children’s Social Work Service. With their ability to speak Czech Slovak, you will support families in a timely manner to reduce the risk of children becoming looked after. 

The National picture tells us that children of Roma heritage are statistically more likely to experience barriers to accessing services and require social care involvement. Children who are on the ‘edge of care’ are defined as children who are at imminent or immediate risk of becoming looked after.

By working with families at the earliest point possible, we hope that the Family Outreach Worker will build relationships within the Roma community to reduce the number of children needing care services.

The successful candidate will speak Czech/ Slovak and work in partnership with the allocated social worker. You will be responsible for providing intensive support to families with the aim of reducing professional concerns and ensuring families are accessing the right support at the right time. You will ensure families are able to understand any concerns by sharing information and supporting positive change for the safe care of children. The overall aim is by promoting better relationships and open communication and using high support high challenge approaches, children will be supported to remain within their own homes and community.

As a Gypsy Roma Traveller Outreach worker you’ll thrive on supporting a community who are statistically more likely to experience barriers accessing services and there are additional needs for children including safeguarding concerns. You will promote the strength of the family, and wish that all children and families stay safe, healthy and reach their full potential. This also means that should difficulties arise, you will involve families in the decision making to agree how problems are overcome and solutions are found. 

We are excited to be recruiting to the new post of Family Outreach Worker who will support our Czech/ Slovak children and families who are on the ‘edge of care’.  This is defined as children who are at imminent or immediate risk of becoming looked after.  

This role involves holding a small caseload and regular communication with an allocated social worker to enable the provision of intensive support to families. This could include a range of parenting support activities, helping families to recognise and understand professional concerns and helping to remove the barriers to working with other key professionals.

Leeds City Council is one of the largest employers in the region with over 14,000 employees. We seek to recruit and develop talented individuals who embody our  council values and  ambitions .

As a Gypsy Roma Traveller Outreach worker you will bring to the role:

• The ability to speak Czech Slovak
• A good understanding of the challenges faced by the Roma community
• A good understanding of cultural sensitivity 
• Ability to work restoratively applying our High Support High Challenge thinking
• Flexible approach to provide parenting support in challenging circumstances

About the role 

This is a challenging but highly rewarding role, based in a small but effective team. Our cases are varied and enable our workers to demonstrate a range of skills and approaches to meet the demands of supporting a community facing ongoing issues around poverty, school attendance, health concerns and parenting. The role is effective because we are responsive to our aims in Leeds to provide safe homes for children and reduce families facing poverty.

As our next Family Outreach Worker You can expect to receive regular peer and management support; you will have access to continued professional development and will be joining an established and well respected service. 

The role is integral to our Gypsy Roma Traveller team 

What we offer you

We take pride in offering the best employee experience, with benefits including:

• a competitive salary and annual leave entitlement plus statutory holidays
• membership of the West Yorkshire Pension Fund with generous employer contributions
• flexible and hybrid working arrangements subject to service requirements
• a clear career pathway and continuing professional development opportunities
• a range of  staff benefits to help you boost your wellbeing and make your money go further

How to apply

Please complete the online application form and upload CV

Read our guidance for further advice. Please check your information carefully and ensure you complete all sections before submitting your application. 

If you have any queries or would like an informal chat about the role please contact  [email protected] Project Manager. 

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be carried out on preferred candidates. Read our  recruitment of ex-offenders policy .

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

We promote diversity and want a workforce that reflects the population of Leeds. Leeds City Council is ranked 70 on the Stonewall Equality Index 2023. We are also an age-friendly employer, a Mindful Employer and a Disability Confident Leader.

All new Leeds City Council appointments are made subject to the satisfactory completion of a six-month probationary period.   This role is based in the UK. Employment is conditional on confirmation of the right to work in the UK - either as a UK or Irish citizen, under the EU Settlement scheme or having secured any other relevant work visa. If you do not have the right to work in the UK and the role does not meet eligibility for sponsorship, please consider carefully whether you meet the eligibility to apply.

Job Description  

Job Purpose

To supervise and lead the development of family outreach city wide within the Gypsy Roma Traveller communities. 

To lead on the development of positive respectful and responsive relationships with parent’s carers, and partners to enable children to have the best start in life.  To work in an outreach capacity, engaging with the Gypsy Roma Traveller community providing advocacy, information, one to one session, group work and support to identify need within the Gypsy Roma Traveller community. To signpost and contribute towards the delivery of services.

Initiate and lead on multi agency work around the Gypsy Roma Traveller communities.

Responsibilities:

Flexible and adaptable to change to assist other services as required commensurate to grade  

To participate in appraisal, training, and development activities as necessary to ensure up to date knowledge and skills

To improve own practice through observation, evaluation, discussion with colleagues and development programmes.

To work collaboratively with colleagues, knowing when to seek help and advice.

Contribute to the overall ethos, work, and aims of the service by attending relevant meetings, training days/events as requested.

Be aware of and comply with Leeds City Council policies and procedures e.g. child protection, health, safety and security, confidentiality, and data protection, reporting all concerns to an appropriate person

Be aware of and support difference and ensure equality for all working in an anti-discriminatory manner, upholding, and promoting the values, standards, and equal opportunities of Leeds City Council. 

Recognise and appropriately challenge any incidents of racism, bullying, harassment or victimisation and any form of abuse of equal opportunities, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and procedures.

The Council has adopted a flexibility protocol and this role will be expected to work within these parameters.

The duties outlined are not meant as an exhaustive list and will also comprise any other duties within the spirit of the post commensurate with the job evaluation outcome for this post.

To lead and supervise staff in the delivery of family outreach services to Gypsy Roma Traveller families, working in partnership with agencies to deliver the core offer to children and families.

To engage with parents/carers of children of the Gypsy Roma Traveller community’s city wide in a respectful and responsive way. 

To encourage their engagement in Childcare/Early Education/ group activities.

To work as part of a multi-agency team to promote cohesive services for families.

To disseminate and promote advocacy, information and advice to parents/carers within the Gypsy Roma Traveller communities within the Leeds Boundaries. 

To work in venues within the city and roadside camps to promote the opportunities for Gypsy Roma Traveller children and families. 

To lead on the consultation and evaluation of service delivery and ensure that support is given to families within agreed timescales.

To work alongside families with a range of focused services that will support parents with Children.  To encourage participation and discussion 

To deliver services within the home, trailer or roadside and roadside camps that meet the needs of the individual child/children and families. 

To deliver workshops and speak at conferences to add value to the work with Gypsy Roma Traveller children and families.

To disseminate good practice in community-based childcare and support students or visitors  from a range of agencies. 

To promote the development of children and parents learning through play, communication, language, and literacy 

To lead on Safeguarding and promotion of the wellbeing of children whilst providing professional support to parents and workers from other agencies. In line with LAC and Safeguarding Children’s partnership Procedures 

To advocate on behalf of parents/carers to support their access to health and benefit advice

To manage the delivery of Early Help and ensure that this is embedded in their everyday practice.

To be a reflective observant practitioner who seeks to improve and extend their and others knowledge taking an active interest in new developments in family support, by attending staff meetings, parents’ meetings, and training opportunities 

Qualifications

• Relevant Qualifications or experience include
• NVQ Level 3 in Childcare, Health, Education, Social Care or Adult Learning Support
• CACHE Diploma in Childcare and Education
• BTEC National Diploma in Childhood Studies
• Certificate in Education
• DIP HE in Youth and Community Work
• Social work qualification
• Health qualification
• Foundation Degree in family Support

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION 

ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS: It is essential that the Candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role duties and responsibilities:  Candidates will only be shortlisted for interview if they can demonstrate on the application form that they meet all the essential requirements

Method of Assessment will be through one or more of the following Application Form, Test, Interview, and Certificate

Skills Required

Able to work flexibly across different work locations and areas as appropriate.  

Able to communicate effectively with children, parents/ carers and partners working in partnership at all times.

Able to listen to Gypsy Roma Traveller children’s and parent's views, value their experience and empathise to build on their strengths.

To disseminate information and offer advice and advocacy

Able to understand and respond to the range of factors that create stress for Gypsy Roma Traveller children and families through consultation.

A commitment to being a good role model to Gypsy Roma Traveller children and families and other staff members.

Ability to effectively lead and manage own workload. Influencing and persuading other multi agency and professionals to consider alternative views about Gypsy Roma Traveller families and negotiate to reach agreed ways forward.

Ability to motivates families through change and challenging ways of working to meet agreed goals.

A commitment to working in partnership with Gypsy Roma Traveller parents/ carers and partners   to negotiate agreed outcomes.

A commitment to early intervention as a means of making a positive difference to the lives of young Gypsy Roma Traveller children through observation and assessment of need.

Ability to provide a stimulating environment for Gypsy Roma Traveller children and families in various settings and throughout the process of transitions.

Ability to work effectively in a multi-disciplinary team, alone, within own service sector and other agencies where necessary.

Ability to prepare and present written reports as and when required, and contribute to written text for books and journals

Ability to take responsibility for the quality of work acknowledging mistakes find solutions and learning from the experience.

Able to supervise students and provide training opportunities for Gypsy Roma Traveller parents.

Ability to develop a sensitive approach to the care of families in a multi-cultural environment and to work in an anti-oppressive manner within the service.

Relevant IT skills.

Knowledge Required

Knowledge and understanding of those issues which create pressures for families, especially in relation to the Gypsy Roma Traveller communities

A working knowledge of current legislation. 

A knowledge of wider context of services and benefits available to children and families

Experience Required

Experience, paid or unpaid working with children and families in a community setting

Experience of working in a culturally diverse environment with parents from minority ethnic communities and vulnerable groups

Experience of working in partnerships with other agencies

Experience of working in close partnerships with parents and carers

Behavioural & other Characteristics required

Committed to continuous improvement.

Ability to understand and observe Leeds City Council Equal Opportunities Policy.

To carry out all duties having regard to an employee’s responsibility under Health & Safety Policies.

Willingness to actively participate in training and development activities to ensure up to date knowledge, skills and continuous professional development

Understand and embrace our values, behaviours, and codes of conduct. 

DESIRABLE REQUIREMENTS: It is desirable that the candidate should be able to demonstrate the following criteria for the post within the context of the specific role.  Candidates are not required to meet all the Desirable requirements however these may be used to distinguish between acceptable candidates. 

Experience in managing staff and students

Experience of speaking to large audiences

Experience of working with Gypsy Roma Traveller Communities

Experience in leading staff training

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