Equality and Social Need Steering Group

Much of the work of the Anti-Poverty Unit is co-ordination of the work departments are doing on implementing the policy.

The Equality and Social Needs Steering Group comprises of senior officials from all Northern Ireland departments and the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), and is chaired by OFMDFM’s Director of Equality.

It aims to promote a co-ordinated cross-departmental approach to the further development and implementation of equality and social need policies; particularly the Statutory Equality Duty under Section 75 of the NI Act, including minority ethnic and gender issues; and New Targeting Social Need (New TSN).

A sub-group of the Steering Group is the Equality & Social Need Research and Information Group, which is chaired by Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) and through which statisticians from all departments work together towards improving the information and research base.

Further cross-departmental groups established in the context of Equality and New TSN (including PSI Working Groups) will also be sub-groups of the Steering Group.