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2020/21 report on the Northern Ireland Executive’s Child Poverty Strategy
- Author:
- NORTHERN IRELAND. Department for Communities
- Publisher:
- Northern Ireland. Department for Communities
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 145
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
The Executive’s Child Poverty Strategy was published on 25 March 2016. The Strategy’s aims are to reduce the number of children in poverty and reduce the impact of poverty on children. The Strategy focuses on four high level outcomes: families experience economic well-being; children in poverty learn and achieve; children in poverty are healthy; children in poverty live in safe, secure and stable environments. This document is an Annual Report on progress on the Strategy as required by Article 12(7) of the Life Chances Act, which requires an annual report to be laid before the NI Assembly which: describes the measures taken by the NI departments in accordance with the NI Strategy; and describes the effects of those measures that contribute to the achievement of the purpose of ensuring, as far as possible, that children here do not experience socioeconomic disadvantage. As such, this Annual Report provides: the data available up to the end of February 2021 for each of the agreed indicators in the Strategy (in the main body of the report); full reports on each of the actions in the Strategy (Annex A); and reference to an associated Programme for Government Outcome(s). (Edited publisher abstract)
Modern slavery and human trafficking strategy 2021-22 including commitments for 2020-21 and progress update on the modern slavery strategy 2019-2020
- Author:
- NORTHERN IRELAND. Department of Justice
- Publisher:
- Northern Ireland. Department of Justice
- Publication year:
- 2021
- Pagination:
- 52
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
The strategy builds on the significant body of work to tackle modern slavery and human trafficking that has already been delivered through previous strategies. The overall aim is to ‘equip Northern Ireland to identify and eradicate modern slavery and human trafficking’. It builds on the 2019-20 strategy by continuing to outline shared strategic outcomes, objectives and activities from 2020-21 through to 2021- 22 which are focussed on: enhancing the operational response to pursue and disrupt offenders and bring them to justice; putting the protection and needs of adult and child victims at the centre of our response; and engaging partners across key services, business, non-Governmental organisations and the wider public in preventing modern slavery. (Edited publisher abstract)
Devolution in Northern Ireland: a lost opportunity?
- Authors:
- HORGAN Goretti, GRAY Ann Marie
- Journal article citation:
- Critical Social Policy, 32(3), August 2012, pp.467-478.
- Publisher:
- Sage
The draft Programme for Government for Northern Ireland was published a full 6 months after the May 2011 election. It is mainly aspirational, lacking in detail and tells little about what to expect over the coming years, except that the focus will remain almost exclusively on the economy with little room for social policy. This paper examines social policy developments in Northern Ireland since the May 2011 election. In many areas of social policy Northern Ireland lags behind other regions of the UK, the results of decades of neglect of economic and social policy, and years of conflict. The mandatory coalition established under devolution presents particular challenges for policy making but there had been optimism that devolved structures would be more responsive to Northern Ireland’s particular circumstances. However, this paper argues that the lack of progress or vision evident in the previous period of government shows no sign of improving during the current mandate. It concludes that government in Northern Ireland continues to follow an agenda set in London, which has not taken account of Northern Ireland’s laggard position in relation to social policy and provision. This, together with the failure to link economic and social policy and an unaddressed silo mentality, means that devolution to date has not served the people of Northern Ireland well.
A racial equality strategy for Northern Ireland 2005-10
- Author:
- NORTHERN IRELAND. Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
- Publisher:
- Northern Ireland. Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister
- Publication year:
- 2005
- Pagination:
- 72p.
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
This strategy provided a framework designed to: tackle racial inequalities in Northern Ireland and to open up opportunity for all; to eradicate racism and hate crime; and together with A Shared Future – Policy and Strategic Framework for Good Relations in Northern Ireland, to initiate actions to promote good race relations. It sets out the long-term, high level vision of the society that Northern Ireland is working to achieve. Six strategic aims are identified: the elimination of racial inequality; equal protection; equality of service provision; participation; dialogue; and capacity building. The strategy also sets out the principles the government will observe in pursuing these aims.
Coalition government in Northern Ireland: social policy and the lowest common denominator thesis
- Authors:
- GRAY Ann Marie, BIRRELL Derek
- Journal article citation:
- Social Policy and Society, 11(1), January 2012, pp.15-25.
- Publisher:
- Cambridge University Press
In May 2007, devolved government returned to Northern Ireland after a period of suspension which had lasted 5 years. An analysis of governance and social policy in Northern Ireland in the first period of devolution from 1999 to 2002 by McLaughlin (2005) described and predicted the dominance of a lowest common denominator approach to the formulation of social policies. The aim of this paper is to examine the second period of social policy development under devolution between 2007 and 2011 using MacLaughlin’s lowest common denominator thesis. It also provides a further analysis which suggests a more complex scenario of social policy formulation and implementation. This is based on identifying 5 categories of social policy making by the devolved government: a lack of agreement on social policies; lowest common denominator decisions; areas of agreement on social policy; individualised decision-making by ministers; and external determinants of social policy. While the paper finds the original McLaughlin thesis to be still relevant, it also finds the more expanded framework to be useful in explaining all the post 2007 developments.
Defining fuel poverty in Northern Ireland: a preliminary review
- Authors:
- LIDDELL Christine, et al
- Publisher:
- University of Ulster
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 165p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Coleraine
This preliminary review comprises the first of 3 independent reviews of fuel poverty being carried out in different parts of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland has the highest rates of fuel poverty in the UK. The review starts by outlining the rationale for the UK’s 2001 Fuel Poverty Strategy, and the rationale for the present round of reviews. It argues that, whilst the links between the definition of fuel poverty and the 2001 Fuel Poverty Strategy remain strong, links between definition/strategy and policies/implementation are extremely weak. This has rendered the system as a whole inherently unstable and is largely responsible for the missed targets and misdirected resources, only made worse by escalating energy prices. The review argues that fuel poverty is a multi-dimensional concept with several different causes, and many different impacts. It recommends the introduction of an additional indicator specific to Northern Ireland which combines a local threshold, a severity index, and an affordability index. This is because the ‘10% of income’ threshold definition of fuel poverty is acutely problematic for Northern Ireland. The proposed indicator would make it possible to set goals and monitor progress on tackling fuel poverty more precisely, whilst maintaining a close watch on energy prices and issues related to Northern Ireland’s reliance on oil for heating.
The experiences of young witnesses in criminal proceedings in Northern Ireland: a report for the Department of Justice (NI)
- Authors:
- HAYES David, et al
- Publisher:
- Northern Ireland. Department of Justice
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 74p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
This study aimed to gather information on the experiences of young witnesses giving evidence in courts in Northern Ireland in order to inform policy and practice in this jurisdiction. The principal sources of information were: structured interviews with young prosecution witnesses who received a service from the NSPCC’s Young Witness Service (YWS) and their parent/carer; referral forms completed by YWS staff in relation to each young witness who agreed to participate in the study. These provided basic information about the nature of the case and the service provided by the YWS; and a survey questionnaire which was administered to all YWS volunteers and Children’s Services Practitioners (CSPs). Findings revealed that where pre‐trial support had been provided, 75% of young people and 78.9% of parents felt that there had been enough pre‐trial contact with the YWS and 85% of young people and 89.5% of parents said either that the supporter had made a lot of difference or that it was contact with the supporter that had made it possible for the young person to go to court.
Improving children's life chances: the child poverty strategy
- Author:
- NORTHERN IRELAND. Northern Ireland Executive
- Publisher:
- Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Executive
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 58p.
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
The Child Poverty Act 2010 places a duty on the UK government to develop a strategy to eradicate child poverty, and on the devolved administrations to develop strategies which contribute to that goal. This strategy document sets out the actions proposed by the Northern Ireland Executive to address the issue of child poverty in fulfilment of its obligations under the Act. The strategy has 4 sections: framework for tackling child poverty, the Child Poverty Act and associated measures, the rationale for a child poverty strategy, and policy and legislation. It includes a summary of priority action areas. The overarching aim of the strategy is to provide the opportunity for all children and young people to thrive and to address the causes and consequences of disadvantage. The key strategic priorities are: to ensure, as far as possible, that poverty and disadvantage in childhood does not translate into poorer outcomes for children as they move into adulthood; to support more parents to be in work that pays, or pays better; to ensure the child's environment supports them to thrive; and to target financial support to be responsive to family situations.
Employment inequalities in an economic downturn
- Authors:
- MCQUAID Ron, HOLLYWOOD Emma, CANDUELA Jesus
- Publisher:
- Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 115p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
This research aimed to update understanding of the effect of the economic downturn on the employment status and prospects of relevant groups across the nine equality grounds in Northern Ireland. It was carried out by the Employment Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University for the Equality Commission Northern Ireland. The research adopted a mixed methods approach combining: a review of key literature; analysis of secondary data sets; and key stakeholder interviews with relevant groups and organisations in Northern Ireland. The time period covered by the statistics is generally from 2006 to 2009. Groupings considered in this report include: age; gender; disability; dependents; community background; racial group; marital status; sexual orientation; and ex-offenders.
The comprehensive spending review 2010: estimated impacts on Northern Ireland
- Author:
- NORTHERN IRELAND. Northern Ireland Assembly. Research and Library Services
- Publisher:
- Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland Assembly. Research and Library Services
- Publication year:
- 2010
- Pagination:
- 26p.
- Place of publication:
- Belfast
The Comprehensive Spending Review is the mechanism through which the UK Government allocates expenditure limits to government departments and the devolved administrations. The purpose of this briefing paper is to provide Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly with background to, and an initial assessment of, the 2010 Review, focusing on the potential economic implications for Northern Ireland. It covers key messages at UK level, Northern Ireland's allocation and the impact on Northern Ireland, and revenue raising options for the Northern Ireland Executive.