Equality Scheme
This is a statement of the Trust’s commitment to meeting its statutory duties under Section 75 of the NI Act 1998, setting out how it is going to ensure that equality and good relations are promoted in everything the Trust does.
This places duties on the Trust to promote equality of opportunity taking into account nine equality categories – namely between:
- persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation
- men and women generally
- persons with a disability and persons without
- persons with dependants and persons without.
The Trust’s Equality Scheme has been approved by the Equality Commission for NI.
Please see link for the Disability Equality Training video below.
Contacts
Cathy Lavery
Head of Equality, Diversity
& Inclusion
028 3756 4151
Cathy.Lavery@southerntrust.hscni.net-
Equality Scheme
- Equality Scheme Progress Reports
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Equality and Disability Actions Plans
Southern Trust, in partnership with the four other Health and Social Care Trusts in the region and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Trust, have worked collaboratively on the development of their new five year Disability Action Plan and Equality Action Plan (2024-29) which outline actions and initiatives to address section 75 inequalities, improve equality of opportunity, promote positive attitudes for disabled people and improve their participation in public life.
The actions in the Plans have been shaped by an audit of inequalities, engagement with experts by experience and key stakeholders and formal consultation. The Consultation Feedback Report details how the feedback we received shaped the Plans.
The Trust looks forward to working in partnership to ensure there is regional consistency across all the Trusts, resources are maximised and best practice is shared. The Trust would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the Plans.
The Trust will report annually on our progress against the Plans via our S75 Annual Progress Report to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI), which is submitted at the end of August each year and is available on the website or by contacting the Trust Equality Diversity & Inclusion Team: equality.unit@southerntrust.hscni.net
The HSC Trusts have revised their Audit of Inequalities document which has helped identify the inequalities to be addressed in these action plans.
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Policy Screening
The Trust must consider the nine equality categories when making decisions and formulating or revising policies/proposals – this is known as screening. The screening process is used to identify which policies/proposals are likely to have an adverse impact on equality of opportunity and/or good relations and helps to draw these considerations into the policy/decision making process.
The Trust publishes quarterly policy screening outcome reports of screenings undertaken.
If it is decided that a policy/proposal is likely to have significant/major issues relating to equality, it is then necessary to consider carrying out a more detailed exercise called an equality impact assessment (EQIA).
Policy Screening and Equality Impact Assessment – Information Leaflet
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Guidance for Board Members