A Regional Strategy for Social Inclusion May 2002 Page 2 A Regional Strategy for Social Inclusion Contents 0. Preface .............................................................................................................. 5 1. Executive summary ......................................................................................... 6 2. Introduction: what is social exclusion?......................................................... 9 2.1 It’s not just poverty.......................................................................................... 9 2.2 Exclusion and inequality ............................................................................... 11 2.3 A positive definition....................................................................................... 12 2.4 A challenge across government ................................................................... 13 2.5 A challenge for society.................................................................................. 14 2.6 Anglo-American versus European social models ......................................... 15 3. Barriers to inclusion in Northern Ireland ..................................................... 18 3.1 The changing labour market......................................................................... 18 3.2 Qualifications and skills ................................................................................ 19 3.3 Domestic responsibilities .............................................................................. 21 3.4 Operation of the social security system........................................................ 22 3.5 Social exclusion and sectarianism................................................................ 23 4. Why a regional strategy?............................................................................... 26 4.1 The EU framework........................................................................................ 26 4.2 The UK policy context and its limits.............................................................. 29 4.3 The work of the Scottish Parliament............................................................. 31 4.4 The Irish National Anti-poverty Strategy (NAPS).......................................... 33 4.5 New TSN and PSI: fragmented, piecemeal.................................................. 35 5. A strategic framework.................................................................................... 39 5.1 A vision for Northern Ireland......................................................................... 39 5.2 Equality of life-chances................................................................................. 39 5.3 Challenging social apartheid......................................................................... 40 5.4 Need for co-ordinated attack ........................................................................ 41 5.5 Evidence-based approach............................................................................ 42 5.6 Role of civil society ....................................................................................... 42 6. Outcomes........................................................................................................ 43 6.1 Focus on outcomes, not outputs................................................................... 43 6.2 Importance of regional data.......................................................................... 43 6.3 Principal measure: reducing inequality......................................................... 44 6.4 Subsidiary measure: participation for all....................................................... 44 7. Flagship policies ............................................................................................ 46 7.1 Childcare ...................................................................................................... 46 7.2 Education...................................................................................................... 47 7.3 Lifelong learning ........................................................................................... 50 7.4 Social economy ............................................................................................ 53 7.5 Social security .............................................................................................. 57 7.6 Work-life balance.......................................................................................... 58 7.7 Public health ................................................................................................. 59 7.8 Transport ...................................................................................................... 62 7.9 Public procurement....................................................................................... 65 7.10 Innovative projects .................................................................................... 66 Page 3 8. Implementation ...............................................................................................67 8.1 Joined-up responses: the PfG.......................................................................67 8.2 Equality unit...................................................................................................68 8.3 Local partnerships.........................................................................................70 8.4 Legislative requirements ...............................................................................75 8.5 The executive programme fund ....................................................................75 8.6 A ‘solidarity tax’? ...........................................................................................76 8.7 NGOs and practitioners.................................................................................78 8.8 Relationships with other jurisdictions ............................................................78 9. Review and renewal........................................................................................81 9.1 Reporting arrangements ...............................................................................81 9.2 Lesson-learning from elsewhere ...................................................................81 9.3 Continuing research ......................................................................................81 9.4 Dialogue and development ...........................................................................82 9.5 A social-inclusion forum ................................................................................82 10. Conclusions and recommendations .........................................................84 10.1 Next step: a CF/OFMDFM working group? ...............................................84 10.2 PfGIII .........................................................................................................84 10.3 Looking to the longer term.........................................................................84 10.4 Social inclusion and reconciliation.............................................................85 10.5 Key recommendations...............................................................................85 11. Bibliography ................................................................................................88 12. Interviewees.................................................................................................93 13. Contact details ............................................................................................94 Page 4 A Regional Strategy for Social Inclusion 0. Preface The Civic Forum’s anti-poverty working group prepared this paper, with the assistance of the think tank Democratic Dialogue. It derived from the group’s decision, as many in the field of social exclusion had mooted, that Northern Ireland needed a regional anti-poverty strategy. It is a discussion paper: forum members have not been asked to endorse every dot and comma. But it does represent a robust set of proposals which deserve to be taken very seriously by government and society at large. The paper is based on a review of the literature on social exclusion; on focus groups of individuals who have experienced socially exclusion; on semi- structured interviews with key players and practitioners; on a round table, including Civic Forum members, focused around an earlier draft; and, last but not least, on discussions within the anti-poverty working group. The forum is very conscious that dedicated anti-poverty campaigners and researchers in Northern Ireland have accumulated much tacit knowledge over the years. All those who kindly contributed to the process by agreeing to take part in the focus groups or to be interviewed are named at the end. To ensure frankness, these exchanges, and the round table, took place on a non-attributable basis. While thus not specifically acknowledged in the paper itself, all these participants greatly contributed to the richness of the material. They are, of course, not responsible for the conclusions drawn. One of the strengths of the Civic Forum is that it cuts across sectoral lines in Northern Ireland and therefore can take a broad view. Another is that it engages important non-governmental interests in issues of good governance. This paper is playing to those strengths: an inclusive society can only develop if government is ‘joined-up’ and if a new relationship is established between rulers and ruled. Having a devolved Assembly and executive offers the citizens