Since March 2021, specified public bodies in Wales, including the Welsh Ministers, local authorities, health boards and NHS trusts, have been subject to the Socio-economic Duty. When they make strategic decisions, they must have due regard to the need to reduce the inequalities of outcome that result from socio-economic disadvantage.
It's a powerful idea. But like any duty, it can become a paperwork exercise. Here's how to keep it meaningful.
Start early
The duty is most useful at the start of a decision, when options are still open. Considering socio-economic disadvantage after the decision has effectively been made rarely changes anything.
Use Welsh data
Wales has good evidence to draw on, including the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation, local well-being assessments and your own service data. Look at who uses your services, who doesn't, and why.
Listen to lived experience
Data tells you what is happening. People with lived experience of poverty and disadvantage can tell you why, and what would actually help. Engagement doesn't need to be elaborate to be valuable.
Think about overlap
Socio-economic disadvantage often overlaps with protected characteristics such as disability, race and sex. Many Welsh public bodies combine the Socio-economic Duty with equality impact assessments in a single, integrated assessment, which helps people see the full picture.
Record your reasoning
Good records show how you considered the duty, what you found and what you changed as a result. That protects the organisation and, more importantly, shows that the duty made a difference.