This order establishes the Homefirst Community Health and Social Services Trust, an HSS trust provided for in Article 10 of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.

The order provides for the functions of the trust both before (Article 7) and after (Article 3) its operational date (the date on which it assumes all its functions). The functions include the exercise of relevant statutory functions which may be delegated to the trust by Health and Social Services Boards by virtue of authorisations made under Article 3(1) of the Health and Personal Social Services (Northern Ireland) Order 1994. Article 4 and the Schedule specify the operational areas within which the trust may exercise the delegated functions.

The order also specifies the operational date of the trust (Article 6) and makes provision for assistance to the trust by the Northern Health and Social Services Board before its operational date (Article 8). Article 9 specifies £500,000 as the maximum value of freely disposable assets.