SINePost newsletter - April 2013

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In this issue ...

1. Somerset Intelligence
2. Child Health Profiles
3. Local Sport Profile Tool 2013
4. Under-18s Conceptions
5. Troubled Families Programme
6. Road Safety Comparison website
7. 'Happy at Home' Index
8. Housing Affordability
9. Report: Ready for Ageing?
10. Public Health England
11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1.  Somerset Intelligence

As of 1^st April 2013, the Somerset Intelligence Network (SINe) no longer exists as an organisation. However, in its place comes ‘Somerset Intelligence’! Not a huge difference in name but an important change because the branding also now covers the team (formerly the Partnership Intelligence Unit ) based at Somerset County Council who collate the data, produce the insight, manage the website and compile SINePost. Hopefully there will be less confusion over identity as a result! 

The new Somerset Intelligence website (http://www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/) is now live. While it looks similar to the old SINe website, it should allow us more flexibility in the way we make data and documents available to you. You may have noticed already that there is more emphasis on summarising the key issues as web content rather than relying solely on downloadable PDF documents. This should also make for more efficient searching on the site. 

Readers have told us they value SINePost very highly and so this product will continue under the same name. However, in the future we shall be updating our familiar collation of the latest data releases, consultations and research reports more frequently on the website, although a monthly document will be available to download, as in the past.

Of course, we recognise that there are a huge number of knowledgeable data, insight and intelligence experts in Somerset without whom we would be unable to fulfil our role as effectively. Therefore, we are extremely keen to maintain our relationship with you all as a ‘virtual’ network.  As well as your contributions and queries, we also welcome feedback on Somerset Intelligence and SINePost at any time, so do please let us know what you think about the changes, via the usual address TXAtkins@somerset.gov.uk.

2. Child Health Profiles 2013

The national Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat) has published updated local authority Child Health Profiles, which provide a local snapshot of child health and wellbeing: www.chimat.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=101746&REGION=101635 

The profile for Somerset finds that the health and wellbeing of children in the county is ‘mixed’ compared with the England average. Somerset performs significantly better than the national average in terms of obesity in children at Year 6 (age 10-11) and for hospital admissions for asthma (age under 19). However, Somerset performs significantly worse than the national average in terms of participation in sport and for hospital admissions due to alcohol specific conditions.

3.  Local Sport Profile Tool 2013

Sport England has developed a tool which generates a comprehensive sporting profile for each (lower-tier) local authority area in England. The profile, in the form of charts and tables, pulls together data on adult (16+) sporting participation and facilities, including comparisons with statistical neighbours: www.sportengland.org/research/local_sport_profiles.aspx 

According to the profile tool, swimming is the most common sporting activity in Somerset, with around 1 in 10 adult residents (10.5%) participating at least once a month. Cycling is next most common (8.2% of adults), followed by going to the gym (7.9%). Around half (50.2%) of Somerset residents say they would like to do more sport.

4.  Under-18 Conceptions

Latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) indicates that conception rates in Somerset for women aged under 18 continue to fall, in line with the national picture. There were 27.8 conceptions per 1,000 young women in 2011, compared to 29.2 per 1,000 in 2010.www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-294336 

At a district level, rates vary between 21.8 conceptions per 1,000 in Mendip to 40.2 per 1,000 in West Somerset.

5.  Troubled Families Programme

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published figures on progress made in the first 9 months of the Troubled Families Programme. The programme aims to support families which are identified as having multiple and complex needs, and which put a high cost on the public sector: www.gov.uk/government/publications/troubled-families-programme-progress-by-december-2012

 At the end of December 2012, a total of 62,909 families nationwide had been identified for the programme (from a target of 118,082) and 23,709 families had so far being worked with. Of these, 1,675 had so far been ‘turned round’.

 In Somerset, 527 of 870 families had been identified as of December 2012 and 10 families were being worked with.

6.  Road Safety Comparison website

A new road safety comparison site launched by the Department for Transport (DfT) sets out collision and casualty figures for every local authority in England between 2005 and 2011. Figures are set against population, traffic levels, road length and local authority spending: http://road-collisions.dft.gov.uk/ 

The website also includes a profile for each local authority, covering 22 road safety indicators. The profile for Somerset is available at: http://road-collisions.dft.gov.uk/lha/somerset. 

There has been a general overall downward trend in road casualty figures throughout the 2005 to 2011 time period covered.

7.  ‘Happy at Home’ Index

Rightmove, the property website, has conducted a survey of 40,000 people in 110 towns and cities nationwide to rank how people feel about their property and where they live: www.rightmove.co.uk/news/articles/rightmove-news/happy-at-home-index-2013

Taunton was the only town in Somerset to be included in the survey. Overall, Taunton was identified as the 30^th ‘happiest’ place to live (out of 110 towns and cities), scoring highly for ‘neighbourliness’ and ‘safety’ but lowly on ‘amenities’.

8.  Housing Affordability

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has released provisional housing ‘affordability’ data for 2012. The ratio of lower quartile house price to lower quartile earnings in Somerset in 2012 was 8.04, compared to 6.59 nationally (the higher the ratio, the more difficult it is to get on the housing ladder). Within Somerset’s districts the ratio was highest in West Somerset (9.36) and lowest in South Somerset (7.24).

The data table is available at the following link: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/85871/table576.xls

9.  Report: Ready for Ageing?

A new report on the UK’s ageing population by the House of Lords Committee on Public Service and Democratic Change concludes that government and society are ‘woefully under-prepared’ for demographic change. The report is published at the following link: www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/lords-select/public-services-committee/report-ready-for-ageing/

By way of context, at the time of the 2011 Census, there were 58,723 households in Somerset in which all residents were aged 65 or over, representing over a quarter (26.3%) of all households. The latest population projections (mid 2011-based) suggest that Somerset’s over 65 population will increase by 30% in the ten years between 2011 and 2021.

10.  Public Health England

From 1st April, the network of nine public health observatories, including the South West Public Health Observatory, became part of the new Public Health England. Public Health England brings together specialists from more than 70 organisations into a single public health service. Further information on the role and structure of Public Health England is available at: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/public-health-england

11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

The following datasets are due for release at sub-regional geographies during April:

• Count of Gypsy and Traveller Caravans - January 2013 (DCLG)
• Projections of Households in England - 2011-based Interim Projections (ONS)
• Local area walking and cycling in England - 2011/12 (DfT)
• 2011 Census Analysis - A century of home ownership and renting (ONS)
• Dwelling Stock Estimates, England – 2012 (DCLG)
• Crime Statistics - period ending December 2012 (ONS)
• Population Estimates for England and Wales - Mid-2002 to Mid-2010 Revised (ONS)

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Please email TXAtkins@somerset.gov.uk