Disability amongst Children and young people

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Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (healthysomerset.co.uk/JSNA)

Whilst there is no definitive single source of data about disability amongst children and young people, this section draws on information provided by the 2011 Census, schools and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

2011 Census

The 2011 Census included questions about residents' assessment of their own health and any long-term conditions which limited their day-to-day activities.

The vast majority (97.6%) of Somerset's 95,000 children under 16 were in 'good' or 'very good' health, but 1,810 described their health as 'fair' and 502 as 'bad' or 'very bad'. Similarly, 96.5% of children under 16 claimed not to have a disability or long-term health problem which limited their day-to-day activities. However, 1,148 said their day-to-day activities were limited 'a lot' and a further 2,086 'a little.

Not surprisingly, the local areas with the highest concentrations of children in relatively poor health and those of children with activity-limiting conditions tended to be similar. Places with the greater numbers of youngsters with health issues and disabilities tended to be in the more deprived communities within towns such as Bridgwater, Taunton and Yeovil. However, as proportions of the local undfer-16 population, the areas tended to be more widely spread. The table below show the electoral wards with relatively high numbers and proportions for each of the health-related Census indicators.

Source: Office for National Statistics/2011 Census

* excludes wards where n is less than 10

Note: Carhampton & Withycombe ward has the highest proportion of children in both categories, but the number of children affected is under 10.

Schools

For information about numbers of state-funded school pupils in Somerset with special educational needs or disability (SEN&D), please click here.

Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) may be paid to help with the extra costs of looking after an eligible child who:

• is under 16
• has difficulties walking, and/or
• needs more looking after than a child of the same age

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions (August 2020) indicates that in Somerset there are around 3,800 DLA claimants under the age of 16, representing 3.8% of the age group population. Of these:-

• 380 are aged under 5
• 1,670 are aged 5 to 10
• 1,780 are aged 11 to 15

The areas with the highest numbers of DLA clamants aged under 16 are Wellington - East and West, the South of Bridgwater and the Halcon area of Taunton.   The latest detailed figures are available from the DWP Stat-Xplore website.