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In this issue:
A summary report on deprivation in Somerset, based on the recently updated English Indices of Deprivation (including the overall Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)), is now available on the Somerset Intelligence website:
www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/imd/
Findings from the report include:
The Somerset Intelligence website also offers an interactive map, presenting local IMD rankings, as well as the seven ‘domains’ of deprivation, the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI), and the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI).
Overall levels of happiness have improved in Somerset, while levels of life satisfaction and ‘feelings that things done in life are worthwhile’ have declined, according to latest annual figures from the Measuring National Well-being programme. Overall levels of anxiety have also increased.
Based on the results of the Annual Population Survey (APS), the programme aims to measure people’s ongoing quality of life and complement other national indicators.
Average ratings for Somerset in 2018/19 were 7.9 out of 10 for life satisfaction; 8.0 out of 10 for ‘worthwhile’; 7.7 out of 10 for happiness; and 2.8 out of 10 for anxiety.
Somerset was better than the national average in respect of all four indicators of subjective well-being. At a district level, Taunton Deane ranked highest for happiness and life satisfaction, while Mendip was best for ‘worthwhile’.
For the full dataset, see: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/wellbeing
Previous analysis identified three groups of people at particular risk of having the poorest personal well-being. These were:
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published latest population estimates for small areas, including electoral wards, output areas (OAs, LSOAs, MSOAs) and National Parks, by age and sex. The figures relate to the estimated usual resident population on 30 June 2018 (‘mid-2018’). The estimates can be useful for service planning and as denominators for the calculation of various local rates and indicators:
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/populationestimates
The largest ward (by population) in Somerset is currently North Petherton (9,739 residents) and the smallest wards are Great Exmoor and West Quantock (1,156 residents each).
There continues to be wide variation in the age structure across Somerset, with rural areas tending to have older populations than urban areas; at the extremes in West Quantock ward, 45.3% of residents are aged 65 or over while in Bridgwater Victoria 11.8% are aged 65 or over. The proportion of children (aged 0-15) ranges from 24.5% (West Monkton) to 8.7% (West Quantock).
Median gross weekly earnings for full-time employees living in Somerset increased by 6.8% to £567 in 2019 in provisional estimates from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). The equivalent earnings figure for people working in Somerset (based on ‘place of work’ rather than ‘place of residence’) was lower, at £539, suggesting a leakage of Somerset workers to higher value jobs outside the county.
For Somerset residents, the distribution of earnings in 2019 saw the bottom 20% of full-time employees earn less than £390 per week. At the other end of the distribution, the top 20% of full-time employees earned more than £841 per week.
In 2019 the gender pay gap (based on average gross hourly earnings) for full-time employees was 15.1% for Somerset residents, compared to a UK average of 8.9%. It may be noted that these figures do not show differences in rates of pay for comparable jobs but are affected by factors such as the proportion of men and women in different types of occupations.
See: www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours
The number of active enterprises in Somerset has increased marginally in the latest annual business demography statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (for 2018):
https://www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/business/activitysizeandlocation
In summary:
The proportion of state-funded mainstream pupils in Somerset going into sustained education, training or employment after Key Stage 4 (GCSE or equivalent) remained at 95% in 2017/18, in annual figures from the Department for Education. This proportion was marginally above the national average (of 94%).
The proportion of Somerset young people going into sustained education, employment or training the year after Key Stage 5 (A-level or equivalent Level 3 qualification) was 88% in 2017/18, the same as the national average proportion. The proportion of Somerset young people specifically going into an education setting was 47%, compared to 57% nationally.
Overall, 39% of students from state-funded mainstream schools and colleges in Somerset went to a higher education institution in 2017/18, well below the national proportion of 49%.
See: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/statistics-destinations
Somerset has seen an increase in child obesity in Reception-age children but a decrease in Year 6 children according to latest annual results from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP). Nationally there were increases in levels of obesity in respect of both groups.
In summary, for 2018/19:
Nationally, analysis shows that obesity prevalence for children living in the most deprived areas is more than double that of those living in the least deprived areas, for both Reception and Year 6 children.
See: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical
There were 540 excess winter deaths in Somerset in 2017/18 according to estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This represented an increase of 130 deaths on the 2016/17 figure, mirroring a national increase.
Within Somerset, South Somerset had the highest Excess Winter Mortality (EWM) ‘Index’; with 31% more deaths occurring in the winter period than the non-winter months. Sedgemoor had the second highest EWM Index (at 30%), followed by Somerset West and Taunton (28%) and Mendip (18%).
While local authority estimates for the 2018/19 winter period will not be published by the ONS until the end of 2020, provisional figures suggest that excess winter deaths for England as a whole declined by 53% (26,210 people) in 2018/19, representing the lowest number of excess winter deaths since winter 2013/14. The reduction is likely linked to milder weather experienced in the winter 2018/19 compared with the previous winter and the lower impact of influenza on the elderly.
For further details, including the definition of excess winter mortality, see:
www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/bulletins
Numbers of hate crime offences recorded in the Avon and Somerset police force area have declined in latest annual figures from the Home Office. There were a total of 2,961 offences recorded during 2018/19, representing a 6% fall on the 3,138 offences in 2017/18. Nationally, reported hate crime increased by 10%.
Most hate crime in Avon and Somerset in 2018/19 continues to be motivated by race (69%), with sexual orientation (13%) the next most common motivating factor, followed by disability (10%), religion (6%) and transgender (2%).
See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/hate-crime-england-and-wales-2018-to-2019
The total number of fly-tipping incidents recorded by local authorities in Somerset has declined to its lowest level since 2010/11, in annual figures from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra): www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fly-tipping-in-england
There were 4,107 fly-tipping incidents recorded in 2018/19, compared to 4,628 in 2017/18, representing a fall of 13%. Nationally, fly-tipping incidents increased by 8% over the same period.
At a district level, Mendip continues to have the highest rate of recorded fly-tipping incidences in Somerset, with 13.6 per 1,000 population. Sedgemoor had the next highest rate (8.8 per 1,000 population), followed by South Somerset (4.9 per 1,000), Taunton Deane (4.8 per 1,000) and West Somerset (1.9 per 1,000).
Over half of incidents in Somerset (59%) involved household waste (comprising black bags or other household waste incidents). Consistent with previous years, the most common place for fly-tipping to occur was on highways (82% of incidents).
See: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env24-fly-tipping-incidents-and-actions-taken-in-england
The following are due for release at sub-regional geographies during December:
And finally ...
Please email TXAtkins@somerset.gov.uk
There has been a big increase since 2001 in the number of residents with a Level 4 (e.g., Bachelor degree) or above qualification. There are now more people qualified to at least Level 4 (25.6%) than people with no qualifications (22.4%). - 2011 Census