SINePost newsletter - February 2014

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In this issue ...

1. Participation in Sport and Active Recreation
   
2. Childhood Obesity
   
3. Pupils not claiming Free School Meals
4. Children and Young People's Health Benchmarking Tool
   
5. Latest Unemployment and Economic Inactivity factsheet
   
6. Crime Statistics and Trends
   
7. Welfare Reform: Households affected by Benefit Cap
   
8. Help to Buy Scheme statistics
   
9. 2011 Census: Local Characteristics on Demography and Housing
   
10. Statistical Digest of Inequalities
    
11. Population Projections consultation
    
12. Forthcoming Statistical Releases
    

1.  Participation in Sport and Active Recreation

Adult participation in sport and recreation in Somerset is on the increase according to latest results from Sport England’s annual Active People Survey (APS): www.sportengland.org/research/who-plays-sport/local-picture/who-plays-sport-in-local-communities

Around 26% of adults regularly participate in sport or active recreation (equivalent to 30 minutes on 3 or more days a week) according to the 2012/13 survey, up from 22% at the time of the first Active People Survey in 2005/06.

The results highlight wide demographic variations in participation rates, for example:

• Participation is higher for males than females (27% and 24% respectively).
• Participation declines with age, from 38% of 16-34 year olds, to 17% of people aged 55 or over.
• Participation declines with declining socio-economic (NS-SEC) status: 32% of adults in NS-SEC categories 1 and 2 (‘professional and managerial’) regularly participate, compared to 20% in the lower NS-SEC categories, 4 to 7.

2.  Childhood Obesity

Latest annual results from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) have been published by the ONS, indicating the prevalence of ‘underweight’, ‘healthy weight’, ‘overweight’ and ‘obese’ children, in Reception Year (typically aged 4-5) and Year 6 (aged 10-11) in state schools: www.hscic.gov.uk/searchcatalogue?productid=13778&q=title%3a%22national+child+measurement+programme%22&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1#top

In Somerset, the results show a decline in the proportion of obese children in Year 6 (down from 17.0% in 2011/12 to 15.8% in 2012/13), while the proportion of obese children in Reception Year remained static (at 9.1%). Obesity prevalence in Somerset continues to be below the national average at Year 6, and broadly in line with the national average for Reception Year.

National analysis continues to find strong positive relationships between deprivation and obesity in each school year. Obesity prevalence continues to be significantly higher in urban areas than rural areas.

3.  Pupils not claiming Free School Meals

The Department for Education has published a Research Report into the numbers of school pupils who are entitled to receive free school meals (FSM) but do not claim them. The report looks at Tax Credit and Benefits data from HMRC, along with the School Census for January 2013: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266339/DFE-RR319.pdf

The report identifies that there were approximately 1,900 pupils in Somerset in 2013 who were entitled to FSM but not claiming. This represents an ‘under-registration’ rate of 20%, which is well above South West (14%) and England (11%) averages.

4.  Children and Young People’s Health Benchmarking Tool

The Child and Maternal (ChiMat) Health Intelligence Network has published a first version of its new Health Benchmarking Tool. The resource brings together health outcomes data from the Public Health Outcomes Framework and the NHS Outcomes Framework:http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/cyphof

Most of the data relates to the period 2011/12. The indicators identify Somerset as generally performing well, but worse than the national benchmark in terms of smoking in pregnancy (at time of delivery) and hospital admissions caused by injuries (in young people aged 15-24).

ChiMat have indicated that a number of additional indicators and increased detail for existing indicators will be added over the coming year.

5.  Latest Unemployment and Economic Inactivity factsheet

An updated factsheet on unemployment in Somerset is now available on the Somerset Intelligence website. Produced the Economy team at Somerset County Council, the factsheet highlights latest Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), unemployment and economic inactivity rates: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/unemployment-and-economic-inactivity/

The factsheet shows that in December 2013, 1.7% of people in Somerset aged 16-64 were claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA), compared to 2.1% the previous year. Meanwhile, a recent steady decline in Somerset’s JSA claimant rate has levelled off, whilst the national rate continues to fall.

6.  Crime Statistics and Trends

Recorded crime in Somerset declined by 9.3% in the year to September 2013 compared to the previous year, according to figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This equates to 2,661 fewer crimes over the year: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/crime-stats/crime-statistics/period-ending-september-2013/index.html

There were decreases across most of the main categories of recorded crime, most notably ‘non-domestic burglary’ (e.g., thefts from sheds/outbuildings) and criminal damage (‘vandalism’) offences. Conversely, increases were seen in shoplifting, ‘theft from the person’ and sexual offences. The latter is seen as due, at least in part, to the ‘Yewtree effect’, whereby victims are more willing to come forward to report historical offences.

Meanwhile, the Home Office is now publishing monthly ‘street level’ crime data files, detailing individual crimes and approximate locations (grid reference and street/road name). See: http://data.police.uk/data/

7.  Welfare Reform: Households affected by Benefit Cap

A total of 32,940 households in Britain have so far been impacted by the government’s benefit cap, of which 112 are Somerset households (as of November 2013). Broadly speaking, the cap means that households on out-of-work benefits can receive no more than the average weekly wage of working households: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-november-2013

Nationally, the benefit cap has had the biggest impact in London (representing nearly half of all capped households) and in other major urban areas. In the South West, Bristol has seen the highest number of capped households (226), followed by Gloucestershire (158), Cornwall (117) and then Somerset.

Overall, 59% of capped households constituted a single parent with child dependents. More than three-quarters of households were capped by £100 or less.

8.  Help to Buy Scheme statistics

A total of 248 homebuyers took out ‘Help to Buy’ home loans in Somerset in the first nine months of the scheme according to figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government (covering April to December 2013). The Help to Buy scheme allows first-time buyers and movers to borrow up to 20% of the purchase price of a new build property with a deposit of 5%: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/help-to-buy-equity-loan-scheme-monthly-statistics

Take up of the scheme in Somerset has been relatively high, with only Gloucestershire (294) and Devon (252) in the South West seeing higher numbers of people using the scheme.

9.  2011 Census: Local Characteristics on Demography and Housing

The ONS has now published detailed multivariate data on people’s living arrangements (e.g., ‘married’, ‘single’, ‘cohabiting’), household composition and housing status, at Output Area (OA) level – the smallest areas for which figures are published. Equivalent data has previously been released at Ward and MSOA (Middle-layer Super Output Area) level.

Demography and Families data tables are available at: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/local-characteristics-on-demography-and-families-for-output-areas-in-england-and-wales/index.html

Housing data tables are available at: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census/local-characteristics-on-housing-for-output-areas-in-england-and-wales/index.html

Output Area data is combined to provide estimates for specific local areas, e.g., individual towns/villages. For example, in terms of living arrangements, the figures show that Glastonbury has highest proportion of adult residents who are single, and also the highest prevalence of divorcees. Shepton Mallet has highest prevalence of cohabiting couples (i.e., not married or in civil partnership), and Minehead the highest proportion of widowed people.

10.  Statistical Digest of Inequalities

A summary of recent statistical evidence relating to the differing experiences and outcomes of residents with certain ‘protected characteristics’ is now available on the Somerset Intelligence website. The digest considers overall outcomes in relation to individual’s ethnicity, region/belief, age, gender or disability. Data is sourced from the 2011 Census, from local Needs Assessments and from national reports and surveys. See: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/equality-and-diversity/

It is intended the digest will be extended to cover additional protected characteristics, and will assimilate new data and research as available.

11.  Population Projections consultation

The ONS is currently running a consultation on local authority population projections, in advance of full publication in May/June 2014. The projections will provide indicative figures of local authority populations from mid-2012 to mid-2037, based on the continuation of recent trends.

In November the ONS published national projections, which suggested that the UK population will increase by around 15% in the 25-year period to 2037. It was also projected that by 2037, around 1 in 12 of the national population will to be aged 80 or over.

Consultation meetings are planned for Manchester, Birmingham and London in mid-February. Full details of the consultation are available at: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/get-involved/consultations/consultations/consultation-on-the-2012-based-subnational-population-projections-for-england/index.html

12.  Forthcoming Statistical Releases

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

• Public Health Outcomes Framework - February 2014 Data Update (PHE)
• Local Authority Collected Waste Management Statistics - Provisional results Quarter 1 2013/14 (Defra)
• 2011 Census Analysis - Inequality in general health and activity limiting health problems and disabilities by IMD 2010 Area Deprivation, England 2011 (ONS)
• House Building Statistics - December quarter 2013 (DCLG)
• Rough Sleeping Statistics England - Autumn 2013 (DCLG)

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