SINePost newsletter - July 2015

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In this issue ...

1. Latest Population Estimates
2. House Price Statistics
   
3. Homelessness
   
4. Local Health Profiles
   
5. Child Obesity
   
6. Adult Social Care Profile
   
7. Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE)
   
8. Monthly Business Bulletin
   
9. Volunteering Almanac
   
10. 2011 Census: Ethnicity and Country of Birth analysis
    
11. Consultation on the 2021 Census
    
12. What's New on the Somerset Intelligence website?
    
13. Forthcoming Statistical Releases
    

1. Latest Population Estimates

Somerset’s population is estimated at 541,609 in the latest set of annual figures from the Office for National Statistics. The figure is an estimate of the population in mid-2014 and represents an increase of 3,505 people from a year earlier. With broadly similar numbers of births and deaths occurring in the county, the major component of population increase continues to be internal migration from within the UK.

Over the last decade, Sedgemoor has seen the biggest overall population growth (up 9.5%), followed by Taunton Deane (up 6.5%), South Somerset (up 6.2%) and Mendip (up 4.8%). Meanwhile, West Somerset has seen its population decline (down 2.4%). West Somerset is the only local authority area in the South West of England to have seen its population fall.

For the full dataset, go to: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/pop-estimate/population-estimates-for-uk--england-and-wales--scotland-and-northern-ireland/mid-2014/index.html

2. House Price Statistics

House sales in Somerset increased for the second year running in 2014 and were at their highest level since 2007, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics and Land Registry. There were 10,271 sales during 2014, up from 8,743 sales in 2013.

Median sale prices in 2014 ranged from £171,000 in Sedgemoor to £200,000 in West Somerset. These two districts have recorded the lowest and highest median prices in each of the last ten years.

At a local (MSOA) level, the Wedmore area of Sedgemoor continues to have the highest median sale price in the county (£357,250 in 2014) and parts of Bridgwater the lowest (£116,000).

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/house-price-statistics-for-small-areas-1995-to-2014

3. Homelessness

Levels of homelessness in Somerset were broadly unchanged in 2014/15 compared to the previous year. The latest annual figures published by the Department for Communities and Local Government indicate a total of 433 households accepted as homeless and in priority need during 2014/15, compared to 438 households in 2013/14.

Homelessness rates in 2014/15 were highest in Taunton Deane (2.73 per 1,000 households) and lowest in Sedgemoor (0.89 per 1,000 households). Nationally, the homelessness rate was 2.40 per 1,000 households.

For further details, see: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness

4. Local Health Profiles

Health in Somerset is better than, or not significantly different from, the England average in respect of most of indicators in the latest annual profile from Public Health England (based largely on 2013/14 data)

In particular, the county fares well in terms of: physical activity in adults; prevalence of opiate/crack use; smoking related deaths; and incidence of TB. Somerset appears worse than the England average in terms of: smoking in pregnancy; incidence of malignant melanoma; hospital stays for self-harm; and recorded diabetes. See: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/local-health-profiles/

A separate dedicated Child Health Profile, also from Public Health England, identifies Somerset as performing well in terms of: child poverty; child obesity; healthy birth-weight; breastfeeding initiation; and road casualties. Somerset is identified as worse than average in terms of hospital admissions due to substance misuse, injuries and self-harm. See: www.chimat.org.uk/resource/view.aspx?RID=101746&REGION=101635

5. Child Obesity

Latest small area prevalence data from the National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) indicates wide variations in child obesity across Somerset.

The proportion of Reception Year children (ages 4-5) measured as obese ranges from 15.9% in part of Yeovil (Reckleford area) to 3.4% in Cotford St Luke/Bishops Lydeard (in Taunton Deane). At Year 6 (ages 10-11) proportions of children measured as obese range from 24.6% on the eastern side of Bridgwater to 6.8% in the Comeytrowe area of Taunton.

Data are based on the three-year period 2011/12 to 2013/14 and published at MSOA (Middle-layer Super Output Area) level. For the full dataset, see: www.noo.org.uk/visualisation

6. Adult Social Care Profile

Public Health England’s Adult Social Care Profiles have been rolled out nationally for the first time, bringing together over 90 indicators, structured around the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework.

Indicators for which Somerset appears better than the national benchmark include:

• proportion of people who use services who feel safe
• overall satisfaction with care and support
• adults with learning disabilities in settled accommodation

Indicators for which Somerset appears worse than the national benchmark include:

• prevalence of dementia
• adults in contact with mental health services in settled accommodation
• proportion of people who use services who find it easy to find information about services

For the full profile, see: http://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/adultsocialcare

7. Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE)

Somerset is better than, or similar to, the national average benchmark in terms of the great majority of indicators of alcohol-related harm according to Public Health England’s latest profile. Profiles are available at county and district level.

At a district level:

• Mendip appears worse than the national benchmark for under 18s alcohol-specific hospital admissions
• South Somerset is worse in terms of admission episodes for alcohol-related conditions in females.

Note that numbers of hospital admissions at this level can be relatively small, and rates could be skewed by multiple admissions by a few individuals.

For the full profiles, see: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/local-alcohol-profiles/

8. Monthly Business Bulletin

The number of businesses in Somerset continues to increase according to the latest in a series of new monthly bulletins compiled by Somerset County Council. In June 2015 there were a total of 30,535 businesses in the county, representing an increase of 65 on the previous month.

For the latest bulletin, see: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/business/

9. Volunteering Almanac

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) has published its 2015 UK Civil Society Almanac, including a range of benchmarking data on the scope and income of voluntary organisations. Most data is presented at national or regional level. Findings include:

• The number of voluntary organisations per 1,000 population is higher in all Somerset districts than the England and Wales average.
• Overall 78% of UK charities operate locally, 13% operate nationally, 3% both nationally and overseas and 6% overseas.
• Charities in urban areas overall tend to receive more money. For 2012/13 the average income of charities in rural areas was £116k compared to an average of £400k for charities located in urban areas.

For further details, see: http://data.ncvo.org.uk/category/almanac/voluntary-sector/big-picture/

10. Census 2011: Ethnicity and Country of Birth analysis

Insight into how immigration patterns have influenced trends in ethnicity in the non-UK born population has been published on the Office for National Statistics website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/census/2011-census-analysis/ethnicity-and-religion-of-non-uk-born-population-in-england-and-wales--2011-census/index.html

Around 1 in 3 foreign-born Somerset residents identify themselves as ‘White British’, according to the latest Census results. Nationally, the proportion is 1 in 8.

While some residents will have migrated recently, others will have lived in the UK for many years and gained UK citizenship. Three quarters (75%) of the foreign-born Somerset population who had arrived in the UK prior to 1981 had by the time of the 2011 Census acquired a UK passport.

11. Consultation on the 2021 Census

The next census in England and Wales will be in 2021 and as part of the census research programme the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has launched a public consultation asking users for their views on the topics that the 2021 Census questionnaire might cover.It is acknowledged that as society evolves, so will the information users will want from the census. New topics under consideration include sexual identity and volunteering status. The consultation is open until 27^th August.

See: https://consultations.ons.gov.uk/census/2021-census-topics-consultation

12. What’s New on the Somerset Intelligence website?

The following pages have been updated in the last month:

• Road Traffic statistics: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/road-traffic.html
• Fuel Poverty: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/fuel-poverty.html
• Health Profiles (various): www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/health-profiles/
• Infectious Diseases: www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/infectious-diseases.html
• Sexual Health (Abortions): www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/sexual-health.html#Abortions

The following datasets have been added to INFORM Somerset and can be viewed through interactive maps and charts:

• Crime and ASB statistics 2014/15 and 2013/14 (for Wards and LSOAs): http://informsomerset.org.uk/dataviews/view?viewId=4
• Fuel Poverty 2013 (for 2011 LSOAs): http://informsomerset.org.uk/dataviews/view?viewId=30

13. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

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

• Homelessness prevention and relief, England: financial year ending March 2015 (DCLG)
• Universal Credit: Apr 2013 to Jul 2015 (experimental) (DWP)
• Birth summary tables in England and Wales: 2014 (ONS)
• GP Patient Survey 2014/15 (NHS)
• National Survey of Bereaved People (VOICES), 2014 (ONS/NHS)

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