SINePost newsletter - June 2017

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In this issue ...

1. Care Quality Commission (CQC) interactive map
2. Food Hygiene ratings interactive map
3. Wider Determinants of Health tool
4. Internet User and Non-User estimates
5. Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) estimates
6. Housing Benefit caseload counts
7. Benefit Cap statistics
8. Mortgage and Landlord Possession statistics
9. Traveller Caravan Count
10. What’s New on the Somerset Intelligence website?
11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1. Care Quality Commission ratings (CQC) interactive map

All local CQC regulated settings have been plotted onto an interactive map and analysis tool to support oversight and monitoring of the health and social care market; data is updated on a monthly basis:

www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/care-quality-commission-ratings.html

The resource is being used by Adult Social Care Commissioners and operational staff, as well as colleagues within health services and local care providers as a ‘one stop shop’ to source and explore information and comparative data, and understand the availability and quality of provision within different parts of the county.

It can enable more collaborative, targeted activity around identified areas of weakness across the sector as a whole and actively supports the work of the Care Home Support Team, and Safeguarding and Quality functions within local agencies.

It is hoped the resource can also support interested stakeholders and members of the public in both scrutinising local services and sourcing high quality care provision.

2. Food Hygiene ratings interactive map

A new Somerset Food Hygiene Rating map and dashboard has been developed using data from the Food Standards Agency: 

www.somersetintelligence.org.uk/somerset-food-hygiene-ratings.html 

As of Friday 2nd June over 4,000 locations across Somerset were rated 'Very Good' (a 5 rating) with 49 rated very poorly at 0 or 1.

The business type with the lowest percentage of locations rated 5 (very good) are Takeaway/sandwich shops at 62%. About 90% of all Schools/Colleges, Supermarkets and Hospitals/Childcare/Caring premises have the maximum 5 rating.

Either browse the map or go to the 'Full list of locations' tab and search by name (case sensitive) or filter by certain criteria. If you click on one of the locations on the map you can click a link to get the full rating information on the Food Standards Agency web site. Note: Not all locations are able to be plotted on the map as some do not have location information.

3. Wider Determinants of Health tool

Public Health England has updated its ‘wider determinants of health’ data tool to include new indicators on: density of fast food outlets, air pollution, and economic inactivity. The online tool brings together a wide range of data on individual, social and environmental factors which influence health.

The tool indicates that Somerset has the second lowest rate of fast food outlets in the South West region (after South Gloucestershire), a rate of 60.7 per 100,000 population. Rates of air pollution and economic inactivity are better than the South West (and national) average.

Overall, Somerset appears better than, or in line with, national benchmarks in respect of the majority of indicators, including: children in low income families; young people providing unpaid care; road traffic accidents; and complaints about noise.

Indicators where Somerset appears worse than the national benchmark include fuel poverty; the learning disability employment gap; and utilisation of outdoor space for exercise/health reasons.

See: https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/profile/wider-determinants

4. Internet User and Non-User estimates

Nine out of 10 adults (90.2%) in Somerset have used the internet in the last three months according to latest annual estimates from the Office for National Statistics, based on the period January to March 2017. This compares to 8 out of 10 adults (80.3%) five years earlier.

An estimated 45,000 adults in Somerset have never used the internet or have not used it in the last three months. This represents a decline on the 50,000 ‘non-users’ estimated at the beginning of 2016.

National analysis continues to identify key non-users as people aged 75 or over (of which 52% have never used the internet) and people with a disability (of which 23% have never used the internet).

See: www.ons.gov.uk/businessindustryandtrade/itandinternetindustry/datasets/internetusers 

5. Gross Disposable Household Income (GDHI) estimates

Taunton Deane has the highest average gross disposable household income (GDHI) per head in Somerset (£20,728) according to the Office for National Statistics (for 2015). Annual figures are being published on the Nomis labour market statistics website for the first time: www.nomisweb.co.uk/articles/1030.aspx

Taunton Deane ranks as 111^th of 349 local authorities in England and Wales. Mendip is ranked 139^th (£19,658 per head), West Somerset 169^th (£18,848), South Somerset 176^th (£18,603) and Sedgemoor 211^th (£17,579). The biggest annual increases have been seen in Mendip and West Somerset.

For Somerset as a whole, GDHI per head is £19,079, slightly below regional (£19,128) and national (£19,281) averages.

6. Housing Benefit caseload counts

The number of Housing Benefit claimants in Somerset has fallen to its lowest level since January 2009 in monthly figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP):

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/housing-benefit-caseload-statistics

There were 30,047 claimants in February 2017, down from a peak of 36,622 in January 2013. Declines in Somerset over the last four years mirror a national downward trend.

Just over two-thirds (68%) of Somerset claimants in February 2017 were in the social rented sector, with approximately one-third (32%) in the private rented sector.

A total of 2,090 claimants in the social rented sector received a reduced payment due to the Spare Room Subsidy Reduction (also known as the ‘bedroom tax’). Numbers of households subject to the reduction continue to decline (down 13% year-on-year), linked to downsizing.

7. Benefit Cap statistics

The number of Somerset households affected by the Benefit Cap increased from 86 in November 2016 to 309 in February 2017 according to quarterly figures published by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The increase follows the introduction of lower cap levels in November, and mirrors a national rise.

As at February 2017, South Somerset has the highest number of capped households in Somerset (105), followed by Sedgemoor (82), Mendip (57), Taunton Deane (56) and West Somerset (9).

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/benefit-cap-number-of-households-capped-to-february-2017

8. Mortgage and Landlord Possession statistics

Possession claims issued by landlords in Somerset declined by 10% in 2016/17, while possession claims issued by mortgage lenders fell by 6%, according to annual figures from the Ministry of Justice. During 2016/17 there were 713 claims submitted by landlords to repossess a property and 119 claims submitted by mortgage lenders.

At a district level, the number of landlord possession claims per 100,000 households (for period Jan to Mar 2017) ranged from 97 in Taunton Deane to 70 in West Somerset. The number of possession claims issued by mortgage lenders ranged from 19 per 100,000 in West Somerset, to 8 per 100,000 in South Somerset.

Since the economic recession, overall possession claims issued by mortgage lenders in Somerset have fallen steadily, while possession claims for landlords peaked in 2013/14, before declining.

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/mortgage-and-landlord-possession-statistics-january-to-march-2017

9. Traveller Caravan Count

The number of traveller caravans in Somerset has increased to 571 in the latest six-monthly count published by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), the highest number in any of the last ten counts.

As at January 2017, 72% of traveller caravans were on authorised sites and 28% on unauthorised sites.

More than half (53%) of caravans are located in Mendip, with a further 22% in Taunton Deane.

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/traveller-caravan-count-january-2017

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

Updates in the last month include:

• LGBT (sexual identity estimates): somersetintelligence.org.uk/lgbt/
• Housebuilding: somersetintelligence.org.uk/housing-stock.html
• Social Housing demand: somersetintelligence.org.uk/social-housing-demand.html
• Household poverty: somersetintelligence.org.uk/child-poverty.html

11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

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

• Population estimates for UK, England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland: mid-2016 (ONS)
• Fuel Poverty sub-regional report: 2015 (DBEIS)
• Local authority carbon dioxide emissions: 2015 estimates (DBEIS)
• House price statistics for small areas in England and Wales: year ending Dec 1995 to year ending Dec 2016 (DCLG)
• Statutory homelessness and homelessness prevention and relief, England: January to March 2017 (DCLG)
• Statistics on Women's Smoking Status at Time of Delivery: England - Quarter 4, January 2017 to March 2017 (NHS)
• Local tobacco control profiles for England: June 2017 data update (PHE)