SINePost newsletter - October 2015

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In this issue ...

1.  English Indices of Deprivation
2.  Measuring Personal Well-being
3.  Health Expectancies for small areas
4.  Carer’s Survey results
5.  Birth Characteristics
6.  Child Poverty proxy measure
7.  Heritage Index
8.  Business Register and Employment Survey
9.  Annual Bus Statistics
10. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1. English Indices of Deprivation

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has published updated English Indices of Deprivation, the official measure of relative deprivation for small areas (LSOAs) in England. This represents the first update to the indices since 2010.

The 2015 version uses 37 indicators, organised across seven ‘domains’ of deprivation, which are combined to form the overall Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Headline findings from IMD 2015 include:

• Of the 327 LSOAs in Somerset, 25 are within the most deprived 20% nationally, up from 14 LSOAs at the time of IMD 2010. Sedgemoor has the highest number of LSOAs in this category (11), followed by South Somerset (7), Taunton Deane (5) and Mendip (2). These LSOAs have a combined population of around 37,900.
• Nine Somerset LSOAs are now amongst the most deprived 10% nationally, up from five in IMD 2010. These are in parts of Taunton, Bridgwater, Yeovil, Highbridge and Glastonbury. The combined population of these areas is approximately 13,900.
• Two Somerset LSOAs are amongst the most deprived 5% nationally (the same number as in IMD 2010). These are in the Taunton Halcon/Lambrook area, and have a combined population of around 3,100.

We will publish more detailed local analysis on the Somerset Intelligence website over the coming days. The full national dataset is available at: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/english-indices-of-deprivation-2015

2. Measuring Personal Well-being

Overall levels of personal well-being in Somerset have improved in the last year according to the latest results from the Measuring National Well-being programme: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/wellbeing/measuring-national-well-being/personal-well-being-in-the-uk--2014-15/index.html

In 2014/15 average levels of (self-reported) ‘happiness’, ‘life satisfaction’ and ‘worthwhile’ all improved compared with 2013/14 figures, although levels of ‘anxiety’ also increased. Somerset continues to be better than the national average in terms of all four measures of personal well-being.

At a district level, West Somerset is ranked 4^th highest in the UK in terms of its ‘happiness’ measure.

This year’s data release included a focus on links between housing tenure and personal well-being, with analysis indicating that owner-occupiers have significantly higher well-being than those living in rented (or paid part rent/part mortgage) households across the four measures of personal well-being.

3. Health Expectancies for small areas

Somerset residents can expect to live a greater proportion of their lives in ‘good’ health than the national average according to health expectancies at birth figures published by the Office for National Statistics (for 2009-13): http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/re-reference-tables.html?edition=tcm%3A77-413303

For males in Somerset, the estimated proportion of life spent in ‘good’ health is 81.7% (compared to 80.2% nationally). For females, the estimated proportion of life spent in ‘good’ health is 79.9% (compared to 78.1% nationally).

The figures indicate wide variations at a local (MSOA) level:

• For males in Somerset, the proportion of life in spent in ‘good’ health ranges from 74.0% in the Sydenham area of Bridgwater to 86.5% in the Wedmore area of the Somerset Levels and Moors.
• For females in Somerset, the proportion of life spent in ‘good’ health ranges from 72.6% in the Priorswood area of Taunton to 84.2% in the Pilton area of Mendip.

4. Carer’s Survey results

Around one in eight adult carers in Somerset feel they neglect their own needs due to their caring responsibilities, according to the latest national survey of carers from the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). The biennial survey covers informal, unpaid carers aged 18 or over, caring for a person aged 18 or over: www.hscic.gov.uk/article/2021/Website-Search?productid=18781&q=personal+social+services&sort=Relevance&size=10&page=1&area=both#top

There were approximately 330 respondents to the 2014/15 survey from Somerset. Additional findings included:

• 44% of respondents reported that they spend 100 hours or more per week looking after or helping the person they care for.
• When considering how much time they have to look after themselves, in terms of getting enough sleep or eating well, 62% reported that they ‘look after themselves’, while 26% of respondents reported that ‘sometimes I can’t look after myself well enough’.

5. Birth Characteristics

Women in Somerset have babies earlier on average than their national and regional counterparts according to latest (2014) figures from the Office for National Statistics. Nationally and in the South West as a whole the birth rate is highest in the 30 to 34 age group while in Somerset the highest birth rate is in the 25 to 29 age group.

Meanwhile, the proportion of births outside marriage (or civil partnership) in Somerset continues to be well above the England average (52.1% compared with 46.9%).

See: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/births-by-area-of-usual-residence-of-mother--england-and-wales/2014/index.html

6. Child Poverty proxy measure

The proportion of children living in out-of-work benefit households has fallen in all Somerset districts according to figures produced by the Child Poverty Unit (and published by the Department for Work and Pensions): www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-in-out-of-work-benefit-households-2014-snapshot

As at May 2014, the proportion of children living in families in receipt of out-of-work benefits ranged from 10.9% in Mendip to 15.6% in Sedgemoor. The South West regional average was 13.3%.

7. Heritage Index

A new Heritage Index, developed by the RSA and Heritage Lottery Fund, brings together over 100 indicators to rank local authority areas in terms of their heritage ‘vitality’. Underlying data includes heritage assets, numbers local heritage events, visitor numbers and volunteering rates:

www.thersa.org/action-and-research/rsa-projects/public-services-and-communities-folder/heritage-and-place/England/

Within Somerset, West Somerset district scores particularly highly, ranked within the top 3% of local authorities nationally in terms of its heritage vitality. Sedgemoor is ranked next highest (top 24% nationally), followed by Mendip (top 33%), South Somerset (bottom 50%) and Taunton Deane (bottom 42%).

By inference, Taunton Deane scores highest in Somerset in terms of its ‘potential for more heritage activity’.

8. Business Register and Employment Survey

There are a total of 177,000 private sector employees and 36,900 public sector employees in Somerset according to provisional figures from the ONS Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES).

The number of private sector employees increased by approximately 6,700 between 2013 and 2014, while the number of public sector employees declined by 3,400. Somerset currently has the same ratio of private to public sector workers as the South West regional average.

In terms of working patterns, numbers of full-time employees in Somerset increased by 4,300 in 2014, while numbers of part-time employees declined by around 1,000.

See: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/bus-register/business-register-employment-survey/2014-provisional/index.html

9. Annual Bus Statistics

The number of passenger journeys on local bus services in Somerset increased for the second year running in 2014/15 according to Department for Transport figures. There were an estimated 8.9 million passenger journeys in the county during 2014/15, up from 8.1 million in 2012/13.

At 16.4 journeys per head of population, Somerset continues to have the lowest rate of bus passenger journeys in the South West region, and the ninth lowest rate in England as a whole.

For the full dataset, see: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/annual-bus-statistics-year-ending-march-2015

10. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

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

• Small Area Model-Based Income Estimates 2011 to 2012 (ONS)
• Civil Partnership statistics in England and Wales 2014 (ONS)
• Fly-tipping statistics for England 2014 to 2015 (Defra)
• Local authority green belt statistics for England: 2014 to 2015 (DCLG)
• Crime in England and Wales: year ending June 2015 (ONS)
• Hate Crimes, England and Wales, 2014 to 2015 (Home Office)
• Blue Badge scheme statistics 2015 (DfT)

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