SINePost newsletter - September 2019

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In this issue:

1. Hidden Somerset: Rural Isolation report
2. English Indices of Deprivation 2019 announcement
3. Local Area Migration Indicators
4. Armed Forces Veterans statistics
5. Individual Insolvencies statistics
6. Internet Access Survey
7. Public Health Outcomes Framework changes
8. School Pupil Characteristics
9. Births by Area of Residence statistics
10. Baby Names statistics
11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

1. Hidden Somerset: Rural Isolation report

Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) has published the first in a planned series of ‘Hidden Somerset’ reports, designed to raise awareness of issues affecting people in Somerset and work being done by local charities and groups to tackle some of the challenges:

www.somersetcf.org.uk/special-projects/hidden-somerset-reports

The research highlights that:

• There are a number of hidden needs in Somerset linked to rural isolation including loneliness, poor access to vital services such as GP surgeries, shops and banks, and significant barriers to opportunities for work and learning.
• Lack of access to transport is the most significant issue for all age groups.
• Younger people in rural communities are more likely to be working multiple, seasonal jobs with lower pay which, combined with high housing costs, means home ownership is impossible for many young families.
• Though there have been significant improvements in access to broadband, a lack of digital skills and access to high speed broadband and mobile data are still significant barriers for many.

Further reports, each of which will focus on a different issue, including homelessness and social mobility, are planned to follow later this year and into 2020.

2. English Indices of Deprivation 2019 announcement

An update to the English Indices of Deprivation, including the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), is due to be released on 26^th September. OCSI (Oxford Consultants on Social Inclusion) have been commissioned to update the Indices on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

The Indices of Deprivation provide an official measure of relative deprivation for all small areas (Lower-layer Super Output Areas, LSOAs) in England. The 2019 update will retain and replicate the model of multiple deprivation used in the current (2015) version.

See: https://ocsi.uk/indices-of-deprivation/

3. Local Area Migration Indicators

The Office for National Statistics has published its latest annual dataset bringing together a range of migration-related statistics at local authority level. Figures include estimates of the non-British population, migrant NINo (National Insurance number) registrations and new migrant GP registrations: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/populationandmigration/migrationwithintheuk

Findings include:

• In 2018, there were an estimated 35,000 non-British people living in Somerset.
• An estimated 43,000 residents were born outside the UK.
• In 2018, Somerset West and Taunton district had the highest rate of migrant NINo registrations per head of working-age population (at 9.7 per 1,000). Mendip had the lowest rate (5.7 per 1,000 population).
• There were 3,226 new migrant GP registrations in Somerset in 2017/18, representing a second successive annual decline in numbers.

4. Armed Forces Veterans statistics

As at 31 March 2019, there were 7,404 Somerset residents in receipt of a pension under the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS), an ongoing war pension under the War Pensions Scheme (WPS) and /or compensation under the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS), according to figures from the Ministry of Defence. Of these, 6,903 were veterans.

The data indicates that almost half of veterans live in South Somerset (3,334 veterans), with Taunton Deane the next most common local authority area (1,270 veterans). This is followed by Sedgemoor (986), Mendip (980) and West Somerset (333).

Overall, numbers of Armed Forces pension/compensation recipients living in the county continues to increase marginally year-on-year, with a 0.5% increase between 2018 and 2019.

See: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/location-of-armed-forces-pension-and-compensation-recipients-2019

5. Individual Insolvencies statistics

The number of individual insolvencies in Somerset (people unable to pay debts and entering formal procedures) increased by 14% to 1,213 in 2018, according to figures released by the Insolvency Service. This represented the highest number of insolvencies since 2010. Nationally, there was a 17% increase in insolvencies between 2017 and 2018.

At a ward level, highest rates of individual insolvency in Somerset were in Wellington North (7 per 1,000 adult population), Chard Avishayes (7 per 1,000), Frome Keyford (6 per 1,000) and Wellington East (6 per 1,000).

For the full dataset, see: www.gov.uk/government/statistics/individual-insolvencies-by-ward-england-and-wales-2018

6. Internet Access Survey

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published its latest assessment of household internet access and usage, based on interviews with around 40,000 households nationally:

www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/householdcharacteristics

Findings include:

• 87% of all adults used the internet daily or almost every day in 2019.
• In 2019, 61% of households without the internet did not feel that they needed the internet.
• For the first time, more than half of adults aged 65 years and over shopped online (54%).
• In 2019, 7% of adults suffered fraudulent debit or credit card use from using the internet in the last 12 months.

7. Public Health Outcomes Framework changes

Public Health England has announced changes to its Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) following a consultation earlier this year. Changes will see the addition of 21 new health and well-being indicators and the removal of 17 indicators.

Indicators to be added include those relating to school readiness, maternal obesity, loneliness and child physical activity. Changes are due to be rolled out from November 2019.

Meanwhile, the existing PHOF data tool has been updated with new data on suicide and low birth weight in babies. For Somerset, the suicide rate of 11.8 per 100,000 population in 2016-18 is worse than the national average. Low birth weight of term babies is significantly better than the national average.

See: www.gov.uk/government/consultations/public-health-outcomes-framework-proposed-changes-2019-to-2020

8. School Pupil Characteristics

There are a total of 78,975 school pupils in Somerset attending state-funded and independent schools, according to figures from the Department for Education, based on the January 2019 School Census:

www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2019

The figures indicate that:

• 10.5% of Somerset school pupils (8,273 pupils) attend an independent school, representing the second highest rate in the South West region (after Bath and North East Somerset).
• 13.8% of state-funded primary school pupils and 12.2% of secondary school pupils in Somerset are eligible for and claiming Free School Meals (with both rates below national averages).
• 583 pupils attending a state-funded school in Somerset live in a different local authority area, while 829 pupils live in Somerset but attend a state-funded school in another local authority area.

9. Births by Area of Residence statistics

Yeovil East ward has replaced North Petherton ward as the area with the highest number of births, in annual figures published by the Office for National Statistics. There were 116 live births recorded to mothers resident in Yeovil East in 2018. Conversely, the fewest number of births were in West Quantock ward and in Greater Exmoor ward (3 births each).

Overall, there were 3,175 births to mothers resident in urban wards (a rate of 11.0 per 1,000 population) and 2,049 births to mothers living in rural wards (7.7 per 1,000 population).

Information is based on pre-2019 ward boundaries.

For the full dataset, see: www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/construct/summary.asp?mode=construct&version=0&dataset=206

10. Baby Names statistics

Olivia and Amelia were the most common names given to baby girls in Somerset in 2018, while Harry and Arthur were top for boys, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.

At a district level, Ruby and Charlie were most common in Mendip; Florence and Harry in Sedgemoor; Ella and Harry in South Somerset; while Amelia, Olivia, Florence, Harry and Leo were joint top in Somerset West and Taunton.

Nationally, there continues to be an increase in the diversification of baby names. In 2018, less than half (45%) of babies had a name within the ‘top 100 list’, down from two-thirds (67%) in 1996.

See: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/livebirths

11. Forthcoming Statistical Releases

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

• English Indices of Deprivation 2019 (MHCLG)
• Council tax: stock of properties, 2019 (VOA)
• House price statistics for small areas in England and Wales: year ending March 2018 (ONS)
• Statutory homelessness in England: January to March 2019 (MHCLG)
• National Insurance numbers allocated to adult overseas nationals to June 2019 (DWP)
• Suicide prevention profile: September 2019 update (PHE)
• Local tobacco control profiles for England: September 2019 update (PHE)