Poverty in Doncaster
Data Update
June 2016
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Contents Section 1: Introduction ...... 4 Executive Summary ...... 5 Section 2: Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2015 ...... 7 Doncaster IMD 2015 Rank out of 326 Local Authorities ...... 10 Change ...... 11 2015 Most Deprived ...... 11 IMD: - Areas Declining ...... 12 IMD: - Areas Improving ...... 13 2015 Most Income Deprived ...... 14 Income: - Areas Declining ...... 15 Income: - Areas Improving ...... 16 2015 Most Employment Deprived Areas in Doncaster ...... 17 Employment: - Areas Declining ...... 18 Employment: - Areas Improving ...... 19 2015 Most Health Deprived Areas in Doncaster ...... 20 Health: - Areas Declining ...... 21 Health: - Areas Improving ...... 22 2015 Most Education Skills and Training Deprived Areas in Doncaster ...... 23 EST: - Areas Declining ...... 24 EST: - Areas Improving ...... 25 Section 3: Actions to Tackle Poverty ...... 26 Awareness of benefits delays, sanctions and their impact ...... 26 Information and Advice ...... 26 Increasing tenancy sustainability in social housing ...... 26 Fuel Poverty Workshops ...... 26 Early Help Strategy ...... 27 Food Bank Forum and Food Bank Champions ...... 27 Local Assistance Scheme ...... 27 Sharing information ...... 28 World of Work Academy ...... 28 Well North, Well Doncaster ...... 28 2
Stronger Families Extended Programme ...... 28 Universal Credit ...... 29 Housing Benefit & Council Tax Support ...... 29 Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme ...... 30 Discretionary Housing Payments ...... 31 Free School Meals ...... 32 Pupil Premium ...... 33 Benefit Sanctions ...... 34 Benefit Cap ...... 34 Under Occupancy Reductions to Housing Benefit ...... 35 Welfare Reform Support Fund ...... 36 Section 4: Employment, Education & Training ...... 38 Employment Rates ...... 38 Unemployment Rate ...... 38 Key Out of Work Benefits ...... 39 Jobseekers Allowance ...... 40 Universal Credit ...... 41 Employment Support Allowance ...... 41 Tax Credits ...... 42 Qualifications ...... 43 Apprenticeships ...... 45
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Section 1: Introduction
The Team Doncaster Strategic Partnership Board members have signed an Anti- Poverty Strategy Statement to demonstrate their commitment in working collectively to tackle the complex causes and effects of poverty on people’s lives. They have agreed to share expertise and adapt activities to promote social and financial inclusion, and to reduce the impact of poverty.
The Anti-Poverty Strategy Group’s role is to increase awareness of poverty issues across the partnership, identify gaps in provision and to develop actions to meet them. It acts in an advisory capacity: providing advice, guidance and support to Anti- Poverty Strategy partners and participatory bodies; and acts as an interface between all partners. Each member organisation has its own remit and can contribute to tackling poverty issues.
The inter-relationships across many parts of people’s lives mean that poverty is a complex problem; there are no easy fixes. A number of strategies and interventions are in place, that are effective in supporting individuals and families. However, they are fragmented and need more co-ordination to give a strategic and joined up approach to alleviating the causes and effects of poverty. By embedding an Anti- Poverty approach in other strategies and partnership plans, the Anti-Poverty agenda will be focused and delivered.
This document supports the Anti-Poverty Summit in June 2016. It provides the latest data on key poverty issues within Doncaster, an update on some of the actions that have been taken or gaps that need to be addressed.
The key themes are: Financial Exclusion - Increasing income and access to affordable credit; Employment, Education & Training - Improving access to work; Health & Wellbeing – Reducing health inequalities related to poverty; Housing – Improving access to suitable and affordable quality accommodation; Communities – Supporting families and improving access to information and advice, services and amenities.
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Executive Summary
Doncaster has improved from 39th to 48th most deprived District in England.
It is also the 2nd most deprived district in South Yorkshire and The Sheffield City Region behind Barnsley
The highest deprivation is amongst Employment, Education, Skills and Training, with Health and Disability, Income and Crime following closely behind. All in the top 50 overall deprivation figures.
1 in 5 of the Lower Super Output Areas in Doncaster are the most deprived 10% Nationally. Denaby Main, Mexborough, Conisbrough, Hexthorpe & St Sepulchregate West and Balby Bridge are highlighted in the top 10 most deprived areas of Doncaster.
Denaby Main has deprivation issues in all categories Mexborough has deprivation issues in all categories Conisbrough has deprivation issues in Education Skills and Training Hexthorpe & St Sepulchregate West has deprivation issues in Employment Balby Bridge has deprivation issues in all categories.
The areas seeing the highest rate of decline from previous years are Hexthorpe & St Sepulchregate West, Moss and Kirk Bramwith, Edlington Central, Bently Church Street and Mexborough Main Street.
The areas with the highest rate of improvement from previous years are New Rossington South, Edlington Broomhouse Lane, Town Centre Chequer Road, Balby Carr Bank and Woodlands Crescent
The actions taken to tackle poverty in Doncaster include:
Raising awareness of benefits delays, sanctions and their impact Information and Advice Increasing Tenancy Sustainability in Social Housing Fuel Poverty workshops Early Help Strategy Food Bank Forum and Food Bank Champions Local Assistance Scheme Information Sharing World of Work Academy Well North, Well Doncaster Stronger Families Extended Programme Discretionary Housing Payments Welfare Reform Support Fund 5
Education and Training
Qualified residents to level 2, 3 or higher are below regional and national averages
Doncaster has a lower rate of young people accessing higher education than national, regional and comparator averages.
Improvements include:
Unemployment rates have continued to decrease across Doncaster, but it is still higher than England, Yorkshire and Humber Region, CIPFA neighbours and Sheffield City Region figures.
Key out of work benefits claimants have continued to decline along with Job Seeker Allowance claimants.
Apprenticeships are up initially but are maintaining a slight decline in achievements from previous years. (start-ups are high but drop offs are also high)
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Section 2: Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2015
The Indices of Deprivation 2015 provide a set of relative measures of deprivation for small areas (Lower-layer Super Output Areas) across England, based on seven different domains of deprivation:
Income Deprivation Employment Deprivation Education, Skills and Training Deprivation Health Deprivation and Disability Crime Barriers to Housing and Services Living Environment Deprivation
Each of these domains is based on a basket of indicators. Combining information from the seven domains produces an overall relative measure of deprivation, the Index of Multiple Deprivation. In addition to the seven domain-level indices, there are two supplementary indices: the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) and the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI).
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Figure 1 - Domains and indicators in the Indices of Deprivation 2015
The percentages reported in each domain box show the weight the domain receives in the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) 2015.
Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2015 – Technical Report
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This section of the report provides an overview of Doncaster as described through the current Indices of Deprivation. The following section will then focus on the changes that have occurred between the 2010 and 2015 Indices of Deprivation, including four of the domains that have more weight attached. These are Income, Employment, Health and Education, making up 72% of the overall score.
Doncaster’s current position:- Doncaster is the 48th most deprived district in England (a slight improvement from 39th most deprived in 2010) 4th most deprived district in the Yorkshire and Humber Region (behind Kingston upon Hull, Bradford and Barnsley) 2nd most deprived district in South Yorkshire and the Sheffield City Region behind Barnsley.
1 in 5 of Lower-layer Super Output Areas in Doncaster is in the most deprived 10% nationally.
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Doncaster IMD 2015 Rank out of 326 Local Authorities
Overall deprivation 48 This table shows Doncaster’s Employment 29 rank in each of the IMD domains. This ranges from Education, skills & training 34 29th worst (out of 326 local Health & disability 44 authorities) for Employment, to 306th worst (out of 326 local Income 47 authorities) for Barriers to Housing & Services Crime 47
Living environment 138
Barriers to Housing & Services 306
Similar to previous deprivation assessments, there are two parts of Doncaster that continue to show high concentrations of deprivation with both being in the top 200 most deprived areas nationally, these areas are Denaby Main and Balby Bridge. Mexborough and Conisbrough are in decline and are highlighted in the top 10 most deprived areas of Doncaster.
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Change
There are a number of methodological issues that need to be considered in comparing the 2010 and 2015 datasets. Firstly, the Indicators, the individual datasets that make up the seven domains, have changed. Further details of these changes are included as Appendix A. Secondly, following the 2011 Census an LSOA in the centre of Doncaster was split into 2, this means there is no consistent point of comparison, this issue means that there is an area at the centre of the comparison maps which is unshaded.
Overall Deprivation
2015 Most Deprived The following table ranks the most Deprived LSOAs in Doncaster by their respective IMD scores for both the 2010 and 2015 Indices of Deprivation. The table shows the movement there has been between 2010 and 2015.
LSOA 2010 Doncaster 2015 Doncaster Rank (1 most Rank (1 most Deprived – 192 Deprived – 194 Least Deprived) Least Deprived)
Balby Bridge 2 1
Denaby Main 1 2
Mexborough Main Street 7 3
Mexborough Windhill 3 4
Mexborough Adwick Road North 10 5
Hexthorpe and St Sepulchregate West 28 6
Stainforth South 5 7
Old Denaby 8 8
Conisbrough North 14 9
Lower Wheatley North Bridge 25 10
A number of areas have become more deprived since 2010 and have stepped into the top 10 most deprived areas of Doncaster, noticeably Mexborough, Conisbrough and Denaby Main which are close neighbours. Sharp changes have also taken place in Hexthorpe and St SepulchreGate West, and Lower Wheatley North Bridge. Initiatives to improve Denaby Main and Mexborough Windhill have taken place in recent years contributing to its slightly improved ranking.
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The following map shows how the Indices of Multiple Deprivation score has changed across Doncaster.
IMD: - Areas Declining
The areas in Doncaster which are significantly more deprived (as measured by the change in the Index of Multiple Deprivation score between 2010 and 2015) are listed below:-
LSOA 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
Hexthorpe & St Sepulchre Gate West 28 6
Moss and Kirk Bramwith 106 75
Edlington Central 53 34
Bentley Church Street 118 88
Mexborough Main Street 7 3
Hexthorpe & St Sepulchre Gate West has fallen from 28th to 6th most deprived LSOA in Doncaster. Mexborough Main Street has fallen from 7th to 3rd most deprived LSOA in Doncaster. These LSOA’s are now in Doncaster’s 10 most deprived areas.
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IMD: - Areas Improving
The areas in Doncaster have seen the most significant improvements in terms of Deprivation (as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation) are listed below:
LSOA 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
New Rossington South 6 35
Edlington Broomhouse Lane 32 56
Town Centre Chequer Road 4 17
Balby Carr Bank 9 28
Woodlands Crescent 11 31
Perhaps most notable here are New Rossington South, Town Centre Chequer Road and Balby Carr Bank which were all in the top 10 most deprived LSOAs in Doncaster in 2010, all of which have become significantly less deprived by 2015.
Improvements in Edlington could be contributed to the reliance on local business Polypipe to the Building Industry. As there is more of a demand for new housing and business construction then there is increased demand for labour at the Polypipe site which is the largest employer in Edlington.
Town Centre Chequer Road improvements could be attributed to the new Civic and Cultural Quarter offices, Cast Theatre and new Housing
Balby Carr Bank has seen new businesses come in such as Morrisons, Amazon and Victoria Plumb.
Improvements to the Redhouse Interchange could have impacted on Woodlands Crescent ranking.
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Income Deprivation
The Income Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the population in an area experiencing deprivation relating to low income. The definition of low income used includes both those people that are out-of-work, and those that are in work but who have low earnings (and who satisfy the respective means tests).
2015 Most Income Deprived
The following table ranks all the LSOAs in Doncaster by their respective Income Deprivation score for both the 2010 and 2015 Indices of Deprivation. The table shows the movement there has been between 2010 and 2015 in the most deprived parts of Doncaster.
LSOA 2010 Doncaster 2015 Doncaster Rank (1 most Rank (1 most Deprived – 192 Deprived – 194 Least Deprived) Least Deprived)
Balby Bridge 2 1
Denaby Main 1 2
Mexborough Windhill 3 3
Mexborough Main Street 12 4
Balby St Peters Road 5 5
4 of the 5 LSOAs in the top 5 in 2010 for Income Deprivation remain in the top 5 in 2015 (though the positions are different). Mexborough Main Street has fallen into the top 5 in 2015 from 12th position in 2010.
Targeted Skills and Employment training would be beneficial in these areas.
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The following map shows how the Indices of Multiple Deprivation score has changed across Doncaster.
Income: - Areas Declining
The areas in Doncaster which have seen the most significant increases in Income Deprivation (as measured by the Income Deprivation Domain) are listed below:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
Edlington Central 59 30
Woodlands Redhouse Interchange 89 72
Hyde Park Stirling Street 41 27
York Road 70 52
Bentley Rise North 77 61
The areas which have seen the biggest increases in Income Deprivation are not the most deprived LSOAs in Doncaster; they are ranged between 30th and 72nd – out of 194. One possible explanation is that change in Income Deprivation shows areas in transition (where people are moving from employment based incomes to welfare support), it will not highlight areas where welfare support has been consistently high. 15
Income: - Areas Improving
The areas in Doncaster which have seen the biggest decreases in Income Deprivation are detailed in the following table:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
New Rossington South 4 17
Denaby Main 1 2
Cantley Church Lane 48 86
Wheatley Park Central 21 44
Balby Carr Bank 12 39
Notable LSOAs here are New Rossington South, which in 2010 was ranked as the 4th most Income Deprived area of Doncaster, in 2015 the area’s ranking had improved to 17th, and Denaby Main, which was the most Income Deprived LSOA in Doncaster in 2010, in 2015 this LSOA saw the second largest improvement in Income Deprivation, though this improvement only moved the LSOA to 2nd most Income Deprived LSOA in 2015.
Wheatley Park Central has seen new businesses introduced including Marks and Spencer’s and Next contributing to its improved ranking.
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Employment Deprivation
The Employment Deprivation Domain measures the proportion of the working-age population in an area involuntarily excluded from the labour market. This includes people who would like to work but are unable to do so due to unemployment, sickness or disability, or caring responsibilities.
2015 Most Employment Deprived Areas in Doncaster
The following table ranks all the LSOAs in Doncaster by their respective Employment Deprivation scores for both the 2010 and 2015 Indices of Deprivation. The table shows the movement there has been between 2010 and 2015 in the most deprived parts of Doncaster.
LSOA 2010 Doncaster 2015 Doncaster Rank (1 most Rank (1 most Deprived – 192 Deprived – 194 Least Deprived Least Deprived
Balby Bridge 1 1
Denaby Main 2 2
Mexborough Windhill 3 3
Hexthorpe & St Sepulchre Gate West 32 4
Mexborough Main Street 14 5
The top three LSOAs in terms of Employment Deprivation have remained unchanged between 2010 and 2015, perhaps suggesting an entrenched worklessness issue in these areas. Hexthorpe & St Sepulchre Gate West and Mexborough Main Street have dropped into the top 5 LSOAs for Employment Deprivation; possible explanations for this could be the loss of a key employer in these local labour markets or changes in population due to migration, between the publication of the 2010 and 2015 Indices of Deprivation.
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The following map shows how Employment Deprivation has changed across Doncaster.
Employment: - Areas Declining
The areas in Doncaster which have seen the most significant increases in Employment Deprivation (as measured by the Employment Deprivation Domain) are listed below:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
Hexthorpe & St Sepulchre Gate West 32 4
Moorends South 60 28
Mexborough Main Street 14 5
Hyde Park Stirling Street 36 19
Edlington Central 54 30
The areas which have seen the biggest increases in Employment Deprivation are some of the most Employment deprived LSOAs in Doncaster; they include Hexthorpe & St Sepulchre Gate West and Mexborough Main Street which are ranked 4th and 5th for Employment Deprivation respectively.
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Employment: - Areas Improving
The areas in Doncaster which have seen the biggest decreases in Employment Deprivation are detailed in the following table:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
Town Centre Chequer Road 4 37
Cantley Church Lane 72 110
Armthorpe South 81 118
Hatfield High Street 133 172
Edlington Broomhouse Lane 36 72
Notable LSOAs here are Town Centre Chequer Road, which in 2010 was ranked as the 4th most Employment Deprived area of Doncaster, in 2015 the area’s ranking had improved to 37th and Edlington Broomhouse Lane, which in 2010 was ranked as Doncaster’s 36th most Employment Deprived LSOA, in 2015 the area’s ranking had improved to 72nd. Area improvements, particularly Town Centre Chequer Road, are probably being driven by significant new employment opportunities and new housing.
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Health Deprivation
The Health Deprivation and Disability Domain measures the risk of premature death and the impairment of quality of life through poor physical or mental health. The domain measures morbidity, disability and premature mortality but not aspects of behaviour or environment that may be predictive of future health deprivation.
2015 Most Health Deprived Areas in Doncaster
The following table ranks all the LSOAs in Doncaster by their respective Health Deprivation scores for both the 2010 and 2015 Indices of Deprivation. The table shows the movement there has been between 2010 and 2015 in the most deprived parts of Doncaster.
LSOA 2010 Doncaster 2015 Doncaster Rank (1 most Rank (1 most Deprived – 192 Deprived – 194 Least Deprived Least Deprived
Denaby Main 1 1
Balby Bridge 2 2
Old Denaby 4 3
Mexborough Windhill 5 4
Mexborough Highwoods 10 5
Four of the top five LSOAs in terms of Health Deprivation in 2010 have remained in the top 5 LSOAs in 2015, perhaps hinting at the long-term nature of the health issues in these areas. Mexborough Highwood is the only area which has fallen in to the top 5, down from 10th in 2010.
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The following map shows how Health Deprivation has changed across Doncaster.
Health: - Areas Declining The areas in Doncaster which have seen the most significant increases in Health Deprivation (as measured by the Health Deprivation Domain) are listed below:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
New Rossington Allenby Crescent 78 20
Bentley Church Street 113 53
Balby Cedar Road 150 92
Bessacarr Willow School 186 146
Carcroft East 108 58
New Rossington Allenby Crescent is the only LSOA to have both a large increase in Health Deprivation and to have a high absolute level of health deprivation – it is Doncaster’s 20th most Health Deprived LSOA, i.e. the area isn’t very healthy and is getting unhealthier.
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Health: - Areas Improving
The areas in Doncaster which have seen the biggest decreases in Health Deprivation are detailed in the following table:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
Town Centre Chequer Road 6 68
Balby Carr Bank 8 52
Wheatley Hills Central 131 180
Lower Wheatley Highfield Road 9 40
Skellow West 135 178
Notable LSOAs here are Town Centre Chequer Road, Balby Carr Bank and Lower Wheatley Highfield Road, all of which were in Doncaster’s top 10 Health Deprived LSOAs in 2010; by 2015 all these areas had significantly improved. As mentioned in the section above Town Centre Chequer Road also saw significant improvements in the Employment Deprivation score.
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Education, Skills & Training Deprivation
The Education, Skills and Training (EST) Domain measures the lack of attainment and skills in the local population. The indicators fall into two sub-domains: one relating to children and young people and one relating to adult skills. These two sub- domains are designed to reflect the ‘flow’ and ‘stock’ of educational disadvantage within an area respectively. That is, the ‘children and young people’ sub-domain measures the attainment of qualifications and associated measures (‘flow’), while the ‘skills’ sub-domain measures the lack of qualifications in the resident working-age adult population (‘stock’).
2015 Most Education Skills and Training Deprived Areas in Doncaster
The following table ranks all the LSOAs in Doncaster by their respective Education, Skills and Training (EST) Deprivation scores for both the 2010 and 2015 Indices of Deprivation. The table shows the movement there has been between 2010 and 2015 in the most deprived parts of Doncaster.
LSOA 2010 Doncaster 2015 Doncaster Rank (1 most Rank (1 most Deprived – 192 Deprived – 194 Least Deprived) Least Deprived)
Denaby Main 3 1
Stainforth South 2 2
Mexborough Windhill 8 3
Balby Bridge 45 4
Dunscroft Station Road 17 5
Both Denaby Main and Stainforth South were in the top five LSOAs in terms of EST Deprivation in 2010 and have remained in the top 5 LSOAs in 2015. Balby Bridge has fallen from 45th most deprived LSOA in 2010 to 4th in 2015.
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The following map shows how EST Deprivation has changed across Doncaster.
EST: - Areas Declining The areas in Doncaster which have seen the most significant increases in EST Deprivation (as measured by the Education, Skills and Training Deprivation Domain) are listed below:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
Armthorpe Central South 75 14
Balby Carr Bank 54 7
Town Centre Chequer Road 76 34
Balby Bridge 45 4
Burghwallis 120 75
Both Balby Carr Bank and Balby Bridge have fallen into the top 10 most deprived LSOAs from 54th and 45th positions in 2010. The other areas, whilst having significant increases in Education, Skills and Training Deprivation, don’t have high absolute levels of EST deprivation relative to other LSOAs in Doncaster.
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EST: - Areas Improving
The areas in Doncaster which have seen the biggest decreases in EST Deprivation are detailed in the following table:-
Area 2010 2015 Doncaster Doncaster Rank Rank
Stainforth West 1 24
New Rossington Great Wood 16 64
Skellow Laurel Terrace 12 47
New Rossington Allenby Crescent 40 78
Conisbrough South 24 53
Perhaps most notable here is Stainforth West, which in 2010 was ranked as the most deprived LSOA in Doncaster for Education, Skills and Training, in 2015 Stainforth West was ranked as 24th most deprived LSOA.
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Section 3: Actions to Tackle Poverty
Doncaster has worked in partnership to tackle some of the poverty issues across Doncaster through task and finish groups aimed at Housing, Employment, Education and Training, Financial Exclusion, Health and Wellbeing and Communities. Initiatives include:
Awareness of benefits delays, sanctions and their impact Training has been provided for front line staff and volunteers, to give an understanding of the reasons for benefit sanctions and to help prevent clients from being sanctioned.
Information and Advice A directory of advice and support services has been developed to assist with sign posting, referral support and raising awareness of available services, help and support.
It includes information on services providing advice and information on Financial exclusion Employment, Education & Training Housing providers
Increasing tenancy sustainability in social housing New St Leger Homes tenants have an affordability assessment at the tenancy pre offer stage. High risk tenants or those who require further financial advice or assistance are referred to the Citizens Advice Bureau. St Leger Homes are also working with Credit Unions to provide budget accounts for tenants.
St Leger Homes have started a project with Experian to share data on tenants to assist them develop and improve their credit rating. St Leger Homes are also seeking to purchase financial data on tenants, to overlay with other customer insight data, to identify high risk tenants. Tenancy Sustainability Officers can then be targeted at those who need help and support.
Gas operatives are asking tenants about their situation and promoting the World of Work Academy when visiting. Information on the use of pre-pay meters and the reasons for unemployment is used to offer tenants help with fuel tariffs and other financial assistance.
An increase in the number of properties managed through St Leger Homes Social Lettings Agency allows tenants to live in affordable rent properties.
Fuel Poverty Workshops The Council’s Winter Warmth team provides training to volunteers and front line workers to increase awareness of the effects of fuel poverty and the best methods of referral to support the most at risk. 26
Early Help Strategy The Council’s Children’s Services Early Help Strategy has incorporated an Anti- Poverty Approach. This Strategy contributes to the delivery of a new Doncaster Children and Young People’s plan which contains a clear commitment to address inequalities, including those caused by Poverty.
Identified Outcomes for children and young people contained within the plan include: Reducing the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children and young people Children and young people reaching their full potential
The Children and Young People’s Partnership Board will measure the effectiveness of the implementation of the plan via a range of measures including educational attainment and implementation of the Early Help Strategy.
Food Bank Forum and Food Bank Champions A Food Bank Forum supports and develops existing and new Food Banks in Doncaster. It helps Food Bank organisations to incorporate advice services, signposting and information provision to help service users. The Forum is rolling out improved data reporting formats which are identifying the reasons for, and the number of regular, users.
Food Banks are evolving into community hubs providing additional service to address social isolation which promotes health and wellbeing at a local level. The reasons for people needing to access and use Food Banks are varied and complex, but all are vulnerable members of the community. One of the main problems Food Banks have is funding. By identifying the level of demand for Food Banks across Doncaster, the Forum may be able to source additional resources or funding in the form of small grants to help new Food Banks set up and others with their operational and development costs.
St Leger Homes have ‘Food Bank Champions’; through Team Doncaster Strategic Partnership this has been adopted as ‘best practice’ by South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service.
Local Assistance Scheme The Local Assistance Scheme replaced the Department of Work & Pensions regulated Social Fund crisis loans and community care grants in April 2013. It aims to help the most vulnerable residents, who meet the eligibility criteria, cope with special difficulties, such as disasters, emergencies or exceptional pressures. Applications are rated according to a scoring system. In most cases support is given in the form of household goods, such as white goods, furniture, beds and bedding. Only one award is allowed per year.
The scheme has a budget of £300,000 for 2016/17. A significant number of applicants in 2015/16 were refused - 1429. Of these 73 were refused due to the applicant having a previously paid application within the last 12 month period. It is not clear what, if any, alternative support they received. 27
Sharing information New, wider discretionary powers under the Welfare Reform Act has enabled data sharing between the Council’s Benefit section, St Leger Homes, Housing Options and the Stronger Families programme. This has enabled profiling of households likely to be affected by welfare reform changes, such as the benefit cap, and the provision of targeted support to them.
World of Work Academy Nationally, around 60% of those living in social housing are unemployed. St Leger Homes World of Work (WOW) Academy is an innovative project which supports tenants who have been unemployed for six months or more, and their families, into education, training and employment. It is run in partnership with local employers, social enterprises, Doncaster College and Jobcentre Plus.
The project provides: Work placements at St Leger Homes and with local companies Workplace training Apprenticeships Access to NVQ courses in subjects including Customer Service, Manual Handling and Food Hygiene.
To the end of March 2016 11 Academies Held 81 trainees have completed the course 51 trainees have found employment 5370 Learning Hours undertaken 235 Qualifications gained
Well North, Well Doncaster Well Doncaster is geographically focused on Denaby Main. It aims to reduce health inequalities, increase individual and community resilience and decrease rates of worklessness. Elements of this work will help to alleviate poverty and includes: raising people’s aspiration; training and supporting people into work; engaging local employers to broker volunteer and apprentice opportunities; supporting local people to create new businesses.
Stronger Families Extended Programme Since Doncaster’s Stronger Families Programme was introduced in April 2012, it has made a vast difference to families who often had a long history of being in and out of services. Families have been supported to gain employment, improve school attendance or stop any involvement in crime or ASB. However these are often symptoms of root causes such as poverty, mental health or emotional wellbeing issues, and vulnerability. Families are encouraged to tackle the root causes of the issues, as well as the symptoms, and be full partners in the process. Families feel listened to, are active in their improvement and build resilience for the future.
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The programme’s success led to Doncaster being invited to participate in the Expanded Troubled Families Programme, running to March 2020. One of the Programme’s headline family issues (determined by Government) that it will address is: Adults out of work or at risk of financial exclusion or young people at risk of worklessness.
Universal Credit Universal Credit was introduced in Doncaster, for single working age claimants, on 28th September 2015. It replaces the following benefits and credits:
Income Support Employment and Support Allowance (income related) Jobseekers Allowance (income based) Child Tax Credit Working Tax Credit Housing Benefit
The Council worked with Department of Work & Pensions colleagues at Jobcentre Plus, St Leger Homes and partners in the Financial Inclusion Group, from voluntary and community sector organisations, to prepare for Universal Credit and provide support on the transition for claimants. Existing partnerships have been strengthened and new ones built, identifying resource opportunities and sharing good practice.
Housing Benefit & Council Tax Support Housing Benefit, Local Council Tax Support and other council tax discounts and reliefs form a major pillar of support from the public purse to those on low incomes in Doncaster. It is a vital form of financial help for some of the most vulnerable members of the community.
In 2015/16 the Revenues and Benefits team awarded a total of £127.5 million: £93 million Housing Benefit £19.9 million Local Council Tax Support £12.3 million Single Person and one regarded council tax discounts £1.6 million other Council Tax exemptions, discounts and reliefs £707,148 in Discretionary Housing Payments
Improvements have been made to the systems used to process claims Online claims are available 24/7 through the website to help speed up claim processing. Staff at St Leger Homes, and in the Council’s Customer Service Team have been trained to assist claimants with on line claims. E-capture, where claims are captured electronically and data is brought straight into the back office system, speeds up claims processing and helps people to move to managing claims on line in preparation for Universal Credit. Revised decision letters to customers and landlords helps understanding of Benefit decisions and how changes affect them. 29
People affected by welfare reform changes are targeted with personalised letters sent in advance detailing how and when they will be affected. Landlords receiving Housing Benefit are informed if there will be changes.
When the Department of Work and Pensions provides information on households potentially affected by welfare reform changes, such as the benefit cap, the Revenues & Benefit Team identifies any that are exempt, for example due to the receipt of disability benefits.
Doncaster Housing Benefit Claimants
28000
27500
27000
26500
26000
25500
25000
24500
24000
Jul-11 Jul-12 Jul-13 Jul-14 Jul-15
Jan-11 Jan-12 Jan-13 Jan-14 Jan-15
Oct-11 Oct-12 Oct-13 Oct-14 Oct-15
Apr-12 Apr-13 Apr-14 Apr-15 Apr-11
Reductions are due to numbers of people moving into work and/or single people moving from Housing Benefit onto Universal Credit
Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme Previously known as Council Tax Benefit and offers a means tested reduction in Council Tax for those on a low income.
Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme by age and household type April 2015 to March 2016 9000 8000 7000 6000 Aged 16-34 5000 4000 Aged 35-49 3000 Aged 50-64 2000 Aged 65+ 1000 0 Single, no child Single with child Couple, no child Couple with child dependant dependant(s) dependant dependant(s)
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Discretionary Housing Payments
Discretionary Housing Payments may be awarded to make up the shortfall in Housing Benefit if the eligible rent has been restricted due to the Local Housing Allowance or because of the Social Size criteria. For example, the payments seek to provide support to people seeking work or smaller accommodation, those unable to move or to support vulnerable young people.
During 2015/16, £707,148 in Discretionary Housing Payments helped 2,379 tenants (23 affected by the Benefit Cap and 1503 size criteria cases affected by the under occupation deduction). Of these, 1,348 St Leger tenants were awarded £385,500 (21 Benefit Cap & 1217 size criteria cases).
The Benefits team also work very closely with St Leger Homes as their Welfare Support Fund is sometimes a more appropriate form of support.
The major groups that are in receipt of DHPs are single people, with higher proportions of people aged 35-49 and 50-64, and younger lone parents.
Discretionary Housing Payment by age and household type April 2015 to March 2016 400 350 300 250 Aged 16-34 200 Aged 35-49 150 Aged 50-64 100 Aged 65+ 50 0 Single, no child Single with child Couple, no child Couple with child dependant dependant(s) dependant dependant(s)
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Number of residents in receipt of discretionary housing payments by amount and household type, April 2015 to March 2016 900 800 700 600 500 £1000+ 400 £501 to £999 300 200 £100 to £500 100 Less than £100 0 Single, no Single with Couple, no Couple with child child child child dependant dependant(s) dependant dependant(s)
Free School Meals
Families in receipt of a qualifying benefit are eligible to receive free school meals for their children. At the January 2015 School Census, 18.5% of children in Doncaster are eligible to receive a means tested free school meal in Doncaster, which is higher than the regional and national averages.
Proportion of pupils eligible and claiming for free school meals January 2015
Doncaster
Yorkshire & Humber
England
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0%
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Pupil Premium Schools receive a Pupil Premium1 for every disadvantaged pupil. This includes pupils that are entitled to receive a means tested free meal, or have been in the last six years. Pupil Premiums are also paid for Looked after Children and those whose parents are in the military services.
There is universal provision of a free school meal for all children in Key Stage 1, regardless of means testing. However, a Pupil Premium is only awarded to the school for children eligible to receive a means tested free school meal. By working with Schools and academies take up of the means tested application, and the Pupil Premium, is maximised.
In 2015/16 schools in Doncaster received over £17.25 million in Pupil Premium. This money is used in schools to provide help and facilities for disadvantaged children, helping them achieve their full potential.
1 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pupil-premium-2015-to-2016-allocations/pupil-premium-2015-to-2016-conditions-of-grant 33
Benefit Sanctions Jobcentre Plus can sanction claimants for some kinds of misconduct, for example failing to take part in the Work Programme or not actively seeking work. A sanction normally means Jobcentre Plus stops Jobseekers Allowance for a fixed period of 4, 13, or 26 weeks, or 3 years, depending on the misconduct. It also depends on whether it is the first, second or third time a claimant has behaved in that way.
JSA Sanction Decisions 2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Jul-13 Jul-14 Jul-15
Jan-13 Jan-14 Jan-15
Jun-13 Jun-14 Jun-15
Oct-13 Oct-14
Apr-13 Apr-14 Apr-15
Feb-13 Sep-13 Feb-14 Sep-14 Feb-15 Sep-15
Dec-13 Dec-14
Aug-13 Aug-14 Aug-15
Nov-13 Nov-14
Mar-13 Mar-14 Mar-15
May-13 May-14 May-15
Sanction Decisions Decision to apply a sanction (adverse)
The number of JSA sanction decisions are the total number of all types of decisions made.
An ‘adverse decision’ is where a sanction decision has actually been applied as opposed to a ‘non-adverse decision’ where a decision has been made to not apply a sanction.
The number of sanction decisions has declined sharply since its peak in September 2013.
Benefit Cap From April 2013, a ‘cap’ was introduced on the benefits received by working age households who do not work. The benefits cap was introduced so that people who are not working do not receive more income than the average earnings of people or households in work.
Current rules reduce the amount of Housing Benefit payable by the amount of any benefit income over £500 per week. A minimum payment of £0.50 Housing Benefit remains in place. Some households are exempt from the Benefit Cap, for example if someone receives Disability Living Allowance or works enough hours to qualify for Working Tax Credit.
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Benefit cap by number of dependants
5% 5%
14% 3 dependants 29% 4 dependants 5 dependants 6 dependants 7 dependants
47%
In Doncaster, the households affected by the benefit cap are, generally, families with four or more children. In 2015-2016, 56 families in Doncaster were affected by the Benefit Cap.
From Autumn 2016 the Benefit Cap for people living outside London will be reduced to £385 per week for a couple or those with children £258 per week for a single person
Work is ongoing to confirm the households likely to be affected by this change. Current estimates have identified over 620 families who may be affected, almost all with more than three children. Many of these seem to be where two single parents have joined households to form a new family.
Partner organisations are working together to provide support to affected families. This will be in the form of help from ‘lead workers’, budgeting advice and support to become ‘work ready’.
Under Occupancy Reductions to Housing Benefit Reductions are made to the Housing Benefit of households that have ‘spare’ bedrooms. If there is one spare bedroom the amount of housing benefit is reduced by 14% of the eligible rent. Two or more spare bedrooms, lead to a 25% reduction.
The reduction applies to working age people claiming housing benefit. Children under the age of 10, or under 16 if of the same gender, are expected to share a bedroom.
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Under Occupancy reductions by age and household type April 2015 to March 2016 1000 900 800 700 600 500 Aged 16-34 400 300 Aged 35-49 200 Aged 50-64 100 0 Single, no Single with Couple, no Couple with child child child child dependant dependant(s) dependant dependant(s)
The data above demonstrates that predominantly single people are affected by the under occupancy reductions in housing benefit. It is also of note that there are a large number of young (16-34) lone parents also affected.
Welfare Reform Support Fund The Welfare Reform Support Fund helps St Leger Homes tenants who are struggling to pay their rent as a result of welfare reform changes, such as under occupation deductions to Housing Benefit. It provides short-term support to people while they make changes which will make it easier to pay their rent in future years.
During 2015/16 418 applications were made to the Welfare Reform Support Fund
Of the 418 applications:
230 were approved 24 were refused 149 were withdrawn by SLHD (unable to make further contact) 15 were withdrawn by the tenant £146,185 has been credited to rent accounts of tenants affected by the under occupancy deduction. 115 affected tenants have been supported to move.
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As with Discretionary Housing Payments, the major groups that are supported by the Welfare Reform Support Fund are single people with higher proportions of people aged 35-49 and 50-64, and younger lone parents.
Number of Welfare Reform Support Fund applications by age and household type from April 2015 to March 2016 120 110 100 90 80 70 Aged 16-34 60 Aged 35-49 50 40 Aged 50-64 30 Aged 65+ 20 10 0 Couple Couple with Lone parent Single family
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Section 4: Employment, Education & Training
Employment Rates
Employment rate 16-64 (%) April 2008 to December 2015 76.0 74.0 72.0 70.0 68.0 66.0 64.0
62.0
Q1 08/09 Q1 08/09 Q2 08/09 Q3 08/09 Q4 09/10 Q1 09/10 Q2 09/10 Q3 09/10 Q4 10/11 Q1 10/11 Q2 10/11 Q3 10/11 Q4 11/12 Q1 11/12 Q2 11/12 Q3 11/12 Q4 12/13 Q1 12/13 Q2 12/13 Q3 12/13 Q4 13/14 Q1 13/14 Q2 13/14 Q3 13/14 Q4 14/15 Q1 14/15 Q2 14/15 Q3 14/15 Q4 15/16 Q1 15/16 Q2 15/16 Q3
Doncaster England Yorkshire and The Humber CIPFA neighbours Sheffield City Region (SCR)
The employment rate in Doncaster is more reactive to economic challenges and takes longer to recover. Despite a recent dip at Quarter 4 2014/15, the employment rate is recovering again and is starting to close the gap.
Unemployment Rate
Unemployment rate Q3 15/16 9.0 7.9 8.0 6.7 7.0 6.2 6.5 6.0 5.3 5.0 4.0 3.0 2.0 1.0 0.0 Doncaster England Yorkshire and CIPFA Sheffield City The Humber neighbours Region (SCR)
The number of people unemployed at Q3 2015/16 was 11,500. Job vacancies can be advertised using the ‘Universal Jobmatch’ system. There were approximately 4,800 vacancies registered within a 10 mile radius of Doncaster town centre2 at the time of gathering this information.
2 Jobs registered on Universal Jobmatch 20.5.16 - Within a 20 mile radius of Doncaster town centre 35,444; 10 mile radius of Doncaster town centre 4,841; 5 mile radius of Doncaster town centre – 4,468. 38
Unemployment rate April 2008 to December 2015 16.0 14.0 12.0 10.0 8.0 6.0 4.0 2.0
0.0
Q1 09/10 Q1 12/13 Q4 Q1 08/09 Q1 08/09 Q2 08/09 Q3 08/09 Q4 09/10 Q2 09/10 Q3 09/10 Q4 10/11 Q1 10/11 Q2 10/11 Q3 10/11 Q4 11/12 Q1 11/12 Q2 11/12 Q3 11/12 Q4 12/13 Q1 12/13 Q2 12/13 Q3 13/14 Q1 13/14 Q2 13/14 Q3 13/14 Q4 14/15 Q1 14/15 Q2 14/15 Q3 14/15 Q4 15/16 Q1 15/16 Q2 15/16 Q3 Doncaster England Yorkshire and The Humber CIPFA neighbours Sheffield City Region (SCR)
Key Out of Work Benefits The key out-of-work benefits consists of the groups: job seekers, Employment Support Allowance and incapacity benefits, lone parents and others on income related benefits. These groups have been chosen to best represent a count of all those benefit recipients who cannot be in full-time employment as part of their condition of entitlement.
Key out-of-work benefits claimant rate 17.0 16.0 15.0 14.0 13.0 12.0 11.0 10.0 9.0
8.0
Feb 2008 Feb 2009 Feb 2010 Feb 2011 Feb 2012 Feb 2013 Feb 2014 Feb 2015 Feb
Aug 2008 Aug 2009 Aug 2010 Aug 2011 Aug 2012 Aug 2013 Aug 2014 Aug 2015 Aug
Nov 2008 Nov 2009 Nov 2010 Nov 2011 Nov 2012 Nov 2013 Nov 2014 Nov 2015 Nov
May 2008 May 2009 May 2010 May 2011 May 2012 May 2013 May 2014 May 2015 May
Doncaster England Yorkshire and The Humber CIPFA neighbours Sheffield City Region (SCR)
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Jobseekers Allowance
JSA rate for 16-64 working age population
7.0
6.0
5.0
4.0
3.0
2.0
1.0
0.0
Jul 08 Jul
Jul-09 Jul-10 Jul-11 Jul-12 Jul-13 Jul-14 Jul-15
Jan 09 Jan 10 Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 15 Jan 16 Jan
Apr 09 Apr 10 Apr 11 Apr 12 Apr 13 Apr 14 Apr 15 Apr
Oct-08 Oct-09 Oct-10 Oct-11 Oct-12 Oct-13 Oct-14 Oct-15
Apr-08 Apr-16
Doncaster England Yorkshire and The Humber CIPFA neighbours Sheffield City Region (SCR)
The proportion of people claiming Job Seekers Allowance is decreasing along with national and regional trends. Depending on which point in time you choose it could be argued there has been a small narrowing of the gap to regional and national benchmarks. The current JSA rate is the lowest it has been since 2008 and demonstrates the likelihood of more people being in work than 12 months ago.
Doncaster JSA claimant rate by age group 14.0
12.0
10.0
8.0 Aged 16-24
6.0 Aged 25-49 Aged 50-64 4.0
2.0
0.0
Jul 2008 Jul 2009 Jul 2010 Jul 2011 Jul 2012 Jul 2013 Jul 2014 Jul 2015 Jul
Jan 2009 Jan 2010 Jan 2011 Jan 2012 Jan 2013 Jan 2014 Jan 2015 Jan 2016 Jan
Oct 2008 Oct 2009 Oct 2010 Oct 2011 Oct 2012 Oct 2013 Oct 2014 Oct 2015 Oct
Apr 2009 Apr 2010 Apr 2011 Apr 2012 Apr 2013 Apr 2014 Apr 2015 Apr 2016 Apr Apr 2008 Apr
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Approximately one third of Job Seekers Allowance claimants, in Doncaster, have a health problem or a disability3.
Many of those of working age stay on JSA for a substantial number of weeks
JSA claimants by age and duration
over 104 weeks
over 78 and up to 104 weeks
over 52 and up to 78 weeks
over 26 and up to 52 weeks
over 13 and up to 26 weeks
13 weeks or less
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800
Aged under 18 Aged 18-24 Aged 25-49 Aged 50+
Universal Credit Universal Credit was introduced in Doncaster, for certain groups of single unemployed people, in September 2015. Up to mid-May 2016, approximately 1,700 Universal Credit claims have been made. Of these, approximately 500 people have found work at income levels that meant no further entitlement to Universal Credit.
Employment Support Allowance Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is the out-of-work welfare benefit paid to people who are having difficulty finding work because of their long-term illness or disability. It was introduced in October 2008, for new claims, to replace: Incapacity Benefit; Income Support paid because of an illness or disability; and Severe Disablement Allowance.
Between 2011 and 2014, most of the people who had been on Incapacity Benefit or Income Support since before October 2008 were assessed under the more stringent ESA criteria.
The latest data, from November 2015, gives Doncaster a rate of 7.3% of working age adults in receipt of ESA. This is lower than the rate of 7.7% in similar local authorities (our CIPFA neighbours) and slightly above the Sheffield City Region average of 7.1%.
3 Job Seekers Allowance claimants with a voluntary health or disability marker on their records, as at 04.04.16, was 1,855 or approx. 33% of the register on that day. 41
Tax Credits Doncaster Families on Tax Credits have reduced in 2014/15.
In 2013-14, 27,400 families in Doncaster received Tax Credits. Of these, 19,300 were in work. The average amount of Tax Credits received was £6,143 per year.
In 2014-15, 26,800 families received Tax Credits. Of these, 19,200 were in work and 7,600 were out of work. This could be due to the introduction of Universal Credit which would not show on Tax Credit data.
Number of families in receipt of tax credits 2013-14 12,000 10,700 10,000 8,100 8,000
6,000 4,900 3,700 4,000 National Statistics - Personal tax credits: Finalised award statistics - geographical statistics 2013 to 2014 2,000CTC – Child Tax Credit; WTC – Working Tax Credit
0 Total out-of-work In-work families In-work families In-work families families (with children, (with children, (with no children, receiving WTC and receiving CTC only)* receiving WTC only) CTC)*
Number of families in receipt of tax credits 2014-15
12,000 10,700 10,000 7,600 8,000
6,000 4,800 3,700 4,000
2,000
0 Total out-of-work In-work families In-work families In-work families families (with children, (with children, (with no children, receiving WTC and receiving CTC only) receiving WTC only) CTC)
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Qualifications
Over the past nine years it is clear that the proportion of people with level 2 qualifications at age 19 has narrowed the gap with the national figure and is close to national performance. The level 3 qualifications have improved but Doncaster has not closed the gap on national performance. This links back to some of the economic challenges in Doncaster about high quality skills in a competitive labour market.
Proportion of 19 year olds qualified to Level 2 or higher 90.0 85.0 80.0 75.0 Doncaster 70.0 Yorkshire & the 65.0 Humber 60.0 England 55.0 50.0
Proportion of 19 year olds qualified to Level 3 or higher 65.0 60.0 55.0 50.0 Doncaster 45.0 40.0 Yorkshire & the 35.0 Humber 30.0 England 25.0 20.0
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Skill levels of working age population, December 2015 90.0 80.0 70.0 60.0 50.0 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 NVQ4 and above NVQ3 and above NVQ2 and above NVQ1 and above Other No qualifications qualifications
Doncaster CIPFA neighbours Sheffield City Region (SCR) Yorkshire and The Humber England
Higher education participation by local authority and FSM status 60%
50%
40%
30%
England 20% Yorks & Humber
Doncaster % of of pupils % entering FSM by19 HEage 10%
0% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% % of non-FSM pupils entering HE by age 19
Doncaster has a lower rate of young people accessing higher education than national, regional and comparator averages. In Doncaster 29% of people accessed higher education by age 19, compared to 37% nationally. There is a similar difference for those young people eligible for free school meals: the figure drops to 13% in Doncaster compared to 23% nationally which is joint sixth lowest nationally. Overall Doncaster has the joint fourth lowest participation rate in the region, third lowest in our comparator group and in the bottom 17 local authorities in England.
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It is clear that in Doncaster there is a deficit of people with higher level skills when compared with the regional and national comparators. If Doncaster were to perform at similar levels to the regional average then there would be over 13,000 more people with NVQ level 4 qualifications in Doncaster.
Apprenticeships The Apprenticeship Programme starts and achievements have grown in Doncaster but particularly in the period 2009-10 to 2011-12. Achievements remain around 2,000 a year in Doncaster even though starts have reduced slightly in the previous two years. Apprenticeship Programme Starts and Achievements 5000 4550 4500 3990 4000 3610 3640 3350 3500 3000 2340 2440 2500 2030 2010 2170 1840 1960 1930 1630 2000 1440 1440 1590 1500 1090 1100 830 1000 500 0 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15
Starts Achievements
Changes to Government Policy The following are policies that have been introduced by Government which impact on poverty.
Welfare Reform and Work Act 2016
Housing and Planning Bill 2015-16
Social Justice – Transforming Lives
Universal Credit
Employment Support Allowance
Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
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