Needs Assessment
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Needs Assessment Advancing Equality of Opportunity Voice and Influence Service Contents Needs Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 1 Advancing Equality of Opportunity Voice and Influence Service........................................... 1 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 2 Population overview ...................................................................................................................... 2 Equalities Groups Summary ........................................................................................................ 4 Participation in Political Life ......................................................................................................... 5 1. Local Elections .......................................................................................................... 5 Mayoral elections ............................................................................................................. 7 2. National Elections ..................................................................................................... 8 EU Referendum ................................................................................................................ 8 Parliamentary Elections .................................................................................................. 9 Social Media ................................................................................................................................... 9 Quality of Life (QOL) Survey ..................................................................................................... 11 Partnership boards ...................................................................................................................... 14 Neighbourhood Partnerships ..................................................................................................... 14 Consultation Team ...................................................................................................................... 14 Membership of Equalities Forums ............................................................................................ 19 Key Issues for equalities groups ............................................................................................... 19 National Picture ........................................................................................................................... 20 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 21 1 Introduction Bristol is a large and diverse city with a reputation for being one of the most vibrant, well-educated and creative cities in the UK. However, it is also a city with a degree of geographical inequality and poverty where within some areas of the city our citizens are not able to take advantage of the benefits of living here. The Council is committed to improving the equality for all communities, particularly those who have protected characteristics. The purpose of this needs assessment is to better understand how the Council could contribute to enabling communities to have a voice and to use their voice to influence the things that matter to them as individuals, at neighbourhood level and at the city level through participation and representation. This document explores the available data and relevant information, which we can use to underpin the procurement of a new method of delivery to provide voice and influence. It aims to summarise the many ways that citizens take part in political life and local authority decision making, and where possible, identify patterns in the data and levels of participation with reference to protected characteristic communities. The report includes information on the key priority areas for equality groups taken from equality manifestos produced by the current providers of equalities forums. It maps voting patterns and levels in local, mayoral, and national elections including the EU referendum. It takes a look at what we know about who uses the council’s social media via twitter and facebook. It also explains the role of the council’s partnership boards. The quality of life survey gives us an indication of the level of influence our citizens feel they have. The role and reach of the council’s Consultation Team is included as this is our main mechanism for actively seeking the views of citizens on specific subjects, and also the Citizens Panel. Population overview1 Bristol is the 8th largest city in Great Britain with an estimated population of 442,500 established residents. Bristol has a rapidly growing and changing population. Between 2006 and 2016 the total population of Bristol is estimated to have grown by 45,800 people (an increase of 11.2%). This is a higher growth rate than that experienced by England and Wales as a whole over the same decade (8.2%). This large increase can be attributed to a number of factors including a significant increase in net-international migration, a rise in the international student population, a significant rise in births and a decrease in the number of deaths. Net international migration has however reduced as a contributing factor since 2005/6 and since then population growth in Bristol has been mainly due to the increase in births. Over the last decade, more than a third (34%) of Bristol’s total 2 increase in population took place in the central wards of Cabot, Ashley and Lawrence Hill wards alone. There are 82,800 children aged 0-15 in Bristol, 19% of the total population. There are more children in Bristol than there are people aged 65 & over. The growth in the number of under 5s in the last decade (35%) is one of the highest in the country (nationally 19%). Births are now showing signs of levelling off. Although children are not the immediate focus of this project, this shows how the population will change in the future and that there are an increasing number of young families in Bristol. Bristol’s 58,800 older people make up 13% of the total population, i.e. 1 in every 8 people living in Bristol is aged 65 or over. The proportion of older people is lower than in England and Wales 18%. The population of Bristol has become increasingly diverse and some local communities have changed significantly. There are now at least 45 religions, at least 180 countries of birth represented and at least 91 main languages spoken by people living in Bristol. The proportion of the population who are not ‘White British’ has increased from 12% to 22% of the total population, the majority of which are young people. 3 Equalities Groups Summary The table below provides a summary of equalities statistics from the 2011 Census for the Bristol Local Authority area. The census does not ask questions about sexual orientation or gender reassignment. The information on sexual orientation is therefore based on Public Health England data. More detailed equalities information can be found in the 2011 census that is on our web site at - https://www.bristol.gov.uk/people-communities/equalities-data-and-research. Sources: Public Health England cite 5 -7% LGBT population in England 4 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/585349/PHE_Final_rep ort_FINAL_DRAFT_14.12.2016NB230117v2.pdf Number of people Number of people Bristol percentage England and Wales % average % Christian 200,254 46.8 59.3 Buddhist 2,549 0.6 0.4 Hindu 2,712 0.6 1.5 Jewish 777 0.2 0.5 Muslim 22,016 5.1 4.8 Sikh 2,133 0.5 0.8 Other religion 2,793 0.7 0.4 No religion 160,218 37.4 25.1 Religion not stated 34,782 8.1 7.2 Source: 2011 Census Office for National Statistics © Crown Copyright 2012 Participation in Political Life This section takes a look at the level of numbers who turn out to vote for the many types of elections that are a part of our political lives. 1. Local Elections The table below illustrates the vast difference between wards in terms of voting numbers with a range of 27% to 61% and are closely aligned with the area of highest deprivation in the city1. Local elections 2016 5th May Ward Turnout Votes Electorate Hartcliffe and Withywood 27% 3443 12608 Filwood 29% 2680 9110 Central 36% 2603 7333 Southmead 36% 3089 8693 St George Central 36% 3425 9421 Hillfields 38% 3352 8724 Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston 39% 5960 15305 Hengrove and Whitchurch Park 40% 5403 13620 Henbury and Brentry 40% 3641 9165 Lockleaze 40% 3439 8585 1 Deprivation in Bristol. The mapping of deprivation within Bristol Local Authority Area November 2015 5 Brislington East 40% 3579 8854 Bishopsworth 41% 3646 8931 Lawrence Hill 41% 3899 9513 Stockwood 41% 3769 9140 Horfield 44% 4046 9276 St George Troopers Hill 44% 1984 4480 Eastville 44% 4305 9682 Frome Vale 45% 4102 9087 Brislington West 46% 3870 8496 St George West 46% 2188 4757 Hotwells and Harbourside 46% 1826 3935 Knowle 47% 4528 9670 Clifton Down 47% 3754 7905 Bedminster 50% 4767 9480 Cotham 51% 3927 7727 Windmill Hill 51% 5019 9844 Easton 51% 4946 9641 Ashley 51% 6549 12745 Stoke Bishop 52% 4603 8912 Clifton 52% 4896 9373 Southville 53% 4788 8982 Redland 57% 5636 9899 Bishopston and Ashley Down 57% 5012 8800 Westbury-on-Trym and Henleaze 61% 9127 15072 Map 1: Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 Source: Department for Communities and Local Government, Indices of Deprivation 2015 6 The map shows that Hartcliffe