41 A ssessing Northumberland’s performance Results of the Place Survey 2008/09 for August 2009 Northumberland County Council and partners Contents 1. Summary of key findings ....................................................... 1 2. Overview.................................................................................. 8 3. Methodology for data collection.......................................... 13 4. Key trends ............................................................................. 16 5. About the local area.............................................................. 20 6. Community safety................................................................. 34 7. Community cohesion ........................................................... 48 8. Helping out and getting involved......................................... 61 9. Local decision-making ......................................................... 68 10. Information provision.......................................................... 76 11. Health .................................................................................... 83 12. Local public services............................................................ 87 13. Council services ................................................................... 99 Appendices ................................................................................ 115 Appendix 1: Methodology ......................................................... 116 Appendix 2: Guide to statistical reliability ............................... 125 Appendix 3: Council service satisfaction – trend and comparator analysis .................................................................. 127 Appendix 4: Marked up questionnaire ..................................... 133 1 1. Summary of key findings This report presents the findings from the 2008 Place Survey conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of Northumberland County Council. The survey was conducted via a postal self-completion approach, as prescribed by the Audit Commission and the Department of Communities and Local Government (CLG). Fieldwork was carried out from 29 September to 19 December 2008. A total of 8,861 responses were achieved and data has been weighted to ensure results are reflective of the wider population in the county, and to account for non-response bias. General This survey was carried out at a time of change for the county as the move to unitary status approached in April 2009. Therefore, the debate locally might have influenced opinions. Additionally, the normative data used within the report should be seen as indicative only (as, for example, the Met/ Unitary averages are made up of authorities who have been unitary authorities for some time). About the local area Four fifths of residents (81%) are satisfied with their local area as a place to live (NI5), a rise of six percentage points since 2006/7. This rating is in line with the national average and above the North East and Met/Unitary averages. This is a trend seen nationally however as the next chart illustrates. © 2009 Ipsos MORI. Contains Ipsos MORI confidential and proprietary information Not to be disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Ipsos MORI. 2 Satisfaction w ith area Q Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your local area as a place to live? Average District Mets & Unitaries LB Inner London Outer London 85% 82% 80% 80% 80% n 77% o i t 77% c 75% a 75% f 75% s i t a 71% 73% S 70% 70% 69% 66% 65% 2006 Year surveyed 2008 Base: Place Survey 2008/09 (352 local authorities), BVPI 2006 and 2003 (387 local authorities) Source: Ipsos MORI Additionally, nine in ten residents (90%) are satisfied with their home as a place to live. More than four in five (85%) of older residents (aged 65 or above) say they are satisfied with the local area and with their home as a place to live (combined measure NI138). More than a third (36%) of residents agree that older people in their local area are able to get the services and support they need to continue to live at home for as long as they want to (NI139). This is above the Met/Unitary and national averages but in line with the North East average. Activities for teenagers and road and pavement repairs are the most important areas for change locally, followed by job prospects and public transport. Affordable housing, clean streets, and the level of crime are general priorities. Community safety The overwhelming majority of Northumberland residents (91%) say they feel safe outside in their local area during the day, and two thirds (65%) feel safe outside after dark. © 2009 Ipsos MORI. Contains Ipsos MORI confidential and proprietary information Not to be disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Ipsos MORI. 3 Looking at issues of anti-social behaviour, the biggest concerns for local residents remain teenagers hanging round the streets, followed by rubbish and litter lying around and vandalism and graffiti. On almost all measures, perceptions of anti-social behaviour have improved – although as the following chart shows, this is a national trend. ASB historical data Q Thinking about this local area, how much of a problem do you think each of the following are… 7 strand ASB index Average District Mets & Unitaries LB Inner London Outer London 45% 45% 43% 42% 41% 38% 35% 36% 30% 29% 27% 28% 26% 27% 25% 26% 23% 23% 21% 20% 19% 15% 2003 Year surveyed 2008 Base: Place Survey 2008/09 (352 local authorities), BVPI 2006 an d 2003 (387 local authorities) Source: Ipsos MORI People using or dealing drugs (NI41) and people being drunk or rowdy in public spaces (NI42) are seen as specific problems by less than three in ten residents. Overall, around one in six respondents perceive anti-social behaviours aspects as problems in the area (NI7), compared to one in five nationally. About a third of Northumberland residents agree that the police and other local public services seek people’s views and are successfully dealing with the above issues in their local area (NI27 and NI21 scores respectively). On both measures, the authority scores are above the Ipsos MORI District and Met/Unitary averages. © 2009 Ipsos MORI. Contains Ipsos MORI confidential and proprietary information Not to be disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Ipsos MORI. 4 Community cohesion Four in five residents (81%) say that their local area is a place where people from different backgrounds get on well together (NI1), which is higher than the Met/Unitary average (73%), the North East average (74%) and the national average (76%). Around seven in ten residents (68%) say they feel they belong very or fairly strongly to their immediate neighbourhood (NI2). This perception is again significantly higher than how people feel on this issue on average. Just above one in four Northumberland residents say that people not treating each other with respect and consideration (NI23) is a problem in their area. Similarly, more residents in Northumberland agree that parents take responsibility for the behaviour of their children (NI22) than those in other Met/Unitary and North Eastern authorities. Helping out and getting involved One in six residents (17%) say they have taken part in any civic participation activities (NI3) and a quarter of residents participate in regular volunteering (NI6). In terms of engaging with the local community, around three in ten residents (28%) say that they feel they can influence decisions affecting their local area (NI4). The score on the above three indicators are in line with the performance of the other Met/Unitary and North Eastern authorities. Information provision About two in five residents say they feel informed about local public services, which is in line with the Ipsos MORI average. One in six residents say they feel informed about what to do in the event of a large- scale emergency (NI37). This is in line with awareness levels in other results nationally. © 2009 Ipsos MORI. Contains Ipsos MORI confidential and proprietary information Not to be disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Ipsos MORI. 5 Health Three in four residents rate their health as good or very good (NI119), similar to the Ipsos MORI District and Met/Unitary averages. More than four in five Northumberland residents say they are very or fairly satisfied with their life as a whole. Local public services Three in four residents think that their local public services treat all types of people fairly, and two in three agree that local services are working to make the area safer and cleaner and greener. However, less than half feel that public services act on the concerns of local residents or promote their interests. This is line with the respective Ipsos MORI averages. When looking at satisfaction with local public services, health services achieve the highest ratings in Northumberland. More than four in five are happy with their GP, and seven in ten are satisfied with their hospital. Around three in five are satisfied with their dentist, Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service, and Northumbria Police. Three in four residents say that they have been treated with respect and consideration by their local public services (NI140). This performance is in line with the Ipsos MORI District and Met/Unitary averages. © 2009 Ipsos MORI. Contains Ipsos MORI confidential and proprietary information Not to be disclosed or reproduced without the prior written consent of Ipsos MORI. 6 The Council and services Around a third (36%) are satisfied with how