Lambeth Research and Consultation Briefing:
Gender customer insight report
Duty to involve: The implications for Lambeth council
A PEP briefing
February 2012
Author: Sharleene Bibbings, Policy, Equalities and Performance Officer [email protected]
Summary
 The gender split in Lambeth (48.5% male and 51.5% female) is similar to inner London and the
country (both around 50-50).
 Women and men are equally concerned about crime and are equally likely to have experienced
crime in the borough, although boys are more likely to have experienced bullying and work is
being undertaken in CYP to work with schools to address the issue.
 Women, on average, are also higher users of council services (including council housing,
housing benefit, services for children and young people like adventure playgrounds and one o
clock clubs), reflecting the fact that they are more likely to be single parents than men.
 Women are less positive about council performance, are more likely to feel that their personal
financial situation has deteriorated and cuts in local public services have had an effect on them,
although they are just as likely as men to feel the council provides value for money and feel
informed about the council.
 Young men are less likely to see themselves going to university, but are more positive about
local sports and leisure facilities. Whereas young women are more positive about their
prospects in tertiary education; but are less likely to participate in sports.
 Men are less likely to be concerned about recycling. However women are expressing anxiety
about cuts or reductions in services that relate to recycling. Women are also more likely to be
concerned about litter on the streets.
What actions do we need to consider?
 Given the changes under the Welfare Reform Act, that women are more likely to be in receipt of
certain benefits (such as social housing) and that women say it would easer to apply for benefits
over the phone, front line service leads may consider targeting resources to telephone based access
points for benefit applications.
 Information about the financial support for those going to university should be targeted at young men
as well as looking into why they don’t feel they will be going to university and whether this is due to
alternative pathways to work or because of fears over cost
 Activity which encourages young men into university may be useful; as would activity which
encourages young women and girls into sport.
 Further research to understand why women in particular are more critical about council
performance is needed
 Research into men’s attitudes to protecting the environment may also be useful in understanding
how to encourage them to recycle more.
Introduction and methodology
This customer insight report outlines the key issues for male and female residents, both adults and young
people, based on the Lambeth residents’ survey The gender split in Lambeth is similar to inner London
and the country (both around 50-50)1. 49% of residents are female with 51% are men. Almost half of
women have children under the age of 17 at 42% (compared to 26% for men), 20% of women have one
child, 15% have two and 5% have three. In addition, 14% of women have caring responsibilities
compared to 10% of men. Most young women are from the BME community with 53% of respondents
defing themselves as BME.
Over the last four waves there have been 3,076 interviews with adults (aged 18+) and 504 interviews with
young people aged 11-19 years. The fieldwork for this survey was carried out by Ipsos MORI in residents’
homes using computer assisted personal interviewing (CAPI) between October 2010 to August 20112.
Data are weighted to gender, age, work status and ethnicity for adults, and to age and gender for young
people.
What are the key issues for residents by gender?
Top Concerns:
Men and women rate crime as their top issue equally, there is no difference based on gender3. Men are
more likely to report the level of council tax as a concern for them at 25% compared to 21% for women.
Men are also more concerned about poor public transport 4. Women are more concerned about issues
linked to cleanliness; their second top concern is litter and dirt on the street (22% vs 19%) . Women are
more likely to have caring responsibilities and this is reflected in their concerns. Women are more worried
about not enough being done for young people 5, and not enough being done for elderly people.6 While
there are differences by gender for our adult residents, boys and girls in the borough worry about the
same things with neither significantly worrying more about a particular issue.
Good things about Lambeth
Positively, young men ( 11 to 19 year olds) are more likely to see leisure services as a positive feature of
life in Lambeth and 51% of young boys (compared to 33% of young women) say that sports and leisure
are the most important services for Lambeth Council to provide. This is likely to reflect higher usage of
these services by younger male residents7.
The economy
Positively 52% of young men and 41% of young women feel their family’s financial situation has
remained the same over the last year. However, in August 2010, young men reported that the economic
situation of their family was better than a year ago8, which may indicate increasing anxiety over the
economy as time has moved on.
Community safety
1
2010 Round SHLAA Projections - using 2008-based CLG Household projections.
Fieldwork was carried out on the following dates: Wave 5 18th October-25th November 2010; Wave 6 10th January
- 12th February 2011; Wave 7 4th April - 9th May 2011 and Wave 8 13th July - 16th August 2011.
3 47% of men and women say that crime is a concern for them.
4 7% men compared to 5% for women are concerned with public transport.
5 21% of women are concerned about children and young people services compared to 17% of male responders.
6 13% of women compared to 9% for men are concern about older people services
7 In the last gender customer insight report in August 2010 Young men (aged 11-19 years) are more likely, during the
past four weeks, to have participated in a group activity led by an adult outside of school lessons (71% compared to
50% of young women). And this trend continues as they get older, with adult men being more likely than women to
have participated in, or watched a sporting event in the past six months
8 In August 2010, young males were more likely than young females to say they feel their family is better off
financially than a year ago (22% compared with 5%
2
Concern about crime is identical between men and women. This is also reflected in the views of our
younger residents with there being no significant difference between young men and women regarding
feeling safe outside after dark
There is also no differences between adult men and women’s experience of crime. However young
people do report gender differences in terms of experience of crime. Boys who go to school are more
likely to say they have been bullied outside school including the journey to and from9. There is a small
differences in male and female experience of anti social behaviour. Woman are most likely to experience
noisy neighbours or loud parties with 19% of women as opposed 15% of men.
How are the council and local public services used and rated by gender?
Overall council perceptions
Women are more likely to be critical of how the council performs10. This is in contrast to August 2010
where there was no difference between men and women11.
However, while women are more critical on overall performance there are no gender differences on
perceptions of value for money. In August 2010 women weere more likely to say that the Council was
not providing value of money12 and therefore this may indicate increased satisfaction among women in
this area in 2012.
Children and young people’s services and education
Given that women are more likely to have children in the household, it is to be expected that women are
more likely to use services designed for younger residents. Women are more likely than men to use
services that provide activities for teenagers,13 and libraries 14 for example. Women are also most likely
to use services relating to education such as, nursery education (under 5s)15, primary education (511s)16, secondary education (11-18s)17 and children’s centres services18.
Health and wellbeing
Women are more likely to use wellbeing services, such as social services for children and young
people19, health and social care services20 and, are twice as likely to use services for disabled people
with 5% of women compared to 2% of men. Again, this is probably linked to the fact that women are
more likely to having caring responsibilities.
Positively, both boys and girls report to have one or more good friend they can turn to for support. Boys
are more likely at 96% to report this as a true compared to 92% for young women. However less
positively young women are more like to say no at 3% compared to 0% of young men. This is an
9
18% of young boys are likely to report being bullied compared to 10% of girls. Also 15% of boys are more likely to
have been bullied once or more in the last year compared to 6% of girls.
10
23% of women say they are dissatisfied with the way Lambeth Council runs things compared to 20% of
men
11
In August 2010 there was no difference between men and women in relation to how satisfied they are with how the
Lambeth Council runs things (50% satisfied for both adult females and males, and 58% for young females with 57%
for young males).
12 Women are less likely to think that Lambeth Council provides value for money (38% disagree compared with 34%
of males). The budget consultation also found that women are less positive about a number of aspects of value for
money and financial management. They are less likely think that: the council provides good value for money for the
council tax paid (32% compared with 48% for males),
13 4% of women compared to 2% of men
14 40% of women compared to 35% of men
15 9% of women compared to 6% of men
16 17% of women compared to 9% of men
17 11% of women compared to 8% of men
18 2% of women compared to 1% of men
19 41% of women compared to 26% of men
20 with 10% of women compared to 8% of men likely to use these services
improvement as in the last gender customer insight report in August 2010 where both reported they were
less likely to have someone to talk to21.
Sports, cultural and leisure services
The most popular sports and leisure activities for women are playgrounds and play areas22 most likely
reflecting the fact they are more likely to have children under 17 years of age. An analysis of the use of
services for our younger respondents show that young male residents are more likely to have used
leisure and sports facilities than young women (41% vs 32%). In terms of specific services used, young
boys are reporting high usage of outdoor sports and actives at 73% compared 63% of girls. Boys are also
over twice as likely to have visited a sports clubs and classes with 38% reporting usage compared to 15%
of girls.
Housing
Given that 44% of women are social renters, it is to be expected that women are more likely to report
high use of housing and environmental services with 85% of women compared to 81% of men reporting
use of these services. Women are also more likely to be receiving housing benefit with 19% of women
compared to 13% of men. There are no differences between men and women in terms of the satisfaction
with social housing.
How engaged do women and men feel?
Across all ages males and females feel equally informed. Women are more likely to say that when
applying for benefits that it would be easier if they could do this over the phone with 18% of women
compared to 12% of men saying this is true for them.
In line with usage of services linked to their caring responsibilities, women are more likely to have
recently seen or heard of campaigns relating to education 23 .
Less positively when young people are asked about their likehood of being a member of a school, college
or university, 56% of women say they might do this but 26% of young boys say they don’t think they ever
will do this.
21
When it comes to the emotional young men are less likely to have an adult they can talk to, other than a parent,
when they are worried about something (40% do not compared to 15% of young women).
21 25% compared to 17% of men
well-being of young people, young men are less likely to have an adult they can talk to, other than a parent, when
they are worried about something (40% do not compared to 15% of young women).
22 25% of women compared to 17% of men
23 They are more likely to have heard about Lambeth primary schools are expanding to help meet demands 15% of
women compared 9% of men