Tackling inequalities
tackling discrimination and inequalities which prevent people from fulfilling their potential.
www.newcastle.gov.uk
What does Newcastle look like today?
Pay is increasing but the gap between the
average weekly wage of the 20% lowest
and 20% highest earners is also
increasing.
The gap between the wards in Newcastle
with the highest and lowest levels of job
seekers is decreasing.
March 2014 December 2014
The prevalence of smoking among people
aged 18 in Newcastle has increased and is
higher than the England average but
similar to other Core Cities.
Newcastle
20% lowest 20% highest Gap
paid:
paid:
2013/14:
2014/15:
£305.10
£336.30
£750.80
£800.50
7.0%
40.6%
42%
(highest five wards
8%, lowest five
wards 1%)
Average weekly pay
Source: Office for National Statistics
(highest five wards
6.3%, lowest five
wards 0.8%)
The number of children and young people
in care in Newcastle continues to decrease
but remains above the England average.
England and
Wales
Newcastle
29.0% 20.7%
101
2013:
England
96
60
2013:
Source: Department for Education
Male
20102012:
23.7% 18.4% 21.24%
Female
11.9
years
9.2
years
9.1
years
6.8
years
Source: Public Health England
Newcastle
CIPFA average
8.7
8.1
The number of people who feel they can
influence decisions in Newcastle is falling,
but is higher than the North East average.
2010
Source: Carers Survey, Health and Social Care Information Centre
2012
41%
35%
28%
in
Newcastle
in
Newcastle
in the
North
East
Out of 12
per 10,000 children
Source: HM Revenues and Customs
22.9% 19.5% 23%
The quality of life experienced by carers
of people requiring adult social care in
Newcastle is similar to our statistical
neighbours.
March
2014:
average
Core Cities
average
Source: Public Health England
December December
2013:
2014:
2011:
2012:
Source: Office for National Statistics
The levels of child poverty in Newcastle
are above the England and Wales average.
Newcastle
5.5%
England
average
The gap in life expectancy between the
least deprived and most deprived 10 wards
in Newcastle is greater than the
England average. Newcastle England
Source: Residents’ Survey 2012
How do we want to tackle inequality in Newcastle?
Newcastle’s
prosperity is shared
more fairly.
Everyone has
enough income to
meet the basic
needs of life.
Where you were
born and where you
live do not reduce
the quality and
length of your life.
No child grows up
wanting for
wellbeing, food and
education.
Everyone has the
opportunity to
choose a healthy
lifestyle.
Everyone feels
they have a role
to play in shaping
Newcastle’s future.
March – December 2014
Tackling inequalities
How is the council making a difference?
Key performance measures
•
•
•
The proportion of looked after (in the care of the local authority) children and young people
continues to reduce safely. The latest data places Newcastle below the statistical neighbour
average for the first time in five years, but still above the England average. This reflects our
sustained effort to prevent children and young people entering the care system and to ensure
those who do are placed safely and permanently where possible.
The number of children on child protection plans has fallen between quarter two and quarter
three from 422 to 404 but the percentage of children becoming the subject of a child
protection plan for the second or subsequent time has increased from 18.3% to 21.3%. A
second or subsequent plan may be necessary to deal with adverse changes to a child’s
circumstances and our percentage remains in the bottom quartile nationally but the gap is
reducing. The percentage of children becoming subject to a child protection plan for a second
or subsequent time within two years has reduced again from 10% at the end of 2013/14 to 7%.
The findings of an audit of second or subsequent child protection plans within 12 months were
presented to the Newcastle Safeguarding Children Board in November 2014 and the NSCB
Standards and Effectiveness Management Group will agree areas for further investigation and
improvement in February 2015.
There have been 249 permanent admissions to residential and nursing care for people aged
over 65 between March and December 2014, less than the 259 in the same period in 2013/14.
Our projected year-end position is 332 admissions which means we are unlikely to meet the
target of 317 set through the Better Care Fund. New ‘extra care’ provision, which will provide
people with safe alternatives to residential care, has been delayed until the end of February
2015 due to construction issues.
•
•
•
There has been a 24.3% increase in the overall number of ‘delay days’ for people leaving
hospital up to November 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. Health continue to be
responsible for over 70% of all delays, with repatriation to hospitals outside of Newcastle
being the biggest issue. Delays for patients who are ready for discharge leaving hospital can be
the responsibility of ‘Health’, ‘Social Care’ or ‘Both’ and the reason for the delay jointly agreed
and recorded. In 2013, ‘Social Care’ was recorded as solely responsible for 11% of all delays and
with 12% ‘Both’. In the same period in 2014 delays solely the responsibility of ‘Social Care’
increased to 28% and ‘Both’ reduced to 1%. Discussions with Newcastle Hospitals and
Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Foundation Trust have uncovered recording issues where
delays are being attributed to ‘Social Care’ incorrectly. Our own monitoring confirms there are
no material ‘Social Care’ blockages which would account for the significant increase. Over the
winter there have been occasional issues with supply of home care. Daily, weekly and monthly
monitoring processes are in place across health and social care and discussions continue to
resolve the key issues.
This quarter we have allocated 84 Disability Facility Grants to those requiring adaptations to
allow them to remain in their own homes. We are on track to exceed our target of 300 for the
year.
Demand on our Housing Benefit service has increased due to changes in benefits associated
with welfare reform and more people being sanctioned. In addition to this, the Department
for Work and Pensions introduced real time information referrals at the end of September, this
has increased our workload significantly. Our processing time for New Housing Benefits claims
has improved from 28.81 days on average to 28.04 days. Changes in circumstances are taking
an average of 9.48 days to process which is an improvement of 0.81 days at the end of
September.
What do we spend in this area?
The biggest risk
We have spent nearly £35 million so far this year on initiatives to tackle inequalities across the city. We have a
programme of work to improve our current housing stock and have so far this year spent over £4 million on our Void
Property Programme. The delivery of our housing programme is also now well underway with a range of new and
affordable homes being built on sites across the city as well as increasing provision for older people and those with
physical and learning disabilities. We have also embarked on a programme to ensure we provide housing specifically
designed for older people and those with learning and physical disabilities. 14 supported housing units were completed
in this quarter and work is continuing at 4 other sites which will provide an additional 125 units.
Changes in the level and entitlement to welfare benefits creates
significant and widespread hardship within Newcastle and imposes
pressures on council services.
In the current year the cost of running council services which help to tackle inequalities is expected to be £148.4 million.
March – December 2014
What are we doing about it?
The council has established a strong partnership of organisations in the
statutory and voluntary sector, working with the most affected
communities to mitigate the impact of poverty and homelessness and to
respond to people in crisis.