Title to go here

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The state of place Worcestershire in 2009
Gideon Skinner, Research DirectorIpsos MORI
Social Research Institute November 2009
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• Whats the national picture?

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The economy is seen as the number one issue
facing the country
What would you say is the most important issue
facing Britain today? What do you see as other
important issues facing Britain today?
Top mentions
Economy
Crime/law and order
Unemployment
Race relations/immigration
Defence/Foreign Affairs/ Terrorism
NHS
Education/Schools
Morality/individual behaviour
Inflation/prices
Drug Abuse
Base 978 British adults 18, 13th 18th Aug
2009
Source Ipsos MORI Issues Index
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Concern about unemployment is rising in line
with actual unemployment figures
Year
Source Ipsos MORI Issues Index and ONS Labour
force survey
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What do people think about public spending?
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Despite years of spending increases
To what extent do you agree or disagree with each
of the following statements about public services
in Britain?
Disagree
Agree
Too much money is spent on public services
We demand a great deal from public services but
are not prepared to pay enough taxes to fund them
Base 1,041 online British adults aged 16-64, 4-7
Sept 2009
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Public believes in efficiency savings not cuts
to frontline services
To what extent do you agree or disagree with each
of the following statements about public services
in Britain?
Disagree
Agree
Making public services more efficient can save
enough money to help cut government spending,
without damaging services the public receive
There is a real need to cut spending on public
services in order to pay off the very high
national debt we now have
Base 1,041 online British adults aged 16-64, 4-7
Sept 2009
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If you have to tax, dont tax me!
In order to bring the nations debts under
control, many experts think it is highly likely
that the level of taxation will increase in
future. If taxes were to rise, which of these,
if any, would you be most/least in favour of
being increased?
Base 1,041 online British adults aged 16-64, 4-7
Sept 2009
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Public split on hard choices cut services or
raise taxes?
Government borrowing is now at record levels, and
will need to be reduced in future. Which of these
statements comes closest to your own view?
Government borrowing should be reduced, even if
it means spending on key public services is cut
Dont know
Spending on public services should be maintained,
even if it means increasing the income tax I pay
Base 1,041 online British adults aged 16-64, 4-7
Sept 2009
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Lifestyle changes before charges in the NHS
If the NHS was to face lower levels of spending,
which of these, if any, would you be most/least
willing to accept?
Most
Least
Requiring patients to change lifestyle before
they are allowed treatment (e.g. give up smoking,
change diet)
Longer waiting lists
Charges for visiting your GP
Some types of treatment not available in your
area, depending on where you live
Fees for hospital stays
None of these
Base 1,041 online British adults aged 16-64, 4-7
Sept 2009
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Dont like larger class sizes
If education services were to face lower levels
of spending, which of these, if any, would you be
most/least willing to accept?
Most
Least
Fewer free pre-school places
Higher university fees
Larger class sizes in primary schools
Larger class sizes in secondary schools
None of these
Base 1,041 online British adults aged 16-64, 4-7
Sept 2009
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More police, less prison education.
If the Criminal Justice System was to face lower
levels of spending, which of these, if any, would
you be most/least willing to accept?
Most
Least
Fewer education programmes in prisons
More fines (eg speeding tickets, parking fines)
Fewer rehabilitation programmes for drugs
alcohol users
Fewer prison sentences and more community
sentences
Less monitoring of people on probation
Fewer police
None of these
Base 1,041 online British adults aged 16-64, 4-7
Sept 2009
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77 say some services should be protected even if
that means bigger rises in taxation and/or deeper
cuts in other areas of public spending.So where
should cuts take place?
14
Overseas aid and benefits (even in a recession)
are the prime candidates for cuts
And which TWO or THREE, if any, of the following
main areas of public spending do you think should
be cut to restore public finances?
Overseas aid
Benefit payments
Defence
Local authority services
Social services
The Police
Schools
The NHS/health care
Care for the elderly
None of these
Dont know
Source Ipsos MORI Public Spending Index
Base All who think some services should be
protected (773), 19-21 June 2009
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but NHS and schools should be ring-fenced
Which TWO or THREE, if any, of the following main
areas of public spending do you think should be
protected from any cuts?
The NHS/health care
Schools
Care for the elderly
The Police
Social services
Defence
Benefit payments
Local authority services
Overseas aid
None of these
Dont know
Source Ipsos MORI Public Spending Index
Base All who think some services should be
protected (773), 19-21 June 2009
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So what about Worcestershire?Quality of life
and the local area
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The Place SurveyEvery area of EnglandSame
timeSame methodSame questions
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We worked across the 6 Districts
Results based on8,346 responses
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Over eight in ten residents are satisfied with
local area (NI 5)
Q Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you
with your local area as a place to live?
Very dissatisfied (2)
Fairly dissatisfied
Very satisfied
Neither/nor
Fairly satisfied
Base All valid responses (8191)
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Worcestershire sits comfortably in the middle
Q Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you
with your local area as a place to live?
Satisfied
Worcestershire
Base All valid responses
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with a significant improvement since 2006/07,
but a range across Districts
Q Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you
with your local area as a place to live?
Satisfied
Dissatisfied
Base
Trend data
8191
Worcestershire 2008/09
BVPI 2006/07
District data
1126
Bromsgrove
1328
Malvern Hills
1536
Redditch
1104
Worcester
1446
Wychavon
1651
Wyre Forest
Comparative data
IM District Average
IM Average
Base All valid responses 2008/09. National
figures based on Survey of English Housing
2006/07. 17,506 face to face interviews with
representative cross section of adult English
population in the year to March 2007.
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Younger people, BME residents and social renters
are more dissatisfied than others
Q Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you
with your local area as a place to live?
Age
18-34
Dissatisfied
35-44
Proportion who are dissatisfied
45-54
55-64
65
Gender
Male
Female
Satisfied
Ethnicity
White
BME
Tenure
Owner occupier
Social rented
Private rented
Base All dissatisfied (553)
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Your local prioritiesWhats important?
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Your local prioritiesWhats important?What
needs improving?
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Quality of life what matters?
Most need improving locally
Important generally
Base All valid responses
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Quality of life what matters?
Most need improving locally
Important generally
Base All valid responses
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What is important generally?
Most need improving locally
Clean streets
Level of crime
Health services
Factors that are important for quality of life
generally, but not considered local priorities
Important generally
Base All valid responses
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What people want to see improved locally
Most need improving locally
Factors that are less important generally, but
that people want to see improved locally
But this is a rapidly rising local priority
Road/pavement maintenance
Activitiesfor teenagers
Traffic congestion
Important generally
Base All valid responses
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But positively, none of the local priorities
heavily inhibit quality of life
Most need improving locally
No factors that important generally, and that
people want to see improved locally
Important generally
Base All valid responses
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Community safety and ASB
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A quarter feel unsafe at night
Q How safe or unsafe do you feel when outside in
your local area
Very unsafe
Fairly unsafe
Fairly safe
Very safe
During the day
At night
Unsafe 26
Base All valid responses
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Teenagers on streets and rubbish lying around are
the biggest problems
Q Thinking about this local area, how much of a
problem do you think each of the following are
A very big problem
A fairly big problem
Not a very big problem
Not a problem at all
Teenagers hanging around on streets
Rubbish or litter lying around
Vandalism, graffiti and otherdeliberate damage
Noisy neighbours or loud parties
Abandoned or burnt out cars
Base All valid responses
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but these and other areas have seen
improvements since 2006/07
who think the following are a very/ fairly big
problem
Teenagers hanging around on streets
Rubbish or litter lying around
People being drunk or rowdy in public places (NI
41)
Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage
People using or dealing drugs (NI 42)
Noisy neighbours or loud parties
Abandoned or burnt out cars
Base All valid responses (2008/09)
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Declining concerns over ASB reflect national
picture, though Worcestershire still better than
average
Q Thinking about this local area, how much of a
problem do you think each of the following are 7
strand ASB index
with high perceived ASB (NI 17) National
average 20 Worcestershire 14.4
Source Ipsos MORI
Base Place Survey 2008/09 (352 local
authorities), BVPI 2006 and 2003 (387 local
authorities)
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Could improved ASB explain the increased
satisfaction with local area?
Malvern Hills
Wychavon
Worcester
Wyre Forest
Bromsgrove
Redditch
Source Ipsos MORI
Base All valid responses, 323 local authorities,
Place Survey 2008/09
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Despite the improvement are police and other
public services getting the credit..?
Q And how much do you agree or disagree that the
police and other public services are successfully
dealing with these issues in your local area?
Agree
Disagree
Worcestershire
Comparative data
IM District Average
IM Average
Base All valid responses 2008/09 (7,657)
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perhaps because only a quarter feel consulted
about it?
Q How much would you agree or disagree that the
police and other local public services seek
peoples views about these issues in your local
area?
Agree
Disagree
Worcestershire
Comparative data
IM District Average
IM Average
Base All valid responses 2008/09 (7,819)
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Cohesion
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Three-quarters say community cohesion is good (NI
1)
Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that
your local area is a place where people from
different backgrounds get on well together?
Trend data
Agree
Disagree
Worcestershire 2008/09
31 among 18-34s
BVPI 2006/07
Comparative data
IM District Average
IM Average
Base All valid responses 2008/09 (5,254)
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Slightly more feel they belong (NI 2) than the IM
average
Q How strongly do you feel you belong to your
immediate neighbourhood?
Very strongly
Not at all strongly
Not very strongly
who feel they belong Worcestershire 62 IM
average 60
Fairly strongly
Base All valid responses (7797)
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Engagement and involvement
42
Views about local public services less positive
on acting on behalf of residents
Q To what extent do you think that these
statements apply to public services in your
local area? Local public services
act on concerns of local residents
promote interests of local residents
Base All valid responses
43
Do we feel we can influence decisions?
44
Do we feel we can influence decisions? NO
45
Only one in four feel they can influence
decisions in their area (NI 4)
Q Do you agree or disagree that you can influence
decisions affecting your local area?
Definitely agree
Agree 27
Definitely disagree
Tend to agree
Tend to disagree
Net agree score -45
Base All valid responses (6959)
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and perceptions of influence over time have
declined, in line with national picture
Q Do you agree or disagree that you can influence
decisions affecting your local area?
Worcestershire
Source Ipsos MORI
Base Place Survey 2008/09 (352 local
authorities), BVPI 2006 and 2003 (387 local
authorities)
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Would we like to be more involved?
48
Would we like to be more involved? Depends
49
A quarter want more involvement on any issue
Q Generally speaking, would you like to be more
involved in the decisions that affect your local
area?
Yes
But, only 32 feel informed about how to!
No
Depends on issue
Base All valid responses (7780)
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Information still as important as empowerment..
Q Which of these statements comes closest to
your own attitude towards how the Police and
Local Council tackle anti-social behavior and
crime in this area?
Already involved (3)
Want involvement (3)
16
Want a say
58
Want information
18
Dont care
Base 1,896 GB adults, 18. Sept 2008. Source
Ipsos MORI
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So, what can you do about it?
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First, understand the context
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Dont compare apples with pears
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In the spirit of CAA, Ipsos MORI has produced an
Area Challenge Index How easy or
difficult is it to achieve satisfaction and
influence positive perceptions?
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Area Challenge Index - identifies 7 common
domains

• 7 common themes identified from Frontiers models
  (given equal weighting)
• These factors are consistently shown to be
  associated with making satisfaction harder to
  achieve
• When combined, generate a score from 1 to 100 for
  each LA area, with 1 least challenged and 100
  most challenged

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and provides relative score for all local
authority areas

• The most and least challenged County areas

Least challenged Counties
Most challenged Counties
Cumbria
Hertfordshire
North Yorkshire
Kent
Dorset
Devon
Lancashire
Northamptonshire
Worcestershire
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Worcestershire Districts
Relative scores for each district from 1 to 100
Hambleton/ N. Norfolk least challenged
districts
Wychavon
Malvern Hills
Bromsgrove
Wyre Forest
Worcester
Redditch
Oxford most challenged district
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And in Worcestershire, levels of deprivation vary
between Districts
Most deprived SOAs tend to be within Worcester,
Redditch and Wyre Forest
Generally much lower deprivation in Malvern
Hills, Wychavon and Bromsgrove
Source Worcestershire County Council IMD 2004
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And we know satisfaction with area is influenced
by levels of deprivation
Malvern Hills
Wychavon
Worcester
Bromsgrove
Redditch
Wyre Forest
Source Ipsos MORI
Base All valid responses, 323 local authorities,
Place Survey 2008/09
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Then, find out what factors drive perceptions
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What impacts on satisfaction with area?
Positive drivers
Negative drivers
SENSE OF BELONGING AND COHESION
15
Belong to immediateneighbourhood
CLEAN AND GREEN
- 6
People not treating each otherwith respect
14
Satisfaction with the way thelocal council runs
things
11
Safe to go out during the day
Satisfied withlocal area
- 6
People using or dealing drugs
8
Satisfied with parks andopen spaces
Safe to go out after dark
7
Noisy neighbours or loudparties
- 5
Keeping public land clear oflitter and refuse
5
SAFETY AND ASB
Vandalism, graffiti and otherdeliberate damage
to property
Local public services working tomake area
cleaner and greener
- 4
5
SATISFACTION WITH COUNCIL AND OTHER PUBLIC
SERVICES
Satisfied with local police force
5
Rubbish and litter lying around
- 4
People fr. different backgroundsget on well
together
5
Source Ipsos MORI
38.7 of variation explained by model
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Being kept informedis a key driver of
satisfaction do residents know what you do?
63
Two in five feel they are being kept informed
about what you do
Q Overall, how well informed do you feel about
local public services?
Very well informed
Not well informed at all
Informed 39
Fairly well informed
Down from 45 in 06/07
Not very well informed
Base All valid responses (7648)
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People feel information on performance and
engagement is lacking
Q How well informed do you feel about each of
the following?
How and where to register to vote
How your council tax is spent
What standard of service you should expect
How well local public services are performing
How to complain about local public services
How you can get involved in local decision-making
Base All valid responses
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This can lead to perception gaps eg fewer see
rubbish or litter lying around as a problem
Q Thinking about this local area, how much of a
problem do you think each of the following are
rubbish or litter lying around?
2006
Source Ipsos MORI
Base Place Survey 2008/09 (131 local
authorities), BVPI 2006 and 2003 (387 local
authorities)
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..but people are still cross about it
Q How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with each
of the following services provided or supported
by your local authority? keeping public land
clear of litter and refuse
Public services again not getting the credit they
deserve for improvements? A lack of communication?
2006
2006 question wording How satisfied or
dissatisfied are you that the local authority has
kept this land clear of litter and refuse. Base
Place Survey 2008/09 (352 local authorities),
BVPI 2006 and 2003 (387 local authorities)
Source Ipsos MORI
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Why are comms so important? Because being
informed is strong driver of satisfaction
Wyre Forest
Wychavon
Bromsgrove
?
Malvern Hills
Worcester
Redditch
Source Ipsos MORI
Base All valid responses, 131 local authorities,
Place Survey 2008
68
Quality of comms also reflected in CPA scores
who feel they are kept well informed about the
services provided by the council
Base All London Boroughs
69
Quality of comms also reflected in CPA scores
who feel they are kept well informed about the
services provided by the council
Excellent rated by Audit Commission
Base All London Boroughs
70
Some real examples of the impact of communications
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Positive impact on attitudes to sentencing
Proportion stating sentences given by courts were
about right
Pre
Post
40
30
27
25
24
23
22
20
20
18
20
10
0
Any leaflet
Posted
Handed
Handed with
through door
personally
explanation
Source http//www.justice.gov.uk/docs/inform-pers
uade-remind.pdf
73
And positive impact on confidence
Proportion saying they were confident that the
CJS was effective in bringing people who commit
crimes to justice
Pre
Post
60
48
46
50
45
40
37
40
34
33
30
30
20
10
0
Any leaflet
Posted
Handed
Handed with
through door
personally
explanation
Source http//www.justice.gov.uk/docs/inform-pers
uade-remind.pdf
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But it is not all good news
Tell them what you are doing as a result of
listening
75
Everyone is working together in Tyne Wear
76
Everyone is working together in Tyne Wear
77
Your role as leaders matters too!
78
Excellent organisations are the best places to
work
Q I am now going to ask you to rate Authority
name as a place to work compared with other
organisations? Would you rate it as?
Above average
Average
Below average
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base All respondents (1,500). Fieldwork 12th
27th May 2005
79
Best have more internal cohesion overall
Strongly agree
I understand my organisations overall objectives
I understand my units overall objectives
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base All respondents (1,500). Fieldwork 12th
27th May 2005
80
Senior managers matter.
The first thing is knowing where you want to go,
and the second thing is finding the best route
for getting there, which isnt always the
quickest route, because you have to take people
with you.
Disagree
Senior management have a clear vision of where
the organisation is going
I have confidence in the senior management team
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Excellent
Good
Fair
Weak
Poor
Base All respondents (1,500). Fieldwork 12th
27th May 2005
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Final thoughts
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The building blocks of good stakeholder relations
STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS
Leadership
Staff
Communication
Experienced and knowledgeable
Two way listen and feed back
Clear role and purpose
Consistency at all levels
Relevance
Efficiently meeting objectives
Informal and formal
Corporate memory
Add value
Regular and consistent
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What does the future hold?

• Despite pressures on public spending, the
  publics expectations remain high
• Worcestershire is a pretty good place to live!
• Seen improvements in quality of life and ASB
• Do you understand all the factors that drive
  perceptions in Worcestershire what you can
  control and what you cant?
• Communications are key demonstrate how you are
• Involving the public in setting priorities
• And then working together to deliver the outcomes
  they want

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Thank you for listeningAny questions?gideon.sk
inner_at_ipsos.com