Connected Communities
Local Futures is involved in the exciting Connected Communities project. So far, over 50 councils all over the UK have subscribed to the programme but the number is growing by the day. We are working together with The Leadership Centre for Local Government, The Campaign Company and Westco. The aim of the project is to give local councils a much deeper understanding of the drivers for low community cohesion in some parts of the community, and of the values and behaviours of people.
We are using Local Knowledge and the geodemographic OAC classification to provide a sound evidence base, culminating in a summary place profile for every local authority involved, which gives a comprehensive overview of their social, environmental and economic situation. In addition, we model their local Place Survey data into OAC.
This project is a prime example of how OAC can be used: in conjunction with the national, regional and local data we already hold in Local Knowledge, modeling hyperlocal Place Survey data into OAC gives the councils a more robust and detailed view of their customers, citizens and communities. This means they can be more effective in their cohesion and engagement activities, delivering better services and saving money in the process.
The initial responses have been extremely positive. Our new summary place profile has been welcomed, especially by high-level policy makers, and our OAC modeling is really bringing the possibilities of OAC alive. We hope this project is not just an excellent launch of our summary place profiles, but also a stimulant for every local authority to make better use of OAC.
If you have any questions about this project, or you would like to know more about place profiles or OAC and how we can help you, please do not hesitate to contact us. |
 |
Upcoming training courses and events
In addition to our regular training sessions for our users, we organise bespoke training sessions. These are usually held at our offices. Some of these sessions are open to non-subscribers too.
Our new course "How to use Local Knowledge to prepare your Local Economic Assessment" is receiving excellent feedback. We have not yet set the date yet for our next training but please let us know if you'd like to be invited, either by emailing us or filling in the online booking form.
Next Local Futures Network Seminar
Wednesday 24 March 2010: Understanding your Citizens, Customers and Communities
Chandos House, 2 Queen Anne Street, London, W1G 9LQ  Agenda
Building on our LGA/IDeA/Local Futures conference last year, the event will illustrate best practice in using the Output Area Classification (OAC) as a research tool and customer insight resource. Case studies will demonstrate how OAC has been used to improve service delivery and save money for organisations around the country. We will also be exploring emerging opportunities for OAC and demonstrating its potential to provide a unique insight into the make-up of communities across Britain. Attendance is free for subscribers (one person per organisation). Price for all others is £150.00 (excl VAT). If you would like to book your place, please use the online booking form link below or download a booking form. We hope to see you on 24th.
Thursday 22 April 2010: training session on OAC. The morning session is an introduction in how to use OAC in Local Knowledge. In the afternoon there will be an advanced session on Analysing Survey and Customer Data using the Output Area Classification System. These sessions can be booked either separately or together.
 Online booking form (can be used to book training and events)
paper booking form OAC training - email, fax or post back
Click here for the terms and conditions.
>>back to top |
|
|
|
Health Barometer Full report as pdf:
Tackling health inequalities has become a frontline issue across both national and local government in recent years. Yet while the Department of Health (2008) stresses that they are unacceptable, they also acknowledge that they are ‘stubborn and persistent’ and thus not easily managed.
Despite huge efforts to address socio-economic deprivation and improve the standard of healthcare, considerable health inequalities persist across the country. While the average life expectancy for the country continues to grow year-on-year, so does the gap between those living longest and those with the shortest life expectancy.
Local Futures’ latest research explores the geographic pattern of health in England and Wales, using newly released average life expectancy data from the office of national statistics as a proxy measure. The data shows that average life expectancy varies considerably across the country. Indeed, the analysis reveals an entrenched north-south divide, with individuals in districts in the south of England outliving their counterparts by up to nine years. The report shows that the lowest life expectancies are found around Merseyside, Greater Manchester and Tyneside. While at the other end of the scale, districts with the longest life expectancy are generally found on the south coast, in affluent parts of the south-east and parts of East Anglia.
 Source: Local Knowledge; Life expectancy at birth
Please email Michael Dee to receive the data annex for this barometer or for further information on this topic.
All of the data in our monthly barometers are also included in our Local Knowledge online system, which allows you to analyse places in Britain from regions down to neighbourhoods. It provides an easy-to-use and shared evidence base, for a range of research and policy applications.
Place Profiles are electronically created reports that provide a high-level analysis of areas from sub-regional through to neighbourhood level, on a range of economic, social and environmental themes. These themes include a health profile, which outlines the performance of your area on life expectancy and health behaviours. Please email placeprofiles@localfutures.com to request further information on this report or go to Place Profiles to see the full range of topics we produce.
Maptube
The maps from this barometer are also available on maptube here.
|
|
|
|
July/Aug 2009 newsletter |
|
|
|
What is an RSS feed?
A "feed" is a summary of Web content that is updated on a regular basis. Before you subscribe to a feed, you'll need an RSS reader or aggregator to view content in RSS. This is very easy if you are using IE7 or Firefox; you should see an illuminated RSS feed button in your menubar. Click on that button when you are on our homepage, and our website has been added to your RSS feed.
If you are using a different web browser, you will first need to download an RSS reader. Several free and commercial RSS readers are available on the Internet. Once you have an RSS reader, simply right-click on an RSS link, copy the URL, and paste it into your reader to display the content in RSS.
Feeds help www.localfutures.com make content more accessible, and they allow you to easily see new content. A summary or "headline" view lets you quickly scan recent content changes, and headlines are linked to their appropriate content.
To subscribe to our RSS feed, simply:
-
Drag and drop the button into your RSS reader, or
-
Click on the link, then cut and paste the URL into your RSS reader.
If you don't have a reader, or would like to learn more about RSS, visit the BBC's 'What is RSS?' web page.
Please report any RSS technical issues to web@localfutures.com. |
|