9. Appendix 1 Equalities and diversity data for East Devon
East Devon is an area characterised by:
its rural environment
its elderly population
its low numbers of people from black and minority ethnic groups
its in-migration both of permanent residents and tourists, and
its general affluence.
There are evident and widespread issues of:
limited accessibility
infirmity, and
disability.
In a dispersed population, such as East Devon, people who are, for example, from a different racial or cultural background, with special needs, ex-offenders or others who do not fit into the usual stereotypes of family and social structure may feel isolated and may not wish to draw public attention to their needs. Equally with an older population the needs of the young might be overlooked.
Gypsies and travellers are classed as an ethnic group and we have a pan- Devon research paper which informs our work in providing relevant sites.
Exclusion may mean that some groups do not get the full benefit of the services that are available to others, or they may be stigmatised and made to feel unaccepted. This can affect their mental health and well being.
We have a responsibility to all of the people who live and work in its area. We are taking steps to make sure that people are welcomed to support our wish to be a destination for national and international visitors.
For these reasons we have a duty to ensure that no one is excluded from enjoying the benefits of the Council's services. Equally we as a local leader must not only set an example, but also encourage others into good practice.
Children and Young People
· 24,396 residents are under 17 years old (16%). (ONS 2018)
Families
· 24.7% of households have a child under 16 (13,361 households). (Census 2011)
Older people
· 53,632 (37%) of residents are over 60. 2,646 are over 90 years of age (over 1.8%). (ONS 2018)
People living on their own
· 30.9% of households are adults living alone with 18.3% of those aged 65 and over. (Census 2011)
Gender
· 52% of East Devon’s residents are female. (Census 2011)
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and transgender
· We have limited information on these groups. It is estimated that between 6% and 12% of the national population are LGBT.
Race and Ethnicity
· Data for East Devon confirms that 96.2% White British, 0.4% White Irish, 1.7% White other, 0.80 Mixed, 0.6% Asian or Asian British, 0.1% Black or Black British and 0.2% Chinese (Census 2011).
Faith/Belief
· According to census data 65.6% of residents regard themselves as Christian. 25.1% felt they had no religion. 351 people are Buddhist, 142 are Jewish, 229 are Muslim, 55 are Hindu, and 13 are Sikh. (Census 2011)
Learning disability
· 230 local residents were identified as having learning disabilities in the JSNA Community profile (2016)
Mental Health Problem
· Over 11,000 local residents were estimated to have mental health problems 1370 people are on incapacity benefit for mental illness. (East Devon JSNA Community Profile 2016).
HIV
· There are 59 residents of East Devon who are accessing HIV related care. (PHE 2015)
Substance Users
· Around 250 drug misusers are known to live in East Devon
· Around 722 hospital admissions per year related to alcohol. (Health Profile 2019)
Mobility difficulties
· 14.5% of East Devon residents (over 19,000) were estimated to have mobility difficulties in the Housing Market Assessment 2014.
· 7.3% of residents had general difficulties due to age or frailty.
Sensory disabilities
· Over 6,000 (4.5%) of the local population were estimated to have visual or hearing impairment (Housing Market assessment 2014).
Other Physical difficulties
· 11.3% of East Devon residents were estimated to have a health or disability issue not listed above, by the Housing Market Assessment 2014.
Low income/unemployment
· For East Devon it is estimated that 10,899 households are below the poverty line.
· 14,068 of our adult population are over indebted.
· East Devon’s child poverty rate is 22.3%.
· Unemployment rates in East Devon are 7.2% in 2012.
· 83.2% of the working age population is regarded as economically active. (ONS annual Population survey 2015-16)
· 54.5% of the population in East Devon is of working age. (ONS 2015)
· 10,770 people in East Devon claim an income related benefit. (DWP Aug 2016)
· The average weekly full time earnings are £394.40 for someone living in East Devon. (ASHE 2015)
· The house price to salary ratio is 11:42 – one of the highest in UK, and the highest in Devon. (Land Registry 2016)
Homeless
· There are normally around 70 homeless households (including a very few rough sleepers) in 2012.
Rurality
· 17,700 households (28%) live in villages, hamlets or isolated dwellings (Census 2011).
Education
· 48.1% of the economically active population are educated to A-level or above. (Census 2011)
· GCSE achievement is better than national average, with 60.7% of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A*-C including English and Maths (JSNA Profile 2017)
No powered personal transport (cars, motorbikes etc)
· Almost 20% of households have no personal powered transport, in an area where car use is particularly high and public transport use is low. (Census 2011)
For more information about East Devon see our Knowing East Devon Page.