Community wellbeing: key data sources
Audit Commission
The Audit Commission sponsored an area profiles project to test the feasibility of producing profiles of the quality of life and public services in a local area. They have also published a good practice guide on Local quality of life indicators to assist communities in producing their own quality of life indicators.
New CHP profiles
ScotPHO's New CHP profiles 2008 present a range of over 60 health related indicators for 40 "communities" across Scotland. These profiles cover Community Health Partnership/Community Health and Care Partnerships, but also provide data at an intermediate zone level (average population 2,500 - 6,000) and in the case of Glasgow, housing forum areas (average population 3.5-15,000). Each profile provides a rich picture of both health determinants (e.g. education, employment, housing) and health outcomes (mortality, substance use, ill-health) at a local level. More information can be found on the CHP profile section of this website - see Profiles: introduction.
The Citizenship Survey
The Citizenship Survey is a biennial survey in England and Wales, designed to be part of the evidence base for the Home Office's community policy area. The survey is designed around five core modules: Good citizen; Neighbourhood; Active communities; Racial prejudice and discrimination; Family and parenting. This information is used to inform family policy across a number of key Government departments in addition to the Home Office. It provides useful examples of themes relevant to community wellbeing.
The New Economics Foundation has launched a new website with tools, reports and resources for measuring individual, community and national wellbeing.
Scottish Community Development Centre
In 2005, the Scottish Community Development Centre was commissioned by Communities Scotland to undertake a project focused on the development of standards and associated guidance for the way in which public agencies engage with communities. Their website has more information about this and other related work.
Scottish Centre for Regeneration
The SCR web site has a built up a database of case studies that demonstrate good practice in relation to community engagement. These are practical examples of organisations or techniques which have worked to improve community engagement.
Scottish Household Survey
A Scottish Government survey whose aims include informing policy on transport and social justice. This survey collects information on issues like community safety, satisfaction with neighbourhood and community involvement at a local authority level.
Scottish Neighbourhood Statistics
The SNS web site provides a range of relevant data - for example, caring responsibilities, perceptions of neighbourhood, views on services and voter turnout - at various geographical levels.
Scottish Social Attitudes Survey
The 2007 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey (SSAS) included a number of questions designed to measure subjective wellbeing. An analysis of Subjective perceptions of well-being in Scotland, based on the results of this survey, was published in 2008.
The World Bank site has a number of relevant sections on social capital and community driven development, and which include pages focussed on measuring social capital. They have developed two measurement tools for assessing social capital: the Social Capital Assessment Tool (SOCAT) and the Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire (SOCAP IQ).
sites