Building pride in Cumbria

Cumbria Intelligence Observatory:Cumbria Atlas

Rebecca Raw:

Research, Information & Intelligence Officer

Building pride in Cumbria

Cumbria• 2nd Largest County in England;• Six Districts;• Two National Parks;• 50% Rural Communities;• Urban Areas - City of Carlisle,

Barrow, Kendal, Whitehaven, Workington, Penrith, Maryport, and Ulverston;

• 168 CAS Wards.

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InequalitiesCounty averages mask significant variation across wards;

Example: Life Expectancy: •England & Wales = 80.2 years; •Cumbria = 79.9 years; •Moss Bay ward (Workington) = 71.8 years•Greystoke ward (Eden) = 91.3 years.

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Area Profiler• Cumbria Intelligence Observatory; • Assist practitioners to understand

inequalities and priority areas of the county;

• ‘Area Profiler’ – Microsoft Excel;

• 2010 Consultation – Updating the Area Profiler;

• Desire to use Geographic Visualisation Software.

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Why Use Geographic Visualisation Software?

Visualising and Interacting with Data:• Enhances communication - makes trends and relationships

within large amounts of data much clearer;• Engages users –interactive, flexible and user friendly format.

More accessible format results in: • Increased use by decision makers; leading to…• Understanding of inequalities and priority areas of the county;

supporting…• More informed decision making.

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Why Instant Atlas?• Used by Cumbria PCT– Consistent approach to information reporting

locally;

• Used by many Local Authorities and PCTs in the UK – Including neighbouring LAs in the North West – Consistency, support and best practice (active user group);

• Easy to use – Ready made templates, straight forward publishing process, doesn’t require specialist knowledge;

• Flexible – Can define your own geographies and use your own datasets;• Portable - Can be published on the web, emailed, distributed on CD;• Low cost.

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Initial Developments• Development of initial ‘core’ atlas

– ‘Cumbria Atlas’ – Key facts and figures as per original area profiler;

• Testing and feedback - Observatory partners;- Make it simple and intuitive;

• Published live on Observatory website;• Feedback from initial users;

• First demonstrations to Policy Network & Scrutiny Practitioners.

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Cumbria Atlas

Three formats:

• Single Map - Select a local data set and compare areas across the county in relation to that data set;

• Double Map - Select two local data sets and compare areas across the county in relation to both data sets, considers the relationship between the two data sets; 

• Area Profiler - Select areas within the county and view all data sets relating to those areas.

Cumbria Atlas Web Page:http://www.cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/AboutCumbria/Atlas/CumbriaAtlas.asp

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Cumbria Atlas

Cumbria Atlas Data Sets:

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Cumbria Child Poverty AtlasCumbria Atlas Web Page:http://www.cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/AboutCumbria/Atlas/CumbriaAtlas.aspCumbria Child Poverty Page:http://www.cumbriaobservatory.org.uk/antipoverty/childpoverty.asp

Same three formats as Cumbria Atlas for consistency;

Data sets associated with Child Poverty;

Linked promotion of atlas to Child Poverty work stream.

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Statutory Assessment Atlases

• Community Safety Assessment – Community Safety Atlas, October 2011;

• Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – Health & Wellbeing Atlas, in development;

• Local Economic Assessment Refresh - Economic Atlas, to be developed March 2012.

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Directorate AtlasesAdult and Local Services Atlas: •Performance Improvement Team within Adults and Local Services;•Contextual information & service user data; •Evidence base for developing district plans to target services;•To be merged into Health & Wellbeing Atlas as part of JSNA.

Children’s Centre Footprint, Childcare Sufficiency Assessment and Children’s Services Atlases: •Children’s Services Information Team;•Contextual information, service user and survey data; •3rd party contractors – demonstrate planning based on evidence; •Children’s Centre Staff & Ofsted – identifying successful interventions and tackling issues.

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Current & Future Developments

•Further development and maintenance of Cumbria Atlas, statutory assessment atlases, and directorate atlases;

•Linking into planning processes – Key resource for Area Planning;

•Addition of further service user data;

•Time series template;

•2011 Census Outputs Atlas;

•Link to emerging priorities – i.e. youth unemployment.

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Feedback• Key stats held in one place presented in one consistent way;• Informs planning processes and targeting of resources,

particularly important when resources are limited; • Supports transparency;• Supports local decision making;• Makes synergies clear for partners – relationships between

their key measures, highlights localities most in need across services, makes the case for joint working.

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Tips• Start with a core set of indicators, get them published, then

expand based on need;• Linking to statutory assessments and current / emerging

priorities means information is relevant and your atlas is promoted through associated work streams;

• Themed atlases give ownership of data to partners, gets their buy in, encourages them to act as champions for you.

Issues and Challenges• Keeping information up to date across multiple atlases –

development of master spread sheet with links;• Balance of datasets to be included - volume vs. relevance.