Post date: Feb 05, 2021 2:19:32 PM
Dr Vasco Fernandes, Vice-Chair of the Milton Keynes Community Foundation, presented to the November, 2020 meting on the annual Vital Signs Report.
The aim is for the Report to be easy to read.
The purpose of the Report is to help those in the voluntary, community, commercial, faith and public sectors to invest their resources efficiently and effectively, towards the areas of the community where it is most needed.
This year’s Report focused on four areas:
Diversity
Health & Well-being
Poverty & Disadvantage
Crime & Safety
These areas, of course, overlap.
Diversity
The age profile shows that MK has a young population versus England as a whole.
Education-wise, black boys perform worst in MK.
MK has a higher percentage of ethnic minority school students, compared to England as a whole.
Young people are hit hardest by Covid-related job losses.
Men more at risk of dying from Covid than women. Black men twice as likely, and Asian men 1.5 times more likely, to die versus the rate for white men.
The risk of dying from Covid rises sharply with age.
Key questions from the data:-
· How can we ensure we offer equitable and meaningful opportunities for all members of our community?
· How do we as a community support black school students, particularly boys, to fully achieve their potential?
· How should we further support young people to access training, education or employment?
Health & Well-being
Covid had negative impact on people’s mental health, and contributes to an increase in loneliness. Large increase in calls to Age UK befriender service.
44% increase in calls to suicide lines from LGBTQ+ community.
Large increase in referrals of young people for counselling during the pandemic.
Increase in sexual abuse during Lockdown 1.
Key questions from data:
· How can we build on the way communities have come together to support the more vulnerable during lockdown?
· Since physical activity is important for good mental health, how do we encourage children to develop good habits for the future?
· As a result of the pandemic, anxiety has increased amongst the general population. How do we reassure, and build resilience?
Poverty & Disadvantage
Index of multiple deprivation. MK comes out reasonably as a total, but has 8 areas in bottom 10%, with two in the worse 2%.
There are barriers to accessing affordable housing.
About 18% of MK children live in poverty, with up to 32% in some areas.
Increase in use of Food Bank during the pandemic.
The number of unemployed doubled between March and May 2020.
MK Council housed most homeless people during the pandemic.
Key questions from the data:-
· How is this going to affect poverty in Milton Keynes over the next few years?
· What will happen to the homeless when the pandemic ends?
Crime & Safety
Hugh rise in Domestic Violence, from 2.6 to 10.7 per 1,000 during Lockdown 1. Also 12% of people gave Domestic Violence as a reason for homelessness.
The police say that violent crime is still the main issue, with an 18% increase in the last year.