My Place, My Say Panel Survey - Summer 2014

Research Report

My Place, My Say Panel Survey – Summer 2014

Prepared for: South Staffordshire Council

Prepared by: BMG Research


Prepared for: South Staffordshire Council

Prepared by: BMG Research

Date: September 2014

Produced by BMG Research

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Main Findings

1

Table of Contents

1 Main Findings ................................................................................................................ 7

1.1 South Staffordshire ................................................................................................. 7

1.2 Internet access and Council website usage ............................................................ 7

1.3 Contact Experience ................................................................................................. 8

1.4 Enforcement Action ................................................................................................. 8

1.5 Safety ..................................................................................................................... 8

1.6 Waste recycling ...................................................................................................... 9

1.7 Volunteering............................................................................................................ 9

1.8 Health and well-being ............................................................................................. 9

1.9 Food Hygiene ....................................................................................................... 10

1.10 Media .................................................................................................................... 10

2 Introduction and Methodology ...................................................................................... 12

2.1 Background........................................................................................................... 12

2.2 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 12

2.2.1 Confidence testing ......................................................................................... 12

2.2.2 Weighting the data ......................................................................................... 12

2.2.3 Localities ........................................................................................................ 13

2.2.4 Data tables .................................................................................................... 13

2.2.5 Rounding ....................................................................................................... 14

2.2.6 Significance testing ........................................................................................ 14

3 South Staffordshire ...................................................................................................... 15

3.1 Likelihood of recommending South Staffordshire as a place to live ....................... 15

3.2 Council Management ............................................................................................ 15

3.3 Value for money .................................................................................................... 18

3.4 Good quality services ............................................................................................ 19

3.5 Acting on the concerns of local residents .............................................................. 21

3.6 Feeling informed about Council services and benefits .......................................... 23

3.7 Satisfaction with the Elections service ................................................................... 25

4 Internet access and Council website usage ................................................................. 26

4.1 Internet access and use ........................................................................................ 26

4.2 Use of and views on the councils website ............................................................. 28


2

4.3 South Staffordshire Good Life website .................................................................. 32

5 Contact Experience ...................................................................................................... 33

6 Enforcement Action ...................................................................................................... 38

7 Safety .......................................................................................................................... 40

7.1 Perceptions of safety ............................................................................................ 40

7.2 Crime and anti-social behaviour ............................................................................ 42

7.3 Village Agent ......................................................................................................... 46

8 Waste Recycling .......................................................................................................... 47

9 Volunteering ................................................................................................................. 48

9.1 Current levels of volunteering ............................................................................... 48

9.2 Volunteering motivations barriers and potential ..................................................... 49

9.3 Unpaid help to someone that is not a relative or club/group or organisation .......... 50

10 Health and well being ............................................................................................... 56

10.1 Physical and mental wellbeing .............................................................................. 56

10.2 Physical activity .................................................................................................... 58

10.3 Council leisure facilities ......................................................................................... 61

11 Food Hygiene ........................................................................................................... 64

12 Media ....................................................................................................................... 68

12.1 The Review newspaper ........................................................................................ 69

12.2 Media consumption ............................................................................................... 71

13 Sample profile .......................................................................................................... 75

Table of Figures

Figure 1: How likely are you to recommend South Staffordshire as a good place to live? (All

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 15

Figure 2: Levels of satisfaction with the way South Staffordshire Council run things. (All valid

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 16

Figure 3: Satisfaction with the way South Staffordshire Council run thing 2010-14 (All valid

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 16

Figure 4: Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way South Staffordshire

Council run things? – by Locality (All valid responses) ........................................................ 17

Main Findings

3

Figure 5: To what extent do you agree or disagree that South Staffordshire Council provides

value for money? (All responses) ........................................................................................ 18


value for money? – by Locality (All responses) ................................................................... 19


good quality services? (All responses) ................................................................................ 20

Figure 8: To what extent do you think South Staffordshire Council acts on the concerns of

local residents? (All responses) .......................................................................................... 21

Figure 9: To what extent do you think South Staffordshire Council acts on the concerns of

local residents? – by Locality (All responses) ...................................................................... 22

Figure 10: Overall, how well informed do you think South Staffordshire Council keeps

residents about the services and benefits it provides? By benefits we mean any positive

impacts it has had on the local area. (All responses)........................................................... 23

Figure 11: Overall, how well informed do you think South Staffordshire Council keeps

residents about the services and benefits it provides? By benefits we mean any positive

impacts it has had on the local area. 2012 to 2014 (All responses) ..................................... 24

Figure 12: How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the Elections service provided by South

Staffordshire Council? (All responses) ................................................................................ 25

Figure 13: Do you have access to the internet? 2014 & 2012 (All responses) ..................... 26

Figure 14: Do you have access to the internet? – by Locality (All responses) ..................... 27

Figure 15: How often do you use the internet for non-work purposes? (All those with internet

access) ............................................................................................................................... 27

Figure 16: Have you visited the council’s website in the last 12 months? (All those with

access to the internet) ......................................................................................................... 28

Figure 17: On a scale of 1-10, one being very poor and ten being excellent, how would you

rate..? (All Council website users) ....................................................................................... 29

Figure 18: If you have not visited the Council's website in the past twelve months, what is the

primary reason why? (Where respondents have not visited the Council website in the last 12

months) ............................................................................................................................... 30

Figure 19: Whether more or less likely to contact the Council through its website/by email

than 12 months ago (All responses) .................................................................................... 31

Figure 20: Have you contacted the Council in the past twelve months? (All responses) ...... 33

Figure 21: How easy was it to find and contact the Council service you needed? (Where

residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months) .............................................. 34

Figure 22: How satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the way South Staffordshire Council

resolved your contact, case or enquiry? (Where residents have contacted the Council in the

past 12 months) .................................................................................................................. 37

Figure 23: Are you aware of any enforcement action taken in your local area? (All

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 38


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Figure 24: Satisfaction with enforcement action taken regarding the following (Where aware

of enforcement action) ........................................................................................................ 39

Figure 25: How safe do you feel during the day in the area in which you live? 2014 & 2012

(All responses) .................................................................................................................... 40

Figure 26: How safe do you feel at night in the area in which you live? 2014 & 2012 (All

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 41

Figure 27: How safe do you feel at night? By locality (All responses) .................................. 41

Figure 28: To what extent are any of the following a problem in your neighbourhood...? (All

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 43

Figure 29: To what extent are any of the following a problem in your neighbourhood...? %

that consider each a problem – 2014 & 2013 (All responses) .............................................. 44

Figure 30: Are you aware of the Village Agent for your local area? (All responses) ............. 46

Figure 31: Overall, about how often over the last 12 months have you given unpaid help to

any group(s), club(s) or organisation(s)? (All responses) .................................................... 48

Figure 32: Can you explain why you have given your time as a volunteer? 2014 & 2012 (All

those who have volunteered in the last 12 months, valid responses) .................................. 49

Figure 33: Overall, how often over the last 12 months have you given unpaid help to

someone that is not a relative or club/group or organisation e.g. a neighbour, friend etc? (All

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 50

Figure 34: Can you explain why you have given unpaid help? (Where unpaid help has been

given to someone who is not a relative or a club/group or organisation) ............................. 51

Figure 35: Likelihood of volunteering your time to ‘deliver a service you felt was missing in

your local area’ (All respondents) ........................................................................................ 52

Figure 36: Likelihood of volunteering your time to ‘make sure a service remains available in

your local area’ (All respondents) ........................................................................................ 53

Figure 37: Which of these reasons best explain why you are unlikely to volunteer your time?

(All responses) .................................................................................................................... 54

Figure 38: How would you rate your physical well-being? 2014 & 2012 (All responses) ...... 56

Figure 39: How would you rate your mental well-being? 2014 & 2012 (All responses) ........ 57

Figure 40: On average, how many hours of physical activity per week do you take part in?

2014 & 2012 (All responses) ............................................................................................... 58

Figure 41: On average, how many hours of physical activity (exercise) do you do per week?

By physical activity we mean something that raises your heartbeat. (All responses) ........... 59

Figure 42: What (if anything) prevents you from taking more exercise? 2014 & 2013 (Where

respondents do NO physical activity) .................................................................................. 60

Figure 43: Do you use any of South Staffordshire's leisure centres and/or Baggeridge

Country Park, if so which ones? (Where respondents participate in physical activity) ......... 61

Figure 44: How would you rate the centre(s) overall, including facilities, ease of booking and

customer service (Where respondent uses any of the council’s leisure centres) ................. 62

Main Findings

5

Figure 45: Where do you exercise? (Where do NOT use a South Staffordshire leisure

facility) ................................................................................................................................ 63

Figure 46: And why do you choose this? (Where do NOT use a South Staffordshire leisure

facility) ................................................................................................................................ 63

Figure 47: How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the standards of hygiene and

cleanliness of food businesses in South Staffordshire? (All responses) .............................. 64

Figure 48: Would you want to find out how well your local eatery is doing in terms of food

hygiene? (All responses) ..................................................................................................... 65

Figure 49: How easy do you think this information is to find? (Where accessed information

regarding food hygiene at local eatery) ............................................................................... 66

Figure 50: Are you aware of the RatemyPlace website? (All responses) ............................. 67

Figure 51: Whether media has viewed the following positively or negatively (All responses)

........................................................................................................................................... 68

Figure 52: Do you read the 'Review' newspaper? (All responses) ....................................... 69

Figure 53: How informative do you find the newspaper? (Where read the Review

newspaper) ......................................................................................................................... 70

Figure 54: What national radio stations do you listen to? (All responses) ............................ 71

Figure 55: What local radio stations do you listen to? (All responses) ................................. 72

Figure 56: What national newspapers do you read? (All responses) ................................... 73

Figure 57: What local newspapers do you read? (All responses) ........................................ 74

Table of Tables

Table 1: Localities definitions .............................................................................................. 13

Table 2: Survey response by Locality .................................................................................. 13

Table 3: Overall, how well informed do you think South Staffordshire Council keeps residents

about the services and benefits it provides?– views by Locality (All responses) .................. 24

Table 4: On a scale of 1-10, one being very poor and ten being excellent, how would you

rate..? 2014 & 2012 (All Council website users) .................................................................. 30

Table 5: Net change in likelihood of council online contact (All responses) ......................... 32

Table 6: Rating of the following aspects of the South Staffordshire's Good Life website

(Where visited South Staffordshire Good Life website) ....................................................... 32

Table 7: Level of agreement with the following statements regarding last contact with Council

(Where residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months) ................................. 35

Table 8: Level of agreement with the following statements (Where residents have contacted

the Council in the past 12 months) ...................................................................................... 36


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Table 9: Crime and ASB issues considered to be a problem - % very big problem/a fairly big

problem - by Locality (All responses) .................................................................................. 45

Table 10: Level of agreement with the following regarding waste and recycling service (All

responses) .......................................................................................................................... 47

Table 11: Top three reasons for being unlikely to volunteer - by age group ......................... 55

Table 12: Physical and mental well-being by age (All responses) ...................................... 57

Main Findings

7

1 Main Findings

This report summarises the results of a survey conducted amongst 572 My Place, My

Say panel members, via a self-completion postal survey between July and August

2014. This return represents a response rate of 59% from the 975 questionnaires that

were despatched.

1.1 South Staffordshire

Virtually all South Staffordshire residents would recommend South Staffordshire as a

good place to live (96%).

This is reflected with the high proportion of residents that are satisfied with the way

South Staffordshire Council runs things (83%), with just 7% stating they are

dissatisfied. Satisfaction with the way South Staffordshire Council runs things is now

20-percentage points higher than in 2010 (83% cf. 63%), having improved by 2-

percentage points since 2012 (81%).

Seven out of ten residents agree that South Staffordshire Council provides value for

money (70%) and that the Council provides good quality services (72%). Although in

both of these cases the proportion that states they tend to agree is considerably higher

than the proportion that strongly agrees.

By Locality, residents of Locality 3 are least positive with regards to the way South

Staffordshire Council runs things, provides value for money and provides good quality

services.

Overall around two thirds of residents think South Staffordshire Council acts on the

concerns of residents either a great deal or a fair amount (68%). While 24% believe

that the Council does not act on the concerns of the residents very much or not at all.

Three quarters of all residents feel well informed about Council services and benefits

(75%), while 1 in 5 do not (22%). These findings are almost identical to when the

question was last asked in 2012.

Eight out of ten residents are satisfied with the Elections service provided by the South

Staffordshire Council (81%) and just 1 in 20 are dissatisfied to any degree (5%).

1.2 Internet access and Council website usage

Four out of five residents have access to the internet in some form (81% cf. 83% in

2012); however access varies by locality; from 74% in Locality 3, up to 92% in Locality

1.

More than 9 in 10 of those with internet access use the internet at least once a week

for non-work purposes (91%), including three quarters that use it every day (77%).

Just over two fifths of residents with internet access have visited the Council website in

the last 12 months (42% cf. 45% in 2012). Usage varies quite considerably by Locality;

from 20% of those in Locality 3 that have visited the Council website, up to 70% of

respondents in Locality 4.


8

Amongst those that have visited the Council website average ratings of 6.8 out of 10

are given for the look of the website, 6.6 for the ease of finding what you are looking

for, and 7.5 for how easy it is to understand the information on there. These ratings are

generally consistent with those recorded in 2012.

The main reason for residents not visiting the Council website is that there has not

been a need for them to visit it.

With the exception of looking at information on Baggeridge Park, managing their

Council Tax account, and paying a bill, there has been a positive net change in the

proportion of residents that are now more likely to use the Council website/email for a

range of purposes.

Just 3% of all residents have visited South Staffordshire’s Good Life website in the

past 12 months.

1.3 Contact Experience

Nearly a third of all residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months (31%).

Female residents are more likely to have done so than males (37% cf. 27%), and by

Locality the proportion is highest in Locality 2 (41%) and lowest in Locality 4 (22%).

Of those that have contacted the Council in the past 12 months the vast majority say it

has been easy to find and contact the Council service they needed (88%), and around

8 in 10 that agree that the staff member was courteous (83%); professional (80%) and

helpful (79%) and that they were listened to carefully and understood (82%). In nearly

three quarters of cases respondents agree that the staff member was knowledgeable

(72%).

Overall two thirds of those that have contacted the Council in the past 12 months are

satisfied with the way South Staffordshire Council resolved their contact, case or

enquiry (65%), while 12% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and 17% are

dissatisfied. Where residents are dissatisfied in the vast majority of cases they were

not given a clear explanation in response to their contact case or enquiry (79%).

1.4 Enforcement Action

One in ten respondents are aware of any enforcement action in their area (10%);

awareness is highest in Locality 3 (18%) and lowest in Locality 4 (2%).

Amongst the few respondents that are aware of any enforcement action and where

they have been able to provide a satisfaction rating, in respect of licensing, food

safety, dog fouling and pollution control they are much more likely to be satisfied than

dissatisfied with the enforcement action taken, with very few dissatisfied with each of

these. However with regards to noise nuisance, planning and fly-tipping approaching 1

in 5 are dissatisfied to some degree with the enforcement action taken in these areas.

1.5 Safety

Overall 9 out of 10 residents feel safe in their local area during the day (90%) and just

slightly fewer feel safe at night (85%). In Locality 3 the proportion that feel safe at night

falls to three quarters (75%).

Main Findings

9

The crime or ASB issue that is most commonly indicated by panel members as a

problem in their neighbourhood is speeding (38%), followed by dog fouling (32%).

Following on from this, around a fifth of panel members indicate that fly tipping (22%)

or rubbish or litter lying around (18%) are problems.

The largest difference compared with spring 2013, when this question was last asked,

is that the proportion of residents that consider dog fouling to be a problem has fallen

by 10-percentage points, from 42% to 32%. There has also been a decrease in the

proportion of residents that consider various other crime and ASB issues a problem,

including rubbish or litter lying around (down 6-percentage points); teenagers hanging

around on the street (down 8-percentage points); and no CCTV (down 5-percentage

points).

Just 6% of all respondents are aware of the Village Agent for their local area, although

of those who are aware the majority are aware of the role of a Village Agent (84%) and

how to contact them (73%).

1.6 Waste recycling

Virtually all residents agree that their waste and recycling service is reliable (97%),

including 71% who strongly agree that it is. More than 9 in 10 also agree that the

Council keeps them informed of changes to their collections (94%).

More than 9 in 10 residents agree that they prefer to use wheeled bins for waste and

recycling collection compared to boxes and sacks (95%), including 84% that strongly

agree. A similar proportion also agree that using a blue bin compared to the old box

and sack for recycling means that the street is cleaner on collection day (94% agree).

Just under 9 in 10 also agree that they can recycle a good range of materials at the

kerbside (87%).

1.7 Volunteering

Two fifths of residents have provided any unpaid help to any group, club or

organisation in the last 12 months (40% cf. 44% in 2012 and 39% in 2011). The main

reasons for doing so remains that the services they support rely on the work done by

volunteers, and community spirit.

A slightly higher proportion of residents (45%) have given any unpaid help to someone

that is not a relative or a club/group or organisation in the last 12 months. The main

reasons for doing so are that it is a neighbourly thing to do, and that they enjoy helping

others.

Lack of time is the main reason given for not volunteering, followed by not knowing

what opportunities are available, and the perception that it would involve too much

hassle with CRB checks and health and safety.

1.8 Health and well-being

Two thirds of all residents would describe their physical well-being to be good or very

good (67% cf. 65% in 2012), and just over 8 in 10 consider their mental well-being to

be good or very good (83% cf. 80% in 2012).


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Nine in ten residents do at least some physical activity per week (90%), including 48%

that do at least 3 hours per week. The main reasons given for not participating in

physical exercise are a lack of time (37%), which was also the case in 2013, followed

by health problems (30%), age (30%) and that it’s too expensive (29%).

In around two thirds of cases, of those that do participate in physical activity, they do

not use a South Staffordshire leisure facility at all (68%). Of those suggested to

respondents Womborne Leisure Centre is most likely to be used (7%), closely followed

by Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre, Penkridge Leisure Centre, and Baggeridge Country

Park (each are used by 5%).

Encouragingly, as in Spring 2013, when the question was last asked, 4 in 5 users rate

the Council leisure facilities as good or very good overall in terms of facilities, ease of

booking and customer service (79%).

Panel members who do not use Council leisure facilities are more likely to exercise at

home or on the streets, mainly due to reasons of convenience.

1.9 Food Hygiene

Just over three quarters of all panellists are satisfied with the standards of hygiene and

cleanliness of food businesses in South Staffordshire (77%), and less than 0.5% are

dissatisfied to any degree.

Approaching three quarters of all residents would like to find out how well their local

eatery is doing in terms of food hygiene (72%), although of those that would only 1 in 5

have done so (20%). The proportion that has accessed this information is significantly

higher in Locality 4 (54%).

Where residents have tried to access information on how well their local eatery is

doing in terms of food hygiene in 95% of cases they say that finding this information

has been as least fairly easy.

A quarter of all respondents are aware of the RatemyPlace website (24%). Awareness

is significantly higher in Locality 4, where 38% are aware of the website. Of those

aware of the website around half have visited it (52%). Half of those aware of the

RatemyPlace website are also aware of the connection between RatemyPlace website

and the National Food Hygiene Rating scheme (52%).

Overall 1 in 10 panellists have ever looked up the National Food Hygiene Rating

Scheme (11%); the proportion is significantly higher in Locality 4 at 36%.

1.10 Media

Overall, very few respondents think that the media has viewed the Government, South

Staffordshire Council or local Councils across the country in a positive light in the last 3

months, although out of the three they are most likely to think the media has viewed

South Staffordshire Council positively (15% cf. 7% for the Government and local

Councils across the country).

Approaching half think the media has viewed the Government negatively (45%) in the

last 3 months (this could include views from April-August 2014), and 3 in 10 think this

is the case for local Councils across the country (29%), while just 3% think South

Staffordshire Council has been viewed negatively (3%). The highest proportion think

Main Findings

11

South Staffordshire Council has been viewed neither positively nor negatively by the

media (50%).

Eight in ten residents read the Review newspaper (79%), and amongst those that do 9

in 10 find it informative (91%).

Radio 2 and Radio 4 are jointly the most popular national radio stations listened to by

South Staffordshire residents. Heart is the most popular local radio station, followed by

BBC WM. The Daily Mail is the national newspaper that South Staffordshire residents

are most likely to read, followed by the Daily Telegraph and then the Sunday

Telegraph. The most popular local newspaper is the Express and Star, followed by the

Chronicle.


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2 Introduction and Methodology

2.1 Background

The first South Staffordshire My Place, My Say survey of 2014 has been used to seek

the views of residents on a variety of subjects including:

South Staffordshire; including views on the local area and Council management;

Internet access and Council website usage;

Contact experience;

Enforcement action;

Safety;

Waste Recycling;

Volunteering;

Health and well-being;

Food hygiene;

Media.

The survey has been designed to contain a mixture of new measures alongside

questions that have been used in previous surveys to allow tracking of public

perceptions over time.

2.2 Methodology

The survey questionnaire was mailed to all 922 panel members in early July 2014. A

reminder mailing was sent on the 28th July, with the final fieldwork cut off date for

returns being the 15th August 2014. By the end of the fieldwork period, 572

questionnaires had been returned. This represents a return of 62%.

2.2.1 Confidence testing

A sample of 572 is robust and is subject to a maximum standard error of ±4.1% at the

95% confidence level on an observed statistic of 50%. Thus, we can be 95% confident

that responses are representative of those that would be given by the total adult

population, if a census had been conducted, to within ±4.1% of the percentages

reported. This means that if the total adult population of South Staffordshire had

completed the survey and a statistic of 50% was observed, we can be 95% confident

that the response lies between 45.9% and 54.1%.

2.2.2 Weighting the data

On receipt of each completed questionnaire, BMG coded the verbatim (open-ended)

questions, and then analysed the open and closed data. As part of the analysis

process the data was ‘weighted’ by gender, age, and Locality to ensure that it

accurately matches the known profile of South Staffordshire population by these three

characteristics.

Introduction and Methodology

13

2.2.3 Localities

Throughout this report reference will be made to five Localities within South

Staffordshire. Parishes have been grouped together into five Localities as supplied by

the Council as shown in Table 1. The number of returns per Locality is shown in Table

2.

Table 1: Localities definitions

LOCALITY 1 LOCALITY 4

Acton Trussell, Bednall & Teddesley Hay Codsall

Dunston with Coppenhall(1) Bilbrook

Hatherton Perton

Huntington Pattingham & Patshull

Penkridge

LOCALITY 2 LOCALITY 5

Brewood & Coven Bobbington

Blymhill & Weston Under Lizzard Enville

Lapley Stretton & Wheaton Aston Kinver

Lower Penn

LOCALITY 3 Himley

Cheslyn Hay Swindon

Great Wyrley Trysull & Seisdon

Essington Wombourne

Featherstone

Hilton

Saredon

Shareshill

Table 2: Survey response by Locality

Locality Sample base Confidence Interval on

observed statistic of 50%

Locality 1 80 +/- 10.9

Locality 2 56 +/- 13.1

Locality 3 144 +/- 8.1

Locality 4 139 +/- 8.3

Locality 5 153 +/- 7.9

2.2.4 Data tables

As with the earlier surveys, a set of data tables has been produced, which presents the

results broken down by the groups listed below. These cross tabulations are based on

the information held on all panel members.

Gender;

Age;

Disability;


14

Ethnicity;

Economic status;

Housing tenure;

Whether there are children in the household; and,

Locality.

In addition, further cross tabulations have been run on this data to allow analysis

among groups that are relevant to the subject matter of this survey. Examples include

satisfaction with the way the council runs things and Internet use.

2.2.5 Rounding

Figures and tables are used throughout the report to assist explanation and analysis.

Although occasional anomalies appear due to ‘rounding’ differences, these are never

more than +/-1%. These occur where rating scales have been added to calculate

proportions of panel members who are satisfied at all (i.e. either very or fairly

satisfied). For example, if 25.4% of residents state they are very satisfied and 30.3%

of residents are fairly satisfied, these figures are rounded down to 25% and 30%

respectively. However, the sum of these two responses is 55.7% which is rounded up

to 56%, whereas the individual responses suggest this total should be 55%.

2.2.6 Significance testing

Please note that significance testing to opposite sample groups (e.g. male to female,

BME to non-BME or working age to non-working age) is included within this report and

is noted in bold and is underlined within tables.

This means we can be 95% confident that there is a significant difference. Please note

that throughout the report the word ‘significant’ has only been used to refer to those

figures, which have been proved to be statistically significant through this test

South Staffordshire

15

3 South Staffordshire

3.1 Likelihood of recommending South Staffordshire as a place to live

The first question on the survey for 2014 asked all residents to indicate how likely they

are to recommend South Staffordshire as a good place to live. Encouragingly, virtually

all residents say that they would be at least fairly likely to recommend South

Staffordshire as a good place to live (96%), including two thirds who are very likely to

do so (65%).

Figure 1: How likely are you to recommend South Staffordshire as a good place to live? (All responses)

Unweighted base: 572 * denotes less than 0.5%

By locality, the proportion of residents that would be likely to recommend South

Staffordshire as a place to live varies from 91% in Locality 4, up to 99% in Localities 1,

2 and 5.

3.2 Council Management

Overall, just over 8 in 10 residents are satisfied with the way South Staffordshire

Council runs things (83%), including around 1 in 4 who are very satisfied (28%). Just

7% of residents express any degree of dissatisfaction with the way the Council run

things, and around 1 in 10 are neutral (11% are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied).

65%

31%

2%

*%

2%

96%

2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Very likely

Fairly likely

Not very likely

Not at all likely

Not provided

Likely

Unlikely


16

Figure 2: Levels of satisfaction with the way South Staffordshire Council run things. (All valid responses)

Unweighted base: 561

These figures have been based on valid responses, meaning that not provided

responses have been removed in order to provide consistency with previous years. As

shown in the following figure, satisfaction with the way South Staffordshire Council

runs things continues to rise and has increased 2-percentage points since 2012. The

proportion giving a neutral opinion continues to fall, whilst the proportion dissatisfied

has increased since 2012 (from 4% to 7%).

Figure 3: Satisfaction with the way South Staffordshire Council run thing 2010-14 (All valid responses)

28%

55%

11%

3%

3%

83%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Very satisfied

Fairly satisfied

Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied

Fairly dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

Summary: Satisfied

Summary: Dissatisfied

63%

76% 81% 83%

24% 21%

16% 11% 12%

3% 4% 7%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

2010 (710) 2011 (720) 2012 (684) 2014 (561)

Satisfied

Neither satisfied nordissatisfied

Dissatisfied

South Staffordshire

17

Beneath these overall figures satisfaction with the way the Council runs things rises

with age (to 91% amongst the 65+ age group). Female residents are significantly

more likely than males to be dissatisfied (10% cf. 4%), as are residents that have a

long term illness or disability, compared with those that have not (18% are

dissatisfied cf. 4%). Amongst social renters the proportion of residents dissatisfied

with the way the Council runs things increases significantly, to 1 in 3 (32%).

Satisfaction with how the council runs things by Locality is shown in the figure below.

Dissatisfaction is highest in Localities 3 and 5 (11% in each case). However in

Locality 5 9% are fairly dissatisfied, whereas in Locality 3 10% are very dissatisfied.

Figure 4: Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the way South Staffordshire Council run things? – by Locality (All valid responses)

Unweighted bases in parenthesis

83%

85%

90%

76%

88%

83%

11%

14%

10%

13%

10%

7%

7%

1%

0%

11%

2%

11%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (561)

Locality 1 (79)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (142)

Locality 4 (134)

Locality 5 (150)

Satisfied Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied Dissatisfied


18

3.3 Value for money

As an introduction to the next question all panellists were first told that:

In considering the next question, please think about the range of services

South Staffordshire Council provides to the community as a whole, as well as

the services your household uses. It does not matter if you do not know all of

the services South Staffordshire Council provides to the community. We

would like your general opinion.

Following this, when asked about the extent to which residents agree or disagree that

South Staffordshire Council provides value for money, 7 in 10 agree (70%). However

the proportion that tend to agree (47%) is considerably higher than the proportion that

strongly agrees (23%). Overall 9% disagree that South Staffordshire Council provides

value for money, and 1 in 5 are neutral in this regard (19% neither agree nor disagree).

Figure 5: To what extent do you agree or disagree that South Staffordshire Council provides value for money? (All responses)

Unweighted base: 572

By locality, residents in Locality 3 are again most negative, and most likely to disagree

that South Staffordshire Council provides value for money; one in seven residents from

Locality 3 disagree that South Staffordshire Council provides value for money (14%;

9% overall), including 10% that disagree strongly (compared with just 3% overall).

23%

47%

19%

6%

3%

1%

1%

70%

9%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Strongly agree

Tend to agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Tend to disagree

Strongly disagree

Don't know

Not provided

Agree

Disagree

South Staffordshire

19

Figure 6: To what extent do you agree or disagree that South Staffordshire Council provides value for money? – by Locality (All responses)

Unweighted bases shown in parenthesis

Older residents aged 55 and over are more likely to agree that South Staffordshire

Council provides value for money (78%).

Residents that suffer from a long term illness or disability are significantly more likely

than those who do not to disagree that the Council provides value for money (17% cf.

7% respectively). Disagreement is also significantly higher amongst social renters

(31%), and also higher amongst people who have lived in the area for the longest

period of time (13% amongst those who have lived in the area for at least 20 years).

3.4 Good quality services

Nearly three quarters of all residents agree that South Staffordshire Council provides

good quality services (72%), although the highest proportion ‘tend to agree’ (49%)

rather than ‘strongly agree’ (23%). One in five residents neither agree nor disagree

(19%) and 8% disagree that this is the case.

70%

58%

74%

65%

78%

74%

9%

6%

0%

14%

9%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Agree

Disagree


20

Figure 7: To what extent do you agree or disagree that South Staffordshire Council provides good quality services? (All responses)

Unweighted sample base: 572

Residents in Locality 3 are significantly more likely than residents of other localities to

strongly disagree that South Staffordshire Council provides good quality services (10%

strongly disagree). Overall disagreement is significantly higher amongst residents with

a long term illness or disability (20% disagree) and amongst social renters (24%).

Analysing the data according to how long residents have lived in the area shows that

those that have lived in the area for up to 5 years are significantly more likely to agree

that South Staffordshire Council provides good quality services (92%), compared with

residents who have lived in the area for a longer period of time.

23%

49%

19%

5%

3%

1%

1%

72%

8%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Strongly agree

Tend to agree

Neither agree nor disagree

Tend to disagree

Strongly disagree

Don't know

Not provided

Agree

Disagree

South Staffordshire

21

3.5 Acting on the concerns of local residents

Just over two thirds of South Staffordshire residents think that South Staffordshire

Council acts on the concerns of local residents either a fair amount or a great deal

(68%), whilst around a quarter of residents say this is the case either not very much or

not at all (24%).

Figure 8: To what extent do you think South Staffordshire Council acts on the concerns of local residents? (All responses)


Social renters are again less positive (41% think the Council acts on concerns either

not very much or not at all). Residents of Locality 1 are significantly more likely than

residents of other localities to say that South Staffordshire Council acts on the

concerns of local residents not very much or not at all (38%), as the following figure

summarises.

11%

57%

19%

5%

7%

1%

68%

24%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

A great deal

A fair amount

Not very much

Not at all

Don't know

Not provided

A great deal/fair amount

Not very much/at all


22

Figure 9: To what extent do you think South Staffordshire Council acts on the concerns of local residents? – by Locality (All responses)


68%

53%

78%

73%

68%

67%

24%

38%

12%

20%

23%

25%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Overall (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

A great deal/fair amount

Not very much/at all

South Staffordshire

23

3.6 Feeling informed about Council services and benefits

Residents were asked about how well informed they feel the council keeps residents

about the services and benefits it provides. Overall, 75% of residents feel that the

council keeps residents well informed, but within this only 14% give the most positive

response of ‘very well informed.’ One in five (22%) feel the Council does not keep

residents well informed, with the remaining 3% either unsure or not providing an

answer.

Figure 10: Overall, how well informed do you think South Staffordshire Council keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides? By benefits we mean any positive impacts it has had on the local area. (All responses)


Compared with when the question was last asked in 2012 feelings are generally quite

similar with a 1-percentage point decrease in the proportion that feel informed, and a

2-percentage point increase in the proportion that feel not informed, as shown below.

14%

61%

20%

2%

2%

1%

75%

22%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Very well informed

Fairly well informed

Not very well informed

Not very well informed at all

Don't know

Not provided

Summary: Informed

Summary: Not informed


24

Figure 11: Overall, how well informed do you think South Staffordshire Council keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides? By benefits we mean any positive impacts it has had on the local area. 2012 to 2014 (All responses)


By locality the proportion of residents that do not feel informed ranges from 13% in

Locality 2, up to the highest level in Locality 1, at 29%.

Table 3: Overall, how well informed do you think South Staffordshire Council keeps residents about the services and benefits it provides?– views by Locality (All responses)

Total 1 2 3 4 5

Informed 75% 68% 81% 71% 79% 75%

Not informed 22% 29% 13% 25% 18% 21%

Don't know 2% 2% 4% 2% 2% 2%

Not provided 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% 1%

Unweighted Bases 572 80 56 144 139 153

Looking at responses in more detail shows a strong interaction between overall

satisfaction with the way South Staffordshire Council runs things and feeling informed

about services and benefits. Among those who are satisfied with the council, 84% feel

informed about its services and benefits. In contrast, among those dissatisfied with the

Council only 30% feel informed in this respect.

76% 75%

20% 22%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2012 (688) 2014 (572)

Informed

Not informed

South Staffordshire

25

3.7 Satisfaction with the Elections service

The last question in this section of the survey asked all residents to indicate how

satisfied or dissatisfied they are with the Elections service provided by South

Staffordshire Council. Eight in ten residents are satisfied with the Elections service

(81%) and just 1 in 20 are dissatisfied to any degree (5%).

Figure 12: How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the Elections service provided by South Staffordshire Council? (All responses)


In Locality 3 the proportion of residents dissatisfied with the Elections service

increases to 11%. Dissatisfaction is also significantly higher amongst residents with a

long term illness or disability (15%) and amongst social renters (23%). Whilst male

residents are more likely than female residents to be satisfied with the Elections

service (85% cf. 75%).

40%

41%

13%

4%

1%

1%

1%

81%

5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Very satisfied

Fairly satisfied


Fairly dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

Don't know

Not provided

Satisfied

Dissatisfied


26

4 Internet access and Council website usage

4.1 Internet access and use

Four in five (81%) panel members have access to the internet in some form. Four

fifths (79%) have access to the internet at home, a third (34%) has an internet

connection at work, and two fifths (39%) can access the internet on a mobile device.

Overall, compared with 2012 access is similar, although lower particularly at work

(34% cf. 43% in 2012).

Figure 13: Do you have access to the internet? 2014 & 2012 (All responses)


Access to the internet decreases with age, with 49% of the 65+ age group having no

access. Female residents are more likely than males to say they have no internet

access (26% cf. 11%). Those with a long term illness or disability are also less likely to

have internet access, with 41% of this group having no internet access compared to

12% of those without a long term illness or disability. Half of social renters have no

internet access (51%).

Access to the internet also varies by locality; from around three quarters of residents in

Locality 3 with internet access (74%), to the highest in Locality 1, at 92%.

79%

34%

39%

3%

81%

18%

1%

80%

43%

36%

3%

83%

13%

4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

At home

At work

On your mobile phone

Other access

Access

No access

Not provided

2014 (572)

2012 (688)

Internet access and Council website usage

27

Figure 14: Do you have access to the internet? – by Locality (All responses)


The majority of residents with access to the internet use the internet for non-work

purposes every day (77% cf. 79% in 2012). More than nine in ten (91%) of those with

access, use the internet at least once a week for non-work purposes.

Figure 15: How often do you use the internet for non-work purposes? (All those with internet access)


81%

92%

77%

74%

88%

79%

18%

8%

22%

25%

11%

20%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Overall (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Access

No access

77%

14%

1%

1%

3%

5%

79%

14%

1%

2%

3%

1%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Everyday

Once a week

Once a fortnight

Once a month

Less often

Not provided

2014 (454)

2012 (538)


28

4.2 Use of and views on the councils website

Overall, 42% of residents have visited the Council’s website within the last 12 months,

compared with 45% of all respondents in 2012.

Residents from Locality 4 are significantly more likely to have visited the website in the

last 12 months (70% have done so). Usage is also higher than average in Locality 1

(54%). While residents in Locality 3 are least likely to have visited the Council’s

website (just 20% have).

Males and those in younger age groups are also more likely to have visited the

website, as the figure below shows.

Figure 16: Have you visited the council’s website in the last 12 months? (All those with access to the internet)

Unweighted bases in parenthesis 16-34 year old base too small for analysis

42%

54%

33%

20%

70%

39%

52%

35%

50%

42%

15%

56%

46%

64%

77%

28%

59%

47%

62%

49%

57%

79%

2%

3%

3%

2%

1%

1%

3%

1%

1%

6%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Male (299)

Female (268)

35-54 (199)

55-64 (164)

65+ (191)

Yes No Not provided


29

Residents who had visited the South Staffordshire Council website (sample size of

219) were asked to provide their feedback on the design and navigation of the site.

These ratings were given on a 1 to 10 scale, where 1 is very poor and 10 is excellent.

Reviewing all of the ratings given shows that the look of the website was given a mean

(average) rating of 6.8. The ease of finding what they were looking for received a

mean rating of 6.6, and the ease of understanding the information on the site was

given a mean rating of 7.5.

To allow further interpretation of this data, the ratings have been banded as poor (1-4),

average (5-7) and good (8-10), with the summary results shown in the figure below. As

this chart shows, the poor rating was most commonly given to the ease of locating

information on the Council website (15%).

Figure 17: On a scale of 1-10, one being very poor and ten being excellent, how would you rate..? (All Council website users)

Unweighted Sample Base: 219

As the following table highlights views on the Council website are very similar to

those recorded in the 2012 survey.

7%

15%

9%

50%

40%

34%

43%

45%

56%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The look of the website

How easy it was to find what you werelooking for

How easy it was to understand theinformation on there

Poor (1-4) Average (5-7) Good (8-10)


30

Table 4: On a scale of 1-10, one being very poor and ten being excellent, how would you rate..? 2014 & 2012 (All Council website users)

Poor (1-4) Average (5-7) Good (8-10)

Mean score

The look of the website 2014 7% 50% 43% 6.8

2012 5% 67% 28% 6.7

How easy it was to find what you were looking for

2014 15% 40% 45% 6.6

2012 15% 50% 34% 6.6

How easy it was to understand the information on there

2014 9% 34% 56% 7.5

2012 4% 50% 46% 7.3

Where residents have not visited the Council website in the last 12 months, the main

reason given for this is that they don’t think there has been a need for them to visit it

(65%).

Figure 18: If you have not visited the Council's website in the past twelve months, what is the primary reason why? (Where respondents have not visited the Council website in the last 12 months)

Unweighted sample base: 338 * denotes less than 0.5%

All respondents were then asked whether they are more or less likely to contact the

Council through its website or by email than they were 12 months ago for a range of

different purposes.

Around one third of all residents are more likely to contact the Council through its

website or by email than they were 12 months ago either to make a complaint (34%);

report litter or fly tipping (33%); report a missed bin collection (33%); or to look at the

details of a planning application (32%).

The proportions of residents that say they are ‘more likely’ to use the Council

website/email to find the latest news (30%); find out what events are on in the district

65%

23%

3%

*%

4%

5%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

There has not been a need for me to visit it

Do not have internet access

Uncomfortable with using the internet

The website is not clearly laid out for my needs

Other

Not provided


31

(29%) or to look for information on leisure services (22%), are higher than the

proportions that say they are now ‘less likely’ to use the website/email for these

purposes.

However, for looking at information on Baggeridge Country Park, managing their

Council Tax account, and paying a bill the proportions that say they are now ‘less

likely’ are higher than the proportions that say they are ‘more likely’. A fifth of residents

are now less likely to use the website/email to look at information about Baggeridge

Park (20% cf. 12% that are more likely); and close to one in four are less likely to use

the website/email to manage their Council Tax account (23%) or to pay a bill (24%).

Figure 19: Whether more or less likely to contact the Council through its website/by email than 12 months ago (All responses)

The following table summarises the net change in the likelihood of residents

accessing the council website for each of the listed reasons (% more likely minus %

less likely). For all elements with the exception of looking at information on

Baggeridge Country Park; managing their Council Tax account; and paying a bill,

34%

33%

33%

32%

30%

29%

22%

12%

9%

9%

29%

32%

30%

33%

33%

35%

41%

44%

45%

43%

15%

13%

17%

13%

13%

14%

14%

20%

23%

24%

5%

6%

5%

5%

4%

4%

5%

6%

6%

6%

17%

16%

16%

17%

19%

18%

18%

18%

18%

18%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%100%

Make a complaint

Report litter or fly tipping

Report a missed bin collection

Look at the details of a planning application

Find the latest news

Find out what events are on in the district

Look at information about leisure servicesincluding leisure centres and walking routes

Look at information for Baggeridge CountryPark

Manage your Council Tax account

Pay a bill

More likely Neither more nor less likely Less likely Don't know Not provided


32

there has been a positive change in the likelihood that residents will use the website

to access the information.

Table 5: Net change in likelihood of council online contact (All responses)

Aspect % more likely % less likely Net change (%)

Report litter or fly tipping 33 13 +20

Make a complaint 34 15 +19

Find the latest news 30 13 +17

Report a missed bin collection 33 17 +16

Find out what events are on in the district

29 14 +15

Look at the details of a planning application

32 13 +19

Look at information about leisure services including leisure centres and walking routes

22 14 +8

Look at information for Baggeridge Country Park

12 20 -8

Manage you Council Tax account

9 23 -14

Pay a bill 9 24 -15

4.3 South Staffordshire Good Life website

Just 3% of all residents (15 respondents) have visited South Staffordshire’s Good Life

website in the past 12 months.

When those who have visited the website were asked to rate it an average score of

nearly 8 out 10 was given to each aspect:

Table 6: Rating of the following aspects of the South Staffordshire's Good Life website (Where visited South Staffordshire Good Life website)

Mean score out of 10 (where 1 is Very poor, and 10 Excellent)

The look of the website 7.6

How easy it was to find what you were looking for 7.6

How easy it was to understand the information on there 7.7


Contact Experience

33

5 Contact Experience

The first question in this section of the survey asked all respondents whether or not

they have contacted the Council in the past 12 months.

Overall nearly a third of all residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months

(31%).

By Locality the proportion of residents that have contacted the Council in the last 12

months is highest in Locality 2 (41%) and lowest in Locality 4 (22%). Female residents

(37%) are significantly more likely than males (27%) to have contacted the Council in

the past 12 months.

Figure 20: Have you contacted the Council in the past twelve months? (All responses)


Of those that have contacted the Council in the past 12 months, in the vast majority of

cases residents say it has been easy to find and contact the Council service they

needed (88%), including nearly two fifths who have found this very easy (37%).

Overall just 12% say that finding and contacting the Council service they needed was

not very or not at all easy. However this proportion is higher amongst residents who

are economically active (16% cf. 7% amongst the economically inactive), and is

particularly high amongst those who are in part time employment (29%).

31%

34%

41%

29%

22%

36%

27%

37%

42%

43%

36%

68%

66%

59%

70%

78%

63%

72%

63%

58%

55%

62%

1%

0%

1%

1%

1%

*%

0%

1%

2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Male (299)

Female (268)

35-54 (199)

55-64 (164)

65+ (191)

Yes No Not provided


34

Figure 21: How easy was it to find and contact the Council service you needed? (Where residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months)


Of the respondents that found it not very, or not at all easy to find and contact the

Council service they needed (just 22 respondents) the main difficulties they had were

difficulty in obtaining information on contacting the correct person/department about

the issue/concern (17 of the 22 respondents). The main suggestion to improve this is

to provide contact information on the relevant people/departments either by a booklet

or through the website.

37%

50%

7%

5%

*%

88%

12%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Very easy

Fairly easy

Not very easy

Not easy at all

Don't know

Easy

Not easy

Contact Experience

35

Of those that have contacted the Council in the past 12 months the majority are

positive about the experience, with around 8 in 10 who agree that the staff member

was courteous (83%); professional (80%) and helpful (79%) and that they were

listened to carefully and understood (82%). In nearly three quarters of cases

respondents agree that the staff member was knowledgeable (72%).

Table 7: Level of agreement with the following statements regarding last contact with Council (Where residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months)

Strongly

agree

Tend to

agree

Neither agree nor

disagree

Tend to disagree

Strongly disagree

Not applicable

/not provided

Agree Disagree

The staff member was courteous

44% 39% 6% 1% 3% 7% 83% 4%

I was listened to carefully and understood

39% 43% 9% 2% 5% 3% 82% 6%

The staff member was professional

39% 41% 6% 3% 3% 8% 80% 6%

The staff member was helpful

40% 39% 8% 4% 4% 6% 79% 8%

The staff member was knowledgeable

35% 37% 12% 6% 4% 7% 72% 10%



36

Of the respondents that have contacted the Council in the last 12 months, in half of

cases they were given a reference or contact name for their ongoing case or enquiry

(49%). In two thirds of cases residents were given clear information or advice (68%),

although 12% disagree that this was the case.

Two fifths of those who contacted the Council agree that timescales to resolve their

case or enquiry were made clear (39%), while 15% disagree. Where timescales were

not met, the proportion that agrees South Staffordshire Council communicated why

(13%) is slightly lower than the proportion that disagree that this happened (16%).

More than a third of respondents agree that letters, forms or correspondence they

received were sent in a timely manner (36%), and just 7% disagree.

Two thirds of those that have contacted the Council in the last 12 months agree that

they were treated in a fair and open way (67%), compared with just 8% that disagree.

Table 8: Level of agreement with the following statements (Where residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months)

Strongly

agree

Tend to

agree

Neither agree nor

disagree

Tend to disagree

Strongly disagree

Not applicable

/not provided

Agree Disagree

I was given a reference or contact name for my ongoing case or enquiry

22% 28% 14% 6% 4% 27% 49% 10%

I was given clear information or advice

32% 36% 8% 5% 7% 13% 68% 12%

Timescales to resolve my case or enquiry were made clear

12% 26% 12% 5% 10% 33% 39% 15%

If a timescale was not met, South Staffordshire Council communicated why

3% 10% 12% 8% 8% 59% 13% 16%

Letters, forms or correspondence I received were sent in a timely manner

14% 22% 9% 2% 5% 48% 36% 7%

I was treated in a fair and open way

27% 39% 8% 4% 4% 18% 67% 8%


Contact Experience

37

Overall two thirds of residents that have contacted the Council in the last 12 months

are satisfied to some degree with the way South Staffordshire Council resolved their

contact, case or enquiry (65%), including two fifths who are very satisfied (42%).

Nearly 1 in 5 are dissatisfied with the way South Staffordshire Council resolved their

contact (17%).

Figure 22: How satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the way South Staffordshire Council resolved your contact, case or enquiry? (Where residents have contacted the Council in the past 12 months)


Where respondents are dissatisfied with the way South Staffordshire Council resolved

their contact, case or enquiry, in the vast majority of cases respondents say that they

were not given a clear explanation in response to their contact, case or enquiry (79%),

while in 1 in 5 cases they agree that they were given this (19%).

42%

23%

12%

6%

11%

2%

4%

65%

17%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

Very satisfied

Fairly satisfied


Fairly dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

Not provided

Don't know

Summary: Satisfied

Summary: Dissatisfied


38

6 Enforcement Action

To introduce this section of the survey all panellists were told that:

The purpose of enforcement action is to protect the public, the environment

and groups such as consumers and workers etc. Enforcement can include

offering advice and assistance as well as more formal action such as serving

notices or prosecutions.

Following this explanation 1 in 10 respondents agreed that they are aware of any

enforcement action in their local area (10%).

Figure 23: Are you aware of any enforcement action taken in your local area? (All responses)


By locality the proportion of residents aware of any enforcement action is highest in

Locality 3 (18%) and lowest in Locality 4 (2%).

Amongst the respondents that are aware of any enforcement action (just 43

respondents unweighted) and where they have been able to provide a satisfaction

rating, in respect of licensing, food safety, dog fouling and pollution control they are

much more likely to be satisfied than dissatisfied with the enforcement action taken,

with very few dissatisfied with each of these. However with regards to noise nuisance,

planning and fly-tipping approaching 1 in 5 are dissatisfied to some degree with the

enforcement action taken in these areas, as the following figure summarises.

Yes 10%

No 77%

Don't know 9%

Not provided 4%

Enforcement Action

39

Figure 24: Satisfaction with enforcement action taken regarding the following (Where aware of enforcement action)


27%

25%

24%

24%

24%

24%

21%

18%

17%

6%

21%

17%

8%

17%

1%

0%

17%

17%

8%

18%

4%

10%

11%

9%

7%

8%

7%

10%

44%

47%

44%

31%

43%

42%

48%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Licensing

Food safety

Noise nuisance

Planning

Dog fouling

Fly tipping

Pollution control

Satisfied Neither satisfied nor disatisfied

Dissatisfied Don't know

Not provided


40

7 Safety

7.1 Perceptions of safety

Residents were asked about how safe they feel in their local area during the day and

at night.

Overall, 90% of panel members feel safe during the day in their local area including

56% who feel very safe. Compared with 2012 the proportion who feel fairly or very

safe has fallen (from 95%), however this is due to an increase in the proportion of

respondents that did not provide a response to this question rather than any increase

in the proportion who feel unsafe, which remains at just 1%.

Figure 25: How safe do you feel during the day in the area in which you live? 2014 & 2012 (All responses)


Compared with the average of 56% the proportion of residents that feel very safe in

their local area during the day is lower in Locality 3, at 42%. Male residents are more

likely than females to feel very safe during the day (63% cf. 52%).

The vast majority of all residents also feel safe in their local area at night (85%),

although just a third feel very safe (33%), compared with around half that feel fairly

safe (52%). As the following figure highlight these views are very similar to when this

question was last asked in 2012.

56%

34%

3%

1%

0%

6%

90%

1%

54%

41%

3%

1%

*%

*%%

95%

1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Very safe

Fairly safe

Neither safe nor unsafe

A little unsafe

Very unsafe

Not provided

Summary: Safe

Summary: Unsafe

2014 (572)

2012 (688)

Safety

41

Figure 26: How safe do you feel at night in the area in which you live? 2014 & 2012 (All responses)


The proportion of residents that feel very safe at night varies by locality and is highest

in Locality 2 (52%) and Locality 4 (49%), and lowest in Locality 3 (18%).

Figure 27: How safe do you feel at night? By locality (All responses)

Unweighted sample bases in parenthesis

33%

52%

6%

4%

1%

3%

85%

5%

32%

55%

6%

6%

1%

1%

87%

7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Very safe

Fairly safe

Neither safe nor unsafe

A little unsafe

Very unsafe

Not provided

Summary: Safe

Summary: Unsafe

2014 (572)

2012 (688)

85%

87%

91%

75%

92%

87%

6%

8%

4%

8%

3%

7%

5%

4%

4%

7%

4%

5%

3%

1%

2%

10%

1%

*%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Summary: Safe Neither safe nor unsafe Summary: Unsafe Not provided


42

Once again males are more likely than females to feel very safe (41% cf. 26%).

Overall residents that do not suffer from a long term illness or disability are more likely

than those that do to feel safe at night (89% cf. 71%).

7.2 Crime and anti-social behaviour

Panel members were asked to rate the extent to which a number of crime and anti-

social behaviour (ASB) issues, from a pre-defined list, are a problem in their

neighbourhood on a four point scale (Very big problem through not a problem at all).

The results are illustrated in the following figure.

Encouragingly, the figure shows that for all crime and ASB issues included in the

survey, more than half of the panel members indicate that they are not a problem in

their local area. The crime or ASB issue that is most commonly indicated by panel

members as a problem in their neighbourhood is speeding (38%), followed by dog

fouling (32%). Following on from this, around a fifth of panel members indicate that fly

tipping (22%) and rubbish or litter lying around (18%) are problems.

Safety

43

Figure 28: To what extent are any of the following a problem in your neighbourhood...? (All responses)

Unweighted sample base = 572

The largest difference compared with Spring 2013, when this question was last asked,

is that the proportion of residents that consider dog fouling to be a problem has fallen

by 10-percentage points, from 42% to 32%. There has also been a decrease in the

proportion of residents that consider various other crime and ASB issues a problem,

including rubbish or litter lying around (down 6-percentage points); teenagers hanging

around on the street (down 8-percentage points); and no CCTV (down 5-percentage

points), as the following figure highlights.

38%

32%

22%

18%

15%

15%

12%

10%

7%

6%

4%

4%

3%

3%

1%

55%

59%

65%

71%

60%

71%

61%

64%

59%

76%

82%

64%

82%

74%

80%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Speeding

Dog fouling

Flytipping

Rubbish or litter lying around

House burglary

Teenagers hanging around on the street

Theft of vehicles

No CCTV

People using or dealing drugs

Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage toproperty or vehicles

Noisy neighbours or loud parties

Not feeling safe on public transport

People being drunk or rowdy in public places

Abandoned or burnt out cars

Level of violence on the street

Summary: Very big problem/fairly big problem

Summary: Not a very big problem/not a problem at all


44

Figure 29: To what extent are any of the following a problem in your neighbourhood...? % that consider each a problem – 2014 & 2013 (All responses)

Unweighted sample base = 658

The proportion of panel members who indicate these crime and ASB issues to be a

problem in their neighbourhood shows significant variation by Locality. These results

are outlined in the table that follows.

The red shading in the table indicates the Locality with the highest proportion of panel

members indicating each crime or ASB issue as a problem in their local area. The

green shading indicates the Locality with the lowest proportion of panel members who

indicate each issue as a problem in their neighbourhood.

A quick glance at the table shows that Locality 3 has the highest proportion of panel

members indicating that five out of the fifteen crime or ASB issues are a problem in

their neighbourhood. Locality 4 has the lowest proportion of panel members indicating

that eight of the issues are a problem in their local area.

38%

32%

22%

18%

15%

15%

12%

10%

7%

6%

4%

4%

3%

3%

1%

36%

42%

21%

24%

12%

23%

8%

15%

11%

11%

6%

7%

4%

3%

2%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Speeding

Dog fouling

Flytipping

Rubbish or litter lying around

House burglary

Teenagers hanging around on the street

Theft of vehicles

No CCTV

People using or dealing drugs

Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberatedamage to property or vehicles

Noisy neighbours or loud parties

Not feeling safe on public transport

People being drunk or rowdy in public places

Abandoned or burnt out cars

Level of violence on the street

2014

2013

Safety

45

Looking in more detail at the top five crimes or ASB issues:

Speeding is most commonly considered a problem by panel members from

Locality 5 (53%), and the area in which the least panel members indicate it to be

a problem is Locality 4 (27%).

Dog fouling is most likely to be indicated as a problem among panel members

from Locality 3 (48%), while this issue is considered a problem by fewest panel

members in Locality 4 (15%).

Fly tipping is also most likely to be considered a problem in Locality 3 (34%) and

least likely in Locality 4 (8%).

Residents from Localities 2 and 5 (23% in each case) are most likely to think

rubbish or littler lying around is a problem, while Locality 4 residents are least

likely (10%).

House burglary is most likely to be considered a problem in Locality 3 (22%) and

least likely in Locality 1 (9%).

Table 9: Crime and ASB issues considered to be a problem - % very big problem/a fairly big problem - by Locality (All responses)

Locality Total 1 2 3 4 5

Speeding 38% 38% 43% 33% 27% 53%

Dog fouling 32% 29% 43% 48% 15% 27%

Fly tipping 22% 15% 22% 34% 8% 25%

Rubbish or litter lying around 18% 19% 23% 16% 10% 23%

House burglary 15% 9% 13% 22% 14% 13%

Teenagers hanging around on the street 15% 21% 13% 17% 8% 17%

Theft of vehicles 12% 10% 9% 15% 11% 11%

No CCTV 10% 14% 10% 11% 4% 10%

People using or dealing drugs 7% 8% 5% 9% 3% 8%

Vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles 6% 4% 12% 8% 4% 4%

Noisy neighbours or loud parties 4% 1% 3% 5% 3% 6%

Not feeling safe on public transport 4% 5% 11% 2% 3% 3%

People being drunk or rowdy in public places 3% 8% 0% 3% 2% 2%

Abandoned or burnt out cars 3% 0% 1% 3% 1% 6%

Level of violence on the street 1% 1% 3% 1% 2% 1%

Unweighted bases 572 80 56 144 139 153 *denotes <0.5%. Red shading indicates the Locality with the highest proportion indicating each crime or

ASB issue as a problem in their neighbourhood, green shading indicates the Locality with the lowest

proportion indicating each crime or ASB issue as a problem in their neighbourhood.


46

7.3 Village Agent

Overall, just 6% of all respondents say that they are aware of the Village Agent for

their local area. By Locality this proportion is significantly higher, at 23%, in Locality 2.

Awareness is also higher amongst females than amongst males (8% cf. 4%).

Figure 30: Are you aware of the Village Agent for your local area? (All responses)


Amongst those who are aware of the Village Agent for their local area the vast majority

are also aware of the role a Village Agent could play in their area (84%), and nearly

three quarters know how to contact their Village Agent (73%).

6%

3%

23%

6%

3%

4%

4%

8%

6%

8%

11%

91%

97%

77%

84%

97%

95%

95%

86%

94%

92%

87%

3%

10%

*%

1%

6%

1%

2%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Male (299)

Female (268)

35-54 (199)

55-64 (164)

65+ (191)

Yes No Not provided

Waste Recycling

47

8 Waste Recycling

Thinking next about their waste and recycling service all respondents were asked

whether or not they agree with a range of statements.

Overall virtually all residents agree that the service is reliable (97%), including 71%

that strongly agree that it is. More than 9 in 10 also agree that the Council keeps them

informed of changes to their collections (94%) and that they prefer to use wheeled bins

for waste and recycling collection compared to boxes and sacks (95%), including 84%

that strongly agree.

A similar proportion also agree that using a blue bin compared to the old box and sack

for recycling means that the street is cleaner on collection day (94% agree).

Just under 9 in 10 also agree that they can recycle a good range of materials at the

kerbside (87%).

As the following table highlights either none or very few disagree with any of the

statements regarding their waste and recycling service.

Table 10: Level of agreement with the following regarding waste and recycling service (All responses)

Strongly agree

Tend to

agree

Neither agree nor

disagree

Tend to disagree

Strongly disagree

Don’t know/not provided

Agree Disagree

The service is reliable

71% 26% 1% 0% 0% 3% 97% 0%

The Council keeps me informed of changes to my collections

63% 31% 2% *% 0% 4% 94% *%

I prefer to use wheeled bins for waste and recycling collection compared to boxes and sacks

84% 11% 1% *% *% 3% 95% 1%

Using a blue bin compared to the old box and sack for recycling means that the street is cleaner on collection day

82% 11% 2% 1% 0% 4% 94% 1%

I can recycle a good range of materials at the kerbside

59% 27% 6% 1% 1% 7% 87% 2%



48

9 Volunteering

9.1 Current levels of volunteering

To assess the level of volunteering in South Staffordshire, residents were asked to

think about any group(s), club(s) or organisation(s) that they had been involved with

during the last 12 months. This included activities they had taken part in, supported, or

that they had helped with in any way, either on their own or with others.

Overall, 40% of panel members have provided unpaid help to some extent over the

last 12 months compared to 44% in 2012 and 39% in 2011. Within this, 17% of panel

members volunteer on a weekly basis (19% in 2012). Conversely, approximately half

of panel members have not volunteered their time in the last 12 months (53% cf. 49%

in 2012).

Figure 31: Overall, about how often over the last 12 months have you given unpaid help to any group(s), club(s) or organisation(s)? (All responses)

Unweighted sample base: 2014: 572. 2012: 688. 2011: 720

The proportion of residents that have not given any unpaid help at all in the last 12

months is particularly high in Locality 4, at 69%.

17%

12%

10%

53%

1%

6%

19%

13%

12%

49%

1%

6%

14%

16%

9%

56%

2%

4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

At least once a week

Less than once a week but at leastonce a month

Less often

I have not given any unpaid help at allover the last 12 months

Don't know

Not provided

2014

2012

2011

Volunteering

49

9.2 Volunteering motivations barriers and potential

In 2014 the key reasons given for giving time as a volunteer are that the service they

support relies on the work done by volunteers (50%), and community spirit (49%). In

2012 the same two reasons were mentioned most frequently, however community

spirit was mentioned to a greater extent (by 66%).

Figure 32: Can you explain why you have given your time as a volunteer? 2014 & 2012 (All those who have volunteered in the last 12 months, valid responses)


50%

49%

37%

29%

29%

16%

13%

9%

3%

19%

45%

66%

38%

25%

23%

13%

10%

23%

7%

7%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

The service I support relies on work doneby volunteers

Community spirit

It makes me feel useful

It helps me to socialise

It helps integration within the community

It gives me something to do

I volunteer because it's a national or globalcause

If I don't do it, no one else will

Other

Not provided

2014 (267)

2012 (291)


50

9.3 Unpaid help to someone that is not a relative or club/group or

organisation

All respondents were also asked in this survey how often over the last 12 months they

have given unpaid help to someone that is not a relative or a club/group or

organisation e.g. a neighbour or friend.

Overall 45% of residents have given unpaid help to someone that is not a relative or a

club/group or organisation, including 9% that have done so at least once a week.

Figure 33: Overall, how often over the last 12 months have you given unpaid help to someone that is not a relative or club/group or organisation e.g. a neighbour, friend etc? (All responses)


In this instance the most frequently mentioned reason for giving unpaid help to

someone that is not a relative or club/group or organisation is that it is a neighbourly

thing to do (47%), while two fifths do it because they enjoy helping others (42%) and

nearly one third do so for the reason of community spirit (31%).

9%

17%

20%

42%

4%

9%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

At least once a week

Less than once a week but at least once amonth

Less often

I have not given any unpaid help at all overthe last 12 months

Don't know

Not provided

Volunteering

51

Figure 34: Can you explain why you have given unpaid help? (Where unpaid help has been given to someone who is not a relative or a club/group or organisation)

Unweighted sample base: 345 *denotes less than 0.5%

47%

42%

31%

17%

16%

11%

4%

*%

1%

25%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

It is a neighbourly thing to do

I enjoy helping others

Community spirit

It helps me to socialise

It makes me feel useful

If I don't do it, no one else will

It gives me something to do

Other

Don't know

Not provided


52

Looking to the future, all panel members were asked how likely they would be to

volunteer their time to deliver a service that was missing from a local area. In response

the proportion who feels they would be unlikely to do so (38%) exceeds the proportion

that would be likely to do so (28%).

Figure 35: Likelihood of volunteering your time to ‘deliver a service you felt was missing in your local area’ (Where have given unpaid help)

Unweighted sample base: 2014: 345

2%

26%

24%

14%

23%

28%

38%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Very likely

Fairly likely

Not very likely

Not at all likely

Not provided

Summary: Likely

Summary: Not likely

Volunteering

53

When considering volunteering in order to protect a service, i.e. to ensure that it

remains available, the response is more balanced, with around a third that would be

likely (34%) and a third that would be unlikely (32%).

Figure 36: Likelihood of volunteering your time to ‘make sure a service remains available in your local area’ (Where have given unpaid help)

Unweighted sample base: 2014: 345

3%

31%

21%

11%

24%

34%

32%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50%

Very likely

Fairly likely

Not very likely

Not at all likely

Not provided

Summary: Likely

Summary: Not likely


54

Following on from this, those who have not given any unpaid help in the last 12

months and/or are not at all likely to volunteer their time to deliver a service they felt

was missing or to make sure a service remains were asked to explain why they were

unlikely to get involved. The dominant response was a lack to time to participate (52%;

61% in 2012), something the Council and its partners can do little to alter. However a

notable proportion say they don’t know what opportunities are available (29%), and

just slightly fewer hold the perception that volunteering would involve too much hassle

with CRB checks and health and safety (24% cf. 27% in 2012). Both of these issues

can be more directly addressed through improved communication.

Figure 37: Which of these reasons best explain why you are unlikely to volunteer your time? (All responses)


52%

29%

24%

15%

9%

6%

3%

1%

1%

2%

2%

12%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Not enough time

Don't know what opportunities are available

Too much hassle with CRB checks and Health andSafety

Illness/disability

Don't know how to get involved

Simply not interested

Don't feel I have the appropriate skills

Lack of childcare

Transportation issues

Other

Don't know

Not provided

Volunteering

55

Reasons why residents were unlikely to volunteer varied according to age group.

Younger residents are more likely to cite lack of time as a reason for not

volunteering, while illness/disability is the most likely reason cited by residents aged

65 and over.

The main three reasons why different age groups are unlikely to volunteer are

summarised in the following table:

Table 11: Top three reasons for being unlikely to volunteer - by age group

Age group Most common response 2nd 3rd

35-54 Not enough time (60%) Don’t know what the opportunities are (28%)

Too much hassle with CRB checks and health and safety (17%)

55-64 Not enough time (33%) Illness/disability (26%) Don’t know what opportunities are available (18%)

65+ Illness/disability (43%) Not enough time (13%) Don’t know how to get involved (9%)


56

10 Health and well being

10.1 Physical and mental wellbeing

Panel members were asked to rate their level of physical and mental well-being.

Overall 67% would describe their physical well-being as good or very good, compared

with just slightly fewer in 2012 (65%). However within this the proportion of residents

that rate their physical well-being ‘very good’ has increased by 10-percentage points,

up from 16% in 2012, to 26% in the latest survey.

Just 4% of residents consider their physical well-being to be bad, as in 2012.

Figure 38: How would you rate your physical well-being? 2014 & 2012 (All responses)

Unweighted Sample Base: 2014: 572, 2012: 688

26%

41%

27%

3%

1%

3%

67%

4%

16%

49%

29%

3%

1%

1%

65%

4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Very good

Good

Fair

Bad

Very bad

Not provided

Summary: Good

Summary: Bad

2014

2012

Health and well being

57

Compared with physical well-being, the proportion of residents that consider their

mental well being to be good or very good is considerably higher, at 83%. A similar

pattern was evident in 2012, as the following figure summarises.

Figure 39: How would you rate your mental well-being? 2014 & 2012 (All responses)


While physical well-being falls with age, responses shows a consistent proportion of

South Staffordshire residents describe their mental well-being as good.

Table 12: Physical and mental well-being by age (All responses)

35-54 55-64 65+

Physical well-being Good 75% 62% 50%

Bad 3% 7% 8%

Mental well-being Good 82% 83% 83%

Bad 4% 2% 0%

Unweighted Bases 199 164 191

Male residents are more likely than females to consider their physical well-being

(72% cf. 64%) and their mental well-being good (88% cf. 78%).

42%

41%

12%

2%

0%

2%

83%

2%

34%

45%

16%

2%

1%

3%

80%

2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Very good

Good

Fair

Bad

Very bad

Not provided

Summary: Good

Summary: Bad

2014

2012


58

10.2 Physical activity

Panel members were also asked about how much physical activity they do in a week.

In response, 90% said that they do some physical activity per week and 38% do at

least 2 hours of physical activity in a week within this. This compares with 87% and

30% respectively in 2012.

Figure 40: On average, how many hours of physical activity per week do you take part in? 2014 & 2012 (All responses)


Further analysis of the data shows that residents in Locality 4 are especially likely to

only participate in 1-2 hours of physical activity per week (58%), while males are more

likely than females to do so, as the following figure reveals.

10%

38%

24%

24%

13%

30%

29%

26%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

0 hours

1-2 hours

3-4 hours

5+ hours

2014

2012


59

Figure 41: On average, how many hours of physical activity (exercise) do you do per week? By physical activity we mean something that raises your heartbeat. (All responses)


Amongst the respondents who indicated they spend no hours per week doing physical

activity the main reason given for this is a lack of time (37%). Health problems (30%)

and age (30%) are the next most frequently cited reasons given for a lack of any

physical activity, while almost the same proportion say it is too expensive (29%).

10%

15%

13%

9%

13%

6%

11%

10%

11%

10%

14%

38%

42%

22%

33%

58%

31%

46%

33%

31%

29%

37%

24%

24%

35%

25%

13%

28%

19%

30%

30%

30%

23%

24%

18%

29%

24%

15%

33%

24%

20%

28%

30%

23%

3%

1%

2%

9%

2%

2%

7%

2%

3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Male (299)

Female (268)

35-54 (199)

55-64 (164)

65+ (191)

0 hours 1-2 hours 3-4 hours 5+ hours Not provided


60

Figure 42: What (if anything) prevents you from taking more exercise? 2014 & 2013 (Where respondents do NO physical activity)

Unweighted sample base = 2014: 67

37%

30%

30%

29%

25%

18%

15%

14%

11%

9%

7%

4%

3%

2%

2%

2%

2%

0%

4%

5%

Lack of time

Physical disability/ill health/health problems

Age

It's too expensive

Lack of energy

Other family commitments

Lack of motivation

Lack of childcare

Availability of suitable exercise

Lack of people/friends to exercise with

Lack of good local facilities

Lack of confidence

Stress

Personal safety

Lack of transportation

The weather

I already do enough exercise

Other

Nothing

Not provided

2014


61

10.3 Council leisure facilities

Respondents who do at least some physical exercise were asked whether they use

any of South Staffordshire’s leisure centres and/or Baggeridge Country Park.

In around two thirds of cases, of those that do participate in physical activity, they do

not use a South Staffordshire leisure facility at all (68%). Of those suggested to

respondents Womborne Leisure Centre is most likely to be used (7%) closely followed

by Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre, Penkridge Leisure Centre, and Baggeridge Country

Park (each are used by 5%).

Figure 43: Do you use any of South Staffordshire's leisure centres and/or Baggeridge Country Park, if so which ones? (Where respondents participate in physical activity)


Panel members who use the council run leisure centres were asked to rate the centres

overall in terms of the facilities, ease of booking and customer service. The results are

illustrated in the following figure. Encouragingly, as in Spring 2013 when the question

was last asked four in five (79%) rate the leisure centres as good overall. However

within this, compared with 2013 there has been an increase in the proportion that give

leisure facilities the most positive rating, of very good (up from 7% to 30%).

7%

5%

5%

5%

2%

68%

12%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Wombourne Leisure Centre

Cheslyn Hay Leisure Centre

Penkridge Leisure Centre

Baggeridge Country Park

Codsall Leisure Centre

I do not use a South Staffordshire leisure facility

Not provided


62

Figure 44: How would you rate the centre(s) overall, including facilities, ease of booking and customer service (Where respondent uses any of the council’s leisure centres) Valid Response

Unweighted sample base = 2014: 164, 2013: 97

Panel members who are not users of the council run leisure centres were asked to

indicate why they do not use these facilities. The most frequently cited reason is that

they are just not interested (30%), while others use another/gym leisure facilities (16%)

and 1 in 10 say it’s too expensive. Not being interested was also the main reason

given in 2013.

30%

49%

17%

2%

79%

2%

7%

72%

17%

4%

79%

4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Very good

Good

Fair

Poor

Summary: Good

Summary: Poor

2014

2013


63

Panel members who are not users of the council run leisure centres were also asked

where they exercise. Amongst those that provided a response the most popular place

to exercise is at home (55%), followed by the streets (35%).

Figure 45: Where do you exercise? (Where do NOT use a South Staffordshire leisure facility) Valid Response


When asked why they choose to exercise in these places the majority say it is due to

convenience (73%).

Figure 46: And why do you choose this? (Where do NOT use a South Staffordshire leisure facility) Valid Response


56%

35%

15%

14%

12%

10%

10%

2%

1%

2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

At home

On the streets

Other gyms

In the park

In the countryside inc Cannock Chase, Kinver Edge etc.

In a community centre

At a non-Council leisure centre

Golf course

Gardening/allotment

Other

73%

19%

20%

10%

2%

2%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Convenience

Cost

It is where my friends/family go

Enjoy it/being outdoors/in the countryside

Local/nearby

Other


64

11 Food Hygiene

Just over three quarters of all panellists are satisfied with the standards of hygiene and

cleanliness of food businesses in South Staffordshire (77%), and less than 0.5% are

dissatisfied to any degree.

Figure 47: How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the standards of hygiene and cleanliness of food businesses in South Staffordshire? (All responses)


By Locality the proportion of residents that are satisfied is highest in Locality 1 and 4

(89% in each case), and lowest in Locality 3 (65%) and 5 (72%). Male residents are

more likely to be satisfied than females (84% cf. 70%).

29%

49%

12%

*%

*%

8%

3%

77%

*%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Very satisfied

Fairly satisfied


Fairly dissatisfied

Very dissatisfied

Don't know

Not provided

Satisfied

Dissatisfied

Food Hygiene

65

Approaching three quarters of all residents say they would like to find out how well

their local eatery is doing in terms of food hygiene (72%). This proportion increases to

more than 8 in 10 in Locality 1 (83%), and is significantly higher amongst males than

compared with females (81% cf. 66%). The idea is also more popular amongst

residents aged under 65 years, as the following figure summarises.

Figure 48: Would you want to find out how well your local eatery is doing in terms of food hygiene? (All responses)


Of those who are interested in finding out how well their local eatery is doing in terms

of food hygiene only 1 in 5 have tried to access this information (20%). This proportion

is significantly higher in Locality 4 (54%), and is again significantly higher amongst

males, compared with females (31% cf. 7%).

72%

83%

69%

66%

77%

69%

81%

66%

78%

78%

61%

12%

12%

15%

12%

8%

14%

9%

15%

10%

13%

25%

13%

5%

17%

14%

12%

15%

9%

12%

11%

9%

12%

4%

9%

2%

2%

*%

7%

1%

1%

3%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Male (299)

Female (268)

35-54 (199)

55-64 (164)

65+ (191)

Yes No Don't know Not provided


66

Where residents have tried to access information on how well their local eatery is

doing in terms of food hygiene in 95% of cases they say that finding this information

has been at least fairly easy.

Figure 49: How easy do you think this information is to find? (Where accessed information regarding food hygiene at local eatery)


A quarter of all respondents are aware of the RatemyPlace website (24%). Awareness

is significantly higher in Locality 4, where 38% are aware of the website, while, as the

following figure shows awareness is higher amongst the younger age groups.

61%

34%

4%

*%

1%

95%

4%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Very easy

Fairly easy

Not very easy

Not easy at all

Don't know

Easy

Not easy

Food Hygiene

67

Figure 50: Are you aware of the RatemyPlace website? (All responses)


Of those aware of the RatemyPlace website around half have visited it (52%). Male

residents are significantly more likely than females to have visited the website (76% cf.

24%).

Half of those aware of the RatemyPlace website are also aware of the connection

between the RatemyPlace website and the National Food Hygiene Rating scheme

(52%). Once again this proportion is higher amongst males than females (67% cf.

36%).

Overall 1 in 10 panellists say they have ever looked up the National Food Hygiene

Rating Scheme (11%). In Locality 4 the proportion that has looked up the National

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is significantly higher, at 36%. The proportion is also

higher amongst males, compared with females (18% cf. 3%).

24%

25%

17%

14%

38%

24%

26%

23%

30%

18%

5%

73%

74%

81%

76%

61%

76%

72%

71%

70%

80%

94%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Male (299)

Female (268)

35-54 (199)

55-64 (164)

65+ (191)

Yes No Not provided


68

12 Media

Overall, very few respondents think that the media has viewed the Government, South

Staffordshire Council or local Councils across the country in a positive light in the last 3

months, although out of the three they are most likely to think the media has viewed

South Staffordshire Council positively (15% cf. 7% for the Government and local

Councils across the country).

Approaching half think the media has viewed the Government negatively (45%) in the

last 3 months, and 3 in 10 think this is the case for local Councils across the country

(29%), while just 3% think South Staffordshire Council has been viewed negatively

(3%). The highest proportion think South Staffordshire Council has been viewed

neither positively nor negatively by the media (50%).

Figure 51: Whether media has viewed the following positively or negatively (All responses)


In Locality 4 the proportion of residents that think the Government has been viewed

negatively by the media is significantly higher (69% cf. 45% of average).

7%

15%

7%

34%

50%

40%

45%

3%

29%

9%

29%

19%

5%

4%

5%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The Government

South Staffordshire Council

Local Council(s) across the country

Positively Neither positively nor negatively

Negatively Don't know

Not provided

Media

69

Residents from Locality 3 are significantly more likely to think the media has viewed

South Staffordshire Council positively in the last 3 months (29%). Residents aged 55-

64 (17%) and 65 and over 20% are also more likely to think South Staffordshire

Council has been viewed positively, compared with younger residents aged 35-54

years (7%).

12.1 The Review newspaper

Overall, 8 in 10 residents of South Staffordshire say they do read the ‘Review’

newspaper (79%). By Locality readership is lowest in Locality 1 (72%) and highest in

Localities 4 (83%) and 5 (82%). Male residents are more likely than females to read

the Review newspaper, as the following chart shows.

Figure 52: Do you read the 'Review' newspaper? (All responses)


79%

72%

80%

77%

83%

82%

83%

74%

78%

89%

76%

16%

28%

20%

9%

16%

17%

16%

18%

22%

11%

19%

4%

13%

1%

1%

8%

4%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total (572)

Locality 1 (80)

Locality 2 (56)

Locality 3 (144)

Locality 4 (139)

Locality 5 (153)

Male (299)

Female (268)

35-54 (199)

55-64 (164)

65+ (191)

Yes No Not provided


70

Amongst those who do read the Review newspaper 9 in 10 find the newspaper

informative (91%)

Figure 53: How informative do you find the newspaper? (Where read the Review newspaper)


Readers in Locality 3 are particularly positive about the Review newspaper, with 97%

finding it informative. Female readers are significantly more likely than males to find it

informative (96% cf. 88%).

22%

69%

7%

1%

91%

8%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Very informative

Fairly informative

Not very informative

Not at all informative

Informative

Not informative

Media

71

12.2 Media consumption

Radio 2 and Radio 4 are jointly the most popular national radio stations listened to by

South Staffordshire residents (each listened to by 31%). After some margin Classic FM

(12%) is next most popular, followed by Radio 1 (10%).

Figure 54: What national radio stations do you listen to? (All responses)


Residents in Locality 1 are especially likely to listen to Radio 2 (56%), whereas Radio

4 is most popular in Locality 4 (49%). Radio 4 is also more popular amongst males,

than females (40% cf. 23%).

31%

31%

12%

10%

9%

7%

5%

3%

3%

1%

1%

*%

0%

1%

27%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 4 inc 4 Extra

Classic FM

BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 5 inc 5 Extra

Smooth Radio UK

Heart

BBC Radio 3

Planet Rock

Absolute Radio

Talksport

Capital

Other

Nothing

Not provided


72

In terms of local radio stations Heart is the most popular station (21%), followed by

BBC WM (16%) and then Free radio (9%).

Figure 55: What local radio stations do you listen to? (All responses)


Heart is particularly popular in Locality 4 (49%), while BBC WM is most likely to be

mentioned in Locality 1 (27%).

Male respondents are more likely than females to mention listening to both Heart (29%

cf.15%) and BBC WM (24% cf. 8%).

21%

16%

9%

5%

4%

4%

2%

1%

%

5%

49%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Heart

BBC WM

Free Radio

Smooth Radio

BBC Radio Shropshire

Signal (1&2)

BBC Radio Stoke

BBC Radio Hereford & Worcester

Other

Nothing

Not provided

Media

73

The Daily Mail is the national newspaper that South Staffordshire residents are most

likely to read (19%), followed by The Daily Telegraph (14%) and then the Sunday

Telegraph (10%).

Figure 56: What national newspapers do you read? (All responses)


Readership of the Daily Mail is highest in Locality 2 (31%), while the Daily Telegraph is

most likely to be read in Locality 4 (37%). In Locality 3 readership of the Daily Mirror is

higher than average, at 14%.

19%

14%

10%

6%

6%

6%

5%

3%

3%

3%

2%

2%

2%

1%

1%

1%

*%

*%

*%

1%

4%

36%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Daily Mail

The Daily Telegraph

The Sunday Telegraph

Daily Mirror

The Sun

The Times

The Mail on Sunday

Daily Express

The Independent

The Sunday Times

i

Metro

The Guardian

Sunday Express

Sunday Mirror

The Observer

Daily Star

Financial Times

The Sun on Sunday

Other

Nothing

Not provided


74

The most popular local newspaper is the Express & Star (41%), followed by the

Chronicle (20%). Readership of both of these newspapers is highest in Locality 4,

where 56% read the Express & Star and 41% read the Chronicle. Staffordshire

Newsletter is most likely to be read in Locality 1 (15%), followed by Locality 2 (8%).

Figure 57: What local newspapers do you read? (All responses)


41%

20%

3%

3%

2%

8%

35%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Express & Star

Chronicle

Staffordshire Newsletter

Stourbridge News

Other

Nothing

Not provided

Sample profile

75

13 Sample profile

The table below shows the profile of the survey sample prior to the application of

weights.

Demographic Unweighted Proportion (%) Unweighted sample base

Gender Male 52% 299

Female 47% 268

Not provided 1% 5

Age

16-24 *% 2

25-34 2% 10

35-54 35% 199

55-64 29% 164

65+ 33% 191

Not provided 1% 6

Economic Status

Economically active 52% 300

Economically inactive 47% 270

Disability

Disability 18% 105

No disability 80% 459

Not provided 2% 8

Ethnicity

Non-BME 99% 565

BME 1% 3

Not provided 1% 4


76

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The interpretation of the results as reported in this document pertain to the research problem

and are supported by the empirical findings of this research project and, where applicable,

by other data. These interpretations and recommendations are based on empirical findings

and are distinguishable from personal views and opinions.

BMG will not be publish any part of these results without the written and informed consent of

the client.

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We have a responsibility to maintain high scientific standards in the methods employed in

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findings and in the maintenance of standards commensurate with professional integrity.

We recognise we have a duty of care to all those undertaking and participating in research

and strive to protect subjects from undue harm arising as a consequence of their

participation in research. This requires that subjects’ participation should be as fully informed

as possible and no group should be disadvantaged by routinely being excluded from

consideration. All adequate steps shall be taken by both agency and client to ensure that the

identity of each respondent participating in the research is protected.

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My Place, My Say Panel Survey - Summer 2014

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