6.0 Proposals focus on identified needs

Who lives in Ivinghoe?  

Population 

• Ivinghoe lies in Buckinghamshire, and has a population of 980.

• Of the total population, 215 (21.8%) are children, making up a larger proportion of the population than across Buckinghamshire (20.5%).

• 170 (17.4%) are people of pensionable age, making up a smaller proportion of the population than across Buckinghamshire (19.0%).

 Economy and employment: Who is working in Ivinghoe? Economic Status  

The table and chart in Appendix 10.7 show:

• Of those people of working-age in Ivinghoe, 485 are economically active (73.1%).

• There are 180 economically inactive people in Ivinghoe.

Worklessness in Ivinghoe  

 Worklessness:  

Being out of work can have a severe impact on an individual’s quality of life – both in terms of the economic implications and in terms of the wider social exclusion implications. The impacts will be felt not only by the individual, but also by partners and dependent children.

The most recent indicators of ‘worklessness’ (people out of work who are unemployed, or who are unable to work due to sickness) are from Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) and Incapacity Benefit (IB) data:

• In Ivinghoe, 10 people were receiving JSA (2.0% of all working-age people), and 15 receiving IB (2.4% of all working-age people).

• The number of people receiving ‘out-of-work’ benefits (JSA and IB) in Ivinghoe is 25 (4.4% of all working-age people). This is lower than the proportion across Buckinghamshire (5.2%).

• In addition, 15 children are living in households where no members of the household are in work (6.6% of all children in Ivinghoe).

Low Income  

People living on a low income are among the most deprived groups in society. A person or household living on a low income may be out of work, or in work but on low pay. The table above highlights:

• 70 people across Ivinghoe are income deprived (7.3% of all people).

• Across Ivinghoe, 7.8% of all children live in income deprived households (15 children).

• 17.0% of older people in Ivinghoe receives the Pension Credit Guarantee Element (corresponding to 30 older people).

 Health

 Health is a fundamental determinant of quality of life, having a direct impact on an individual’s ability to live a fulfilling and enjoyable life and also indirectly impacting on their ability to sustain standards of living through income. Ill health may also have a severe effect on other people, either directly through changing relationships (for example forcing people into informal unpaid care), or through indirect effects such as change in household income.

• 50 people in Ivinghoe report themselves as having a limiting long-term illness, 6.5%

of the population (compared with 7.4% of people across Buckinghamshire).

• DWP health benefit data shows that 20 older people in Ivinghoe receive Attendance Allowance (12.9% of all older people).

• Across Ivinghoe, 25 people receive Disability Living Allowance (2.6% of all people).

Access to services is a major factor in quality of life for people in rural communities, where lack of transport can be a primary cause of social exclusion. People are at risk from social exclusion where necessary services such as hospitals, education, employment and training centres, or food stores, are not easily accessible. This is especially likely to present difficulties for people without cars or who are unable to drive, whose mobility is limited, and in areas where public transportation is poor.

•30 households have no car or van, 7.8% of all households in Ivinghoe.

• Access to education, training and employment: 270 households are more than 8km from job centres, no households are more than 8km from secondary schools.

• Access to healthcare: No households are more than 8km from a principal GP site.

Nationally, rural housing is more likely to be in non-decent condition than housing in urban areas. Across England, the percentage of households living in ‘non-decent homes’ is 34% in rural areas, compared with 28% in urban areas. However, there is no published data on the number of non-decent homes in Ivinghoe. However, data on those households lacking central heating and overcrowded households can give an indication of where housing conditions may play a role in exclusion. There are also links with fuel poverty issues – people in households lacking central heating are more likely to experience fuel poverty.

• 20 households lack central heating (6.2% of all households).

• 15 households are overcrowded (3.9%).

Our proposals would engage the whole community – displaying vulnerable, needy areas – mixing, identifying, addressing individual’s needs. The Village café closed – for ‘family reasons’ – and this caused the cessation of regular, affordable daytime informal communing. Thus a real village need has been created – one in five elderly folk see other people less than once weekly!

Socio-economic statistics for Ivinghoe are surprising – 30 households are without a car, while at the same time village car use reduces public transport; 180 people are economically inactive. Disabled / infirm villagers need a good-neighbour scheme for car-assist’.

Isolation is a real problem for some – ‘incomers’, student-returners, self-employed, un-employed, retired, alone, carers, inaccessible community spaces trap young parents transporting young children; ‘hidden’ community members can be forgotten in our friendly village. Lacking mobility causes isolation – remembering that there is no properly dignified disabled access to events in the upper Old Town Hall.

Again surprisingly, there is relatively poor access to Services – 270 households are over 5 miles from a Job Centre, over 4 miles from a Dentist; 16 Day Centres of 22 are closing – nearest will be Aylesbury 9 miles away, and ‘only open to most complex need’. Apparently, ‘Community Bases will become the main way of providing Day Services for more able Clients with less need of a building-based service. They will be based in existing public places, such as Libraries, Community and Leisure Centres, Places of Worship, Colleges and Cafes. Community Bases link people to local services and will be places from which people will go out to be involved in Community Life. Community Bases will help people to: Take part in activities; Look at Training and Employment opportunities; Socialise with friends.’

Our Community Enterprise would revive self-help – meeting hidden needs by community mix – making the village proud, in sharing the enterprise.‘Old School’ Community Asset Transfer will be challenging, although a ‘Locality’expert praised acumen / perception within our Group! Synergising and complimenting facilities with the existing Old Town Hall – Library – Shop – Post-Office, we anticipate running ‘loss leaders’, table-top Café activities, but keeping our Old School building in full community use.

We see the Social Outcomes of our proposal as Increased mobility, dexterity,improving mental health – therapeutically reducing depression, dependencies -broadening social networks. Expressing, creating pleasurably – improved well-being –mutually learning, meeting, skill-sharing, and more urgent needs. Young parents growing confidence, parenting skills flourish – vulnerable villagers accessing stimulating activities, communing.

As a Group we are much in empathy with the aspiration for our village to pioneer ways to help vulnerable older people to deal more effectively with life-changing events. Also with an ageing population it is more important than ever to recognise the positive contribution older people make to society. Older people have a wealth of skills, knowledge and experience that can benefit others. They should be able to influence the local services and facilities that will help them prepare for and manage major life changes. Elderly villagers face isolation when experiencing retirement, loss of partners, onset of disability, long-term illness – they needing to engage and have their say on services and local community issues.

 The full details of identified needs that would be met by the Community Asset Transfer are specified in detail above under ‘benefit’ and bullet pointed again here:

● Statistics will demonstrate the identified needs

● Questionnaire will display the personally declared need

● History of Lack of Access becoming ‘hidden’ need

● Village support and pledges express professed need

There is no easily accessible, informal space in the Village for villagers to come together –  and with 20 households lacking central heating (6.2% of all households) and 15 overcrowded households, keeping warm in a social space is economic and beneficial,.

New provision should be focused at the isolated often elderly, frail and disabled, currently excluded due to former lack of single storey access.