JSNA – People – Communities
Last Updated: May 2024
Communities
Barnet is home to many different communities. The communities dashboard summarises data on some of these communities, including care leavers, ethnic groups, people living with disabilities, the LGTBQ+ community, veterans, people who are experiencing homelessness, carers, and social care users.
Headline Figures
- 72% of care leavers aged 17-18 years are in employment, education, or training and 89% aged 17-21 years are living in accommodations considered suitable. Both of these variables have increased since 2019.
- The 2021 Census revealed that the percentage of Barnet’s usual residents identifying their ethnic group as non-white increased compared to 2011: a 0.8% increase in those identifying as Asian or Asian British, 0.2% for Black or Black British, 0.5% for Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Groups, and 4.9% for Other Ethnic Group.
- 12.8% of Barnet’s population are disabled under the Equality Act (2010), with their day-to day activities being limited a little (7.1%) or a lot (5.7%). This is a 1.2% decrease from the 2011 Census. The disabled population is higher among older age groups – 34% of females and 19.1% of males aged 85 years and older.
- In the 2021 Census, 8,633 residents (2.8%) identified with an LGB+ orientation (gay or lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientation). 2,550 residents (0.8%) answered “No” to the question “Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?”. The 2021 Census showed poorer general health and higher levels of disability among the LGBTIQ+ population.
- Between 3rd April 2018 – 3rd February 2023, a total of 16,720 individuals sought assistance from Barnet Homes or Housing Options. There was a 13.4% increase in the number of approaches between September 2020 and January 2023, compared to the period April 2018 to August 2020.
- According to the 2021 census 0.7% of Barnet’s population aged 16 and over had previously served in the UK armed forces and a further 0.3% had served in the reserve armed forces.
- Barnet ranks second among all local authorities in London for the highest percentage of its population providing 19 hours or less of unpaid care per week (4.5%).
Narrative
Care leavers
Children are placed into care only when there is a significant risk to their well-being. Despite the challenges they encounter, many individuals, with the right support, manage to thrive after leaving care. However, a disproportionate number struggle. It is essential to focus on a variety of outcomes for individuals who have experienced care, both during their time in care and later in life.
Care leavers are more likely to face multiple challenges and poor outcomes compared to the rest of the population, often relying on social welfare support such as health and welfare benefits1. As the number of children in care and the number of placements continue to increase, this will inevitably put more pressure on public spending.
Data from the Department for Education highlights a steady increase in the number of children in care in Barnet from 300 in 2012 to 334 in 20232. However, the rate of children in care has stabilized at around 35-37 per 10,000 children since 2012, following a decrease from 46 per 10,000 children in 2007. This rate is significantly lower than the average across England and London, where 71 and 51 in 10,000 young people were in care in 2023, respectively.
Data from the Department for Education also shows an increase in the percentage of care leavers aged 17-18 years in employment, education, or training between 2019 and 2022 (from 62% to 72% respectively), and a corresponding decrease in those not in employment, education, or training (from 35% to 22%). The change in activity among 19-21 year-olds was less pronounced and relatively stable during the same period.
Most accommodations for care leavers aged 17-21 years are considered suitable. There has been a significant increase in the accommodation deemed suitable for care leavers aged 19-21 years, from 83% in 2019 to 89% in 2022. A higher percentage of care leavers aged 17-21 years were living independently from 2019 to 2022 than in London and England, with a notable increase observed for care leavers aged 17-18 years.
During the same period, care leavers aged 17-21 years were in touch with local authority services, with care leavers aged 19-21 years being four times as likely to no longer require services. However, the figures for 2023 should be interpreted with caution due to a considerably higher percentage of unknown information for Barnet compared to England and London.
Lastly, a significantly lower percentage of care leavers aged 22 to 25 years in Barnet have requested and received support from local authority services, with this percentage decreasing considerably with increasing age.
Health and economic activity of ethnic minority groups in Barnet
According to the 2021 Census, Barnet’s population born in the United Kingdom totals 224,762, accounting for 57.8% of the borough’s total population. This is a decrease from the 2011 Census, which recorded 228,553 UK-born residents, or 64.1% of the population, marking a 6.4% decrease.
Over the past 70 years, migration flows have created a multi-ethnic population in both Britain and Barnet, increasing the size and ethnic diversity of their populations. From 2011 to 2021, the countries of birth that saw the highest increase were Romania, with a 200% increase, and Iran, with a 55% increase. Conversely, the largest decreases were observed among those born in Ireland, Poland, and Southern and South-East Asia.
The 2021 Census also revealed that the percentage of Barnet’s usual residents identifying their ethnic group as non-white increased: 0.8% for Asian or Asian British, 0.2% for Black or Black British, 0.5% for Mixed or Multiple Ethnic Groups, and 4.9% for Other Ethnic Group.
In England, health inequalities exist between ethnic minority and white groups, as well as among different ethnic minority groups. For example, life expectancy at birth was higher among ethnic minority groups than the white and mixed groups before the pandemic. However, these headline figures conceal significant differences between ethnic groups. People from the White Gypsy or Irish Traveller, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani communities have the poorest health outcomes across a range of indicators. Black and South Asian groups have higher rates of infant and maternal mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetes than white groups3. Unfortunately, our community dashboard was limited in reporting on ethnic inequalities in general health status due to a scarcity of granular ethnic breakdown health data.
The 2021 UK Census data showed that younger minority ethnic residents in Barnet reported poorer general health than white residents. However, white British and Irish residents aged 65+ years reported higher levels of poorer health than minority ethnic populations.
Economic inactivity varied considerably among ethnic groups in Barnet. A higher percentage of white residents were retired, while, similar to London, a higher percentage of black and Asian Barnet residents were economically inactive due to studying, looking after home, or other reasons, compared to white residents. Similar levels of economic inactivity due to long-term sickness and disability were observed, with the highest economic inactivity reported among other ethnic residents and the lowest for Gypsy and Traveller residents. Minority ethnic residents in Barnet were more likely to be unemployed, with black residents being almost two and a half times as likely as white (English, Northern Irish, and Scottish) to be unemployed.
Residents with a disabilities
People with disabilities are often subject to intersecting layers of social and economic disadvantage and other barriers that drive health inequity. As a result, they frequently experience worse health than people without disabilities, beyond the direct effects of their health condition or impairment4. 12.8% of Barnet’s population are disabled under the Equality Act (2010), with their day-to day activities being limited a little (7.1%) or a lot (5.7%). This is a 1.2% decrease from the 2011 Census and 1.4% lower than the 2021 Census average of all local authorities in London. Nevertheless, these headline figures conceal considerable variation by age group and sex, with the disabled population being higher among older age groups (with 34% of females and 19.1% of males aged 85 years and older) and males having higher levels of disability up to age 14 years (3.3% of males vs. 1.9% of females aged 10-14 years), while female population reporting higher levels of disability in older age groups.
A learning disability impacts an individual’s ability to comprehend information and communicate effectively. This can lead to challenges in understanding new or complex information, acquiring new skills, or managing independently.
According to data from the Office for Health Improvement and Health Disparities, in the fiscal year 2022/2023, 2,069 or 0.5% of all residents in Barnet were identified as having a learning disability. This figure represents an increase from 1,446 in 2016/2017. Interestingly, this rate is significantly lower than the national average in England, yet higher than the average in London. It is important to note that many individuals with a learning disability often experience poorer health and have a shorter lifespan.
Despite the limited data available on social and health outcomes of Barnet’s residents with a learning disability, a significant increase has been observed in the number of adults with a learning disability living in stable accommodation. This figure has risen from 50% in 2011/2012 to 85% in 2022/2023. This trend indicates a notable achievement for the care and support services in Barnet, which empower individuals with a learning disability to make their own life choices based on their personal priorities.
LGBTQ+
LGBTIQ+ is an acronym that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex, queer or questioning. While we use the term LGBTIQ+ on this dashboard, we acknowledge that it does not encompass all the ways individuals define their gender or sexuality.
Mental health issues, such as depression, self-harm, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts, can affect anyone. However, they are more prevalent among the LGBTIQ+ population5,6. It’s important to note that being LGBTIQ+ does not cause these problems. Rather, experiences such as discrimination, homophobia or transphobia, social isolation, rejection, and the challenges of coming out can impact their mental health.
Data on the social and health status of LGBTIQ+ individuals at the local authority level is limited. However, the 2021 Census provided some significant insights into their general health and disability. The questions on gender identity and sexual orientation in the 2021 Census were voluntary and were only asked of Barnet residents aged 16 years and over.
Approximately 270,000 residents (87.3%) identified themselves as straight or heterosexual, while 8,633 residents (2.8%) identified with an LGB+ orientation (gay or lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientation, as categorised by the Office of National Statistics). About 30,000 residents (9.9%) did not answer the question.
Furthermore, about 280,000 residents (90.9%) answered “Yes”, and 2,550 residents (0.8%) answered “No” to the question “Is the gender you identify with the same as your sex registered at birth?”. Approximately 25,000 residents (8.2%) did not answer the question.
The Census data revealed higher levels of disability among individuals identifying as gay or lesbian, bisexual, and other sexual orientations. It also showed poorer general health among the LGBTIQ+ population, with the poorest health reported by bisexual and other sexual orientation residents. Similarly, trans residents and residents of all other gender identities reported worse general health than those who reported their gender identity as the same as their sex at birth.
Homelessness
Homelessness is a growing concern in in Barnet. Evidence suggests a significant correlation between homelessness and both physical and mental health issues7,8. Internal data reveals that from April 3, 2018, to February 3, 2023, a total of 16,720 individuals sought assistance from Barnet Homes or Housing Options. Notably, there was a 13.4% increase in the number of approaches between September 2020 and January 2023, compared to the period from April 2018 to August 2020.
Data from OHID indicates a decrease in the number of households obligated under the Homelessness Reduction Act, which imposes duties on housing authorities to intervene at an earlier stage to prevent homelessness and to take reasonable steps to alleviate homelessness for all eligible applicants. The rate has dropped from 7 to 5 per 1,000 households, which is roughly on par with the London average but significantly higher than the national average of 3 per 1,000 households.
Between the financial years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022, there was a substantial reduction in the number of households in temporary accommodation, decreasing from 15.2% to 13.6%. Although the percentage of households in temporary accommodation is significantly lower than that of London (16.3% in 2021/2022), it remains considerably above the national average (4% in 2021/2022).
Veterans
Individuals who have served in the regular or reserve UK armed forces are commonly referred to as the veteran population and are part of the broader armed forces community, which also includes those currently serving in the armed forces, the Merchant Navy, and their families. According to the 2021 census, 2,569 people, representing 0.7% of Barnet’s population aged 16 and over or 65.6% of Barnet’s veteran population, had previously served in the UK armed forces. Meanwhile, 1,197 people, or 0.3% of Barnet’s population aged 16 and over or 30.6% of Barnet’s veteran population, had served exclusively in the reserve armed forces. The remaining 151 individuals, accounting for 0.04% of Barnet’s population aged 16 and over or 3.9% of Barnet’s veteran population, had served in both the regular and reserve armed forces.
Colindale South, one of Barnet’s most deprived electoral wards, had the highest percentage of veterans living in poor health (62%) and with disabilities (86%). In contrast, Totteridge and Woodside had the lowest percentage of veterans living in poor health and with disabilities (9%). It should be noted that the number of veterans may be small in some electoral wards, which could potentially exaggerate the percentages of veterans living in poor health and with disabilities.
Carers and elderly social care users
In Barnet, 7.9% of the population provides unpaid care. Since the 2011 Census, there has been a 1.7% decrease in the proportion of individuals providing 19 hours or less of unpaid care per week (from 6.0% to 4.3%). In contrast, the proportion providing 20 hours or more of unpaid care per week has seen a 0.5% increase (from 3.1% to 3.6%).
Barnet ranks second among all local authorities in London for the highest percentage of its population providing 19 hours or less of unpaid care per week (4.5%). Only Bromley has a higher percentage (4.6%). Furthermore, Barnet’s percentage is 0.7% above the 2021 Census average for all local authorities in London (3.8%).
Data from the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF), derived from the Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, reveals that adult carers in Barnet reported the lowest quality of life score among all North Central London boroughs. The same data source indicates that older adult social care users (65+) in Barnet reported one of the lowest levels of satisfaction with care and support services, both in comparison to other North Central London boroughs (Camden, Enfield, Haringey, and Islington) and on a national scale.
These individuals reported having less control over their daily life, not having as much social contact as they would like and finding it more difficult to access information about support. Despite these challenges, they also reported a lower quality of life.
[2] Statistics: looked-after children – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
[3] King’s Fund
[6] https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/statistics/lgbtiq-people-statistics
Do you have feedback about the JSNA? A feedback form can be accessed here. Your feedback is valuable to us and we appreciate any comments or suggestions you have about the JSNA.