Tackling Poverty in Leicester

Good health and wellbeing is the cornerstone of a happy, fulfilled life and is one of the areas most impacted by poverty. National statistics give some context:

• People living in the most deprived 10% of areas will die nine years younger than those in the richest 10%.
• In the most deprived areas, boys can expect to live 19 fewer years of their lives in 'good' health, and girls 20 fewer years, than children in the least deprived areas.
• Children living in overcrowded inadequate housing are more likely to contract meningitis, experience respiratory difficulties and have mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression.
• The Millennium Cohort Study shows that poor children are four times more likely to develop mental health problems by the age of 11.
• People living in poverty are more likely to live in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and in overcrowded or unsuitable housing.
• Children from low income families often miss out on events that most of us would take for granted. They miss school trips, cannot invite friends round for tea, and cannot afford a one-week holiday away from home.

Poverty is one part of the complex, interlinked wider social issues that influence health. The economic issues (what things cost) are just one area that work alongside psychological issues (how you feel about things), structural issues (things that are outside of your control) and practical issues (what skills you have or can learn). For people living in poverty, poorer mental health and an inability (or perceived inability) to influence system change or access new skills can lead to a cycle of poorer health and wellbeing overall.

Awareness

There was a unanimous sense that the link between health or well-being and poverty needed to be more widely recognised and understood.  While professionals stressed the importance of “healthy conversations”, someone experiencing the multiple effects of poverty is unlikely to be in a position to prioritise their own physical and mental health.

Social prescribing is the opportunity to gather lots of data regarding poverty.

Mental health

Declining mental health can rapidly contribute to financial insecurity, isolation and loneliness. A big part of the conversation focused around supporting people to develop coping mechanisms. This was discussed as “empowering people to take control…enabling them. Taking away barriers to doing it themselves”. In this way, people may be able to practically work towards leading autonomous lives, rather than being restricted entirely by poverty. The subtle ways people could be supported to recognise the link between good health and well-being and this downward spiral was highlighted, along what actions could be taken to prevent it. The significance of being “personally poor” was discussed; the debilitating way poverty cuts people off from society and potential actions around the role of community to combat this.

Access to culturally appropriate services, including for asylum seekers and refugees.

Make every contact count

Advice workers at foodbanks. Community centres to upskill staff. Easier provision to access localised services

Physical activity

A way to get people into the community and connected, as well as support mental well-being.

Everyone should be able to follow a healthy lifestyle and receive appropriate health support, regardless of their income level.

The council helps achieve this by:

• providing discounted leisure services through our Active Leicester membership scheme
• providing free smoking cessation services
• commissioning substance misuse services that are freely accessible to all
• commissioning school nursing and health visiting services that are freely accessible to all
• maintaining a range of green spaces in all neighbourhoods that people can access without travel costs
• providing outdoor gyms that offer free access to equipment in a number of parks
• supporting the development of social prescribing models in GP practices where poverty impacts upon health
• targeting support to deprived communities at increased risk of infant mortality through the Healthy Babies strategy.

In addition, the council intends to:

• prioritise mitigating the impacts of poverty through delivery of the health and wellbeing strategy
• consider the recommendations in the British Association of Social Workers Anti-Poverty Practice Guide (2019) for implementation across adult and children's social care
• jointly commission a mental health wellbeing and recovery support service that enables people to improve and maintain their mental health and wellbeing

Overall health

Leicester residents experience a range of health and wellbeing issues which ultimately result in shorter life expectancies, shorter healthy life expectancies and living longer in ill health. When compared to the national average the city reports significantly worse outcomes for healthy diet, physical activity, alcohol related admissions, cancer screening, infant mortality and premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and respiratory disease.

Life expectancy

Most recent life expectancy data shows a fall in male and female life expectancy in Leicester and England. There has been a greater fall in Leicester compared to England.

Year	England Females	Leicester Females	England males	Leicester males
2010 - 12	82.9	81.7	79.1	76.9
2011 - 13	83	81.7	79.3	77.2
2012 - 14	83.1	81.7	79.4	77.3
2013 - 15	83.1	81.6	79.5	77.1
2014 - 16	83.1	81.7	79.5	77.3
2015 - 17	83.1	81.9	79.6	77
2016 - 18	83.2	81.9	79.6	77.2
2017 - 19	83.4	82.2	79.8	77.5
2018 - 20	83.1	81.5	79.4	76.8

Life expectancy analysis shows the inequality in life expectancy for our most and least deprived residents is 8 years for males and 6 years for females. Life expectancy data for males and females at MSOA neighbourhood level can be explored below:

Female life expectancy

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