Free Custom «The Community Profiling» Essay Paper

Population Characteristics

St. James is divided into nine areas. The areas are named A to I. The area of St. James Park named (A) is estimated to have 1133 people. Of the people, 4.1 % are Asian British. The other groups of areas’ population are discussed further. Area B has 1346 people. The most notable issue is that 88 % of the population has detached housing. However, owners occupy 95 % of housing. 30 % of employees are senior officers who occupy management positions. Approximately, 82 % of the population describes their health status as good. Based on this description, it is evident that this is the least deprived area in the county. Mapping the areas in terms of deprivation is thus justifiable since the categorization will help policymakers know which areas need improvement (Woodthorpe, 2006). The implication is that area B does not require much attention since it is relatively wealthy. This is because a high presence of detached housing signifies that the place is well-off.

Area C is a home to 1504 people. 19 % of the population is aged over 75 years. As opposed to area B that enjoys a high health status, only 58 % of people in this area feel that their health is good. Over 25 % of the population indicated that they have encountered limiting long-term health conditions. The idea that a sizable percentage is aged implies that policymakers need to concentrate on issues that affect this group of the population. Similarly, the big percentage of unhealthy people would place demands on planners to address their concerns.

Area D area has 1417 people. On the other hand, Area E has 1485 people of whom 4 % are Muslim. In regards to housing, 65 % of the population have terraced houses. However, Area F hosts 1577 people. Of these people, 12 % fall within the age bracket of 18 and 24. 8.3 % of people are Afro-Americans. Flats occupy 95 % of housing units in the area. The local authority rents 69 % of houses to residents. Moreover, up to 10 % of residents are unemployed. Based on these statistics, it is clear that this is the most deprived area within the county. The presence of terraced housing signifies that working class is the majority. Similarly, provision of housing by local authorities underscores the notion that the place requires some form of attention since residents come from working class. In this case, developing a community profile would allow the authorities to comprehend the nature of services to supply to the area.

Area G is home to 1346 residents. Roughly, 4 % of the population have a dual heritage. Another critical attribute of the area is that 18 % of the households are single-parent led. Area H has 1479, while Area I has 1319 residents. In area I, 49 % of residents do not have any qualifications. A place that is inhabited by single-parent households serves as a pointer to social concerns. Moreover, absence of any qualifications depict that the place is highly deficient. Hence, community profiling is necessary as it will help policy makers map this locality as among the most deprived. Such description should pave the way for the provision of required services.

In regards to crime statistics, area 1 is responsible for the highest rate. Up to 22 % of crime in the location is handling/theft. A quarter of these cases are shoplifting. Area 3 accounts for the lowest rate of crime, while in area 4 25 % of criminal activities are associated with motor vehicles theft. In most instances, minor crimes, such as shoplifting, indicates that some members of the community are highly deprived. Hence, community profiling would help authorities address such concerns.

In comparison with Northampton, St. James has a lower %age of resident population, which is aged between 18 and 24 since the former had 10% compared to 8%. In areas C and F, the range is between 4 and 12 %. In regards to the proportion of singe people, St. James has 32 % against Northampton’s 33 %. However, the former has 14 % divorced people compared to the latter’s 12 %. The proportion of single-parent children in the county is 6.5 %. This rate is slightly lower than the one in Northampton, which has 7 %.

It is estimated that about 25 % of businesses within the areas are in health, social, and services sectors of the economy (Rogers, 2010). The restaurants and hotels sector accounts for the largest %age of business since it accounts for approximately 10 % of business activities. The sector is closely followed by the industry of construction. Nevertheless, it is evident that very few businesses are in other sectors of the economy. This is because over 50 % of the businesses are found in the business services sector. This explains why business is minimal in other sectors or non-existent. Services sector economy reflects that the locality is overly dependent on service delivery as opposed to production activities. The implication is that the economy relies on other areas for products. This scenario is only sound if the locality offers services that are more the worth of the products it buys. In such a case, the locality's economy would be sustainable. Statistics about the economy is critical since it helps planners or policy-makers come up with mechanisms to improve the economic condition of the region. Thus, developing a community profile for St. James is critical.

Specifically, in area C almost 30 % of business is in business services sector. Similarly, business in the construction industry is also dominant as it accounts for roughly 20 % of business. A sizable %age of business is also found in the retail and wholesale activities. This leaves a very small proportion to restaurants and hotel industry as well as to other sectors. By developing a community profile for St. James, it is possible to understand that boosting tourism in the area will require expansion of the restaurant and hotel sector. In this regard, it is clear that community profiling will be useful.

In area D, the retail and wholesale sectors of trade account for almost 33 % of business activities. Business and manufacturing services follow closely as they account for a sizeable portion. Restaurants, hotels, and construction account for a minimal part of business in the area.

Northampton 026A area is rated better than 20% of English counties. Based on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), the area occupied 7 642 spot out of approximately 32 500 areas. Barriers were also found in other aspects such as employment, skills, education, health, housing, services, crime, and the living environment.

In an overall rating, the area scored 23% implying that it was only better than 20% of the counties. In reference to income deprivation, the county scored 19%, which meant it was only better than 10% of counties. Employment stood at 38%. This meant that the county was privileged more than only 30% of English counties. In matters of health, 27% was the score. The score placed the region ahead only of 20% of counties. On education, the region scored 11%. The score placed the county ahead of only 10% of English counties. The region also registers 19%. Despite the low scores that characterize the county, there is an impressive score on  the living environment (96%). The score allows the county to be ranked as better than 90% of other areas in the country. However, the county shows a low score in crime, as it has 11% which places it ahead of only 10% of the rest of the counties (Office for National Statistics).

Northampton 026B scores better than 026A as it has an overall score of 56%. The ranking implies that the area is better than half of other English regions. Concerning income deprivation, the region has a score of 64%. This places the area ahead of 60% of other areas. The area’s employment is at 69%. Thus, the region is ranked ahead of 60% of country areas. Health wise, the area has a score of 43%. Based on this score, it is better than 40% of other areas. In terms of education, the county area has a score of 36%. This places it ahead of 30% areas in the country. On the barriers to services front, the area scores 30%. Thus, it is better than 30% of regions in England. The area scores highly on the living environment as it has a score of 93% making it ahead of 90% of other areas. The area, however, scores poorly on crime, registering only 28%. This means it is better than only 20% of the areas.

Conclusion

As time passes, the population density, size, homogeneity, and composition continues to change. Whereas homogeneity has reduced, the other factors have witnessed an upsurge. No major changes have been made to either the indicators or the methodology. The significant shift is found in housing concerns. No notable updates have been made due to cost constraints. When looking at the housing state of the area, it is clear that it is behind the overall county of Northampton.

In comparison, St. James has a higher unemployment rate (4%) against that of Northampton (3%). However, in zone F, up to 10 % of residents are unemployed. However, the rates in areas A, B and C are lower significantly. Roughly 30 % of the unemployed are in the age bracket of 16 and 24. In area G, the rate rose to 47 %. In area F, 30 % of employees occupied elementary positions such as kitchen assistants, bar staff, and labourers. The implication of these statistics is that the area has higher rates of deprivation in comparison to other areas of the country. Looking at Northampton as a whole, St. James reflects a higher %age of workers in the top tier of the occupation hierarchy.

St. James is a location that reflects a high degree of deprivation in Northampton. This is because all areas, except B, are ranked among the 50 % most deprived areas across the county. Area F ranked as the most deprived in the county based on the levels of employment. This is because the area has the highest number of individuals who participate in claimant incapacity programs. Other programs used were the New Deal and Severe Disablement Allowance Claimants. The area also came in for pity since it had the highest level of income deprivation. For instance, several households were on income support while others were registered under the Disabled Person’s Tax Credits, National Asylum Support Service, and Health Deprivation and Disability. The latter program was catered for persons who passed away prematurely or who experience poor quality life. The other programs catered for asylum seekers.

Composing a community profile of Saint James area (Northampton UK) is necessary. This is because analyzing the area is significant to identify key issues, which are linked to national outcomes of deprivation in the country.