Sitwell ward

Ward description

Population

Ethnicity

Housing and Households

Employment, Benefits and Pension

General Health and Disability

Lifestyles and Specific Health Issues

Education

Crime and Anti-social Behaviour

Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 and 2019

Data sources

Description

Sitwell Ward lies in the south central part of the borough, with a population of 12,654 (2021 census). The ward is represented by three members of the Council. Sitwell is a mainly suburban ward covering the parish of Whiston (population 4,878) together with parts of the adjacent Rotherham suburbs of Broom, Moorgate, and Stag. These areas are heavily owner occupied.

The ward is the least deprived in Rotherham although there is a small, deprived pocket in east Whiston. The south of the ward is rural and very sparsely populated. The hamlets of Morthen, Upper Whiston and Guilthwaite have only 200 residents between them.

Population by Age

Population change since 2011: -797 (-5.9%) (Rotherham +3.3%)

The population of Sitwell ward has reduced since 2011 in contrast to the increasing borough population.  The age structure of the population is older than the Rotherham average, with the percentage aged 65+ being well above average.

Ethnicity

Official population ethnicity data is collected and analysed every ten years as part of the National Census. Unfortunately, this breakdown is not included within the annual mid-year estimate statistics published by the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Local populations can change significantly during the lifetime of this dataset. Therefore, as a local proxy we utilise the annual School and Pupil Census data to create an estimation of the current ethnicity breakdown.

The table below provides the ward analysis of the 2011 census, 2021 census and 2020 School and Pupil census by the ethnic groupings used by the ONS.  In order to protect against disclosure of personal information, records have been swapped between different geographic areas and counts perturbed by small amounts. Small counts at the lowest geographies will be most affected.

Sitwell is the fourth most ethnically diverse ward in Rotherham with over 16% from ethnic minority backgrounds, including 11.4% Asian heritage. The school age population is more diverse, with nearly 30% from BAME communities including 21.4% of Asian heritage.

Housing and Households

Dwellings in 2021: 5,457 (5,522 in 2011), Households in 2021: 5,256 (5,522 in 2011)

The number of dwellings in Sitwell has decreased by 65 (-1.2%) since 2011 and there are 266 fewer households (-5%).

Sitwell has one of the highest proportions of owner-occupied housing in Rotherham at 81%, most of which is semi-detached. There are notably few social rented properties, with only 22 detached social rented properties.

Council Rented Properties in 2021: 333 (289 houses and 44 flats), 6% of dwellings.

Employment, Benefits and Pensionss

Sitwell has relatively few local jobs although the ward has strengths in several sectors. Employment levels in the ward depend on opportunities elsewhere such as Rotherham town centre and the hospital, with local jobs were only sufficient for 30% of working age people.

Benefits and Pensions (ONS)

The proportion of working age people claiming benefits in Sitwell is well below the Rotherham average.

Child Poverty (DWP)

The table below shows the number and percentage of children (aged under 16) living in Absolute low-income families in the ward and in Rotherham.

General Health and Disability

General Health bad or very bad (Census 2021): 5.7% (Rotherham 7.0%, England 5.2%)

Limiting Long Term Illness or Disability (Census 2021): 18.4% (Rotherham 21.1%, England 17.3%)

Sitwell had better general health than the borough average in 2021 and the rate of disability was slightly below average for Rotherham, but both were still above the national average. Disability benefit claim rates are below the borough average.

Lifestyle and Specific Health Issues

Around 80% of health and lifestyle indicators are better (have lower rates) than Rotherham average. Additionally, almost half of indicators are significantly better, particularly in terms of lower rates of deaths from all causes considered preventable and emergency hospital admissions for self-harm and COPD.

Sitwell ward has higher (better) life expectancy at birth compared to Rotherham overall (2.7 years more life expectancy for men and 2.2 years more for women) (2016-2020).

Compared to Rotherham average, Sitwell ward is better for (has lower rates/less):

Life expectancy & causes of death

Deaths from; causes considered preventable, under 75 years; all causes, under 75 years; circulatory disease, under 75 years; all cancer, under 75 years.

Disease & poor health

Emergency hospital admissions; for intentional self-harm; for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD); for hip fracture in persons 65 years and over; for all causes, all ages.

Incidence of lung cancer.

Hospital admissions for alcohol attributable conditions, (Narrow definition).

Hospital admissions for alcohol attributable conditions, (Broad definition).

Behavioural risk factors and child health

Deliveries to teenage mothers

Emergency hospital admissions; for injuries in 15 to 24 years old; for injuries in under 5 years old; for injuries in under 15 years old.

Reception: Prevalence of overweight (including obesity)

Reception: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity).

Year 6: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity)

General fertility rate: live births per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years.

In contrast, Sitwell ward is worse for (has higher rates/more):

Life expectancy & causes of death

Deaths from stroke, all ages.

Disease & poor health

Emergency hospital admissions; for Myocardial Infarction (heart attack); for stroke, standardised admission ratio.

Incidence of prostate cancer.

Behavioural risk factors and child health

Smoking prevalence at age 15 - regular or occasional smokers.

Smoking prevalence at age 15 - regular smokers.

Notes

‘Better’ and ‘worse’ based on differences over 10% from Rotherham average.

Data represents persons all ages unless otherwise specified.

Cancer incidence data based on 2016-2019, children emergency admissions/A&E attendances/admissions for injury 2016/17-2020/21, life expectancy & mortality 2016-2020, hospital admissions/stays/emergency admissions 2016/17-2020/21, children’s weight indicators 2019/20-2021-22, deliveries to teenage mothers 2016/17-2020/21, general fertility rate – live births and low birth rate 2016-2020.

Smoking data based on modelled estimates from 2014.

Percentage of people with limiting long-term illness or disability from 2011.

Source: Office for Health Improvement & Disparities, Fingertips Public Health Data.

Education

(only highest level of qualification/level 4+ and no qualifications updated with 2021 census data)

Local Secondary School: Oakwood High School (Academy) and Brinsworth Academy

Early Years – Good Level of Development - 2019: 71.4% (Rotherham 70.3%, England 71.8) 

Key Stage 2 – Reached an expected level in Reading, Writing & Maths - 2019: 71.5% (Rotherham 59%, England 65%) 

GCSE attainment in English & Maths - pass at 9-4 level (A*-C) - 2019

 62.3% (Rotherham average 51.9%)

Primary and secondary attainment in 2019 was above the Rotherham and national averages.

Highest Level of Qualification (2021 Census):

Level 4 or above 30.8% (Rotherham 23.1%, England 33.9%)

No Qualifications 17.6% (Rotherham 23.4%, England 18.1%)

Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)

Recorded Crime (2020): 624 (47 per 1,000 population) (Rotherham 90 per 1,000)

Recorded ASB (2020): 225 (17 per 1,000 population) (Rotherham 25 per 1,000)

Levels of recorded crime and ASB in Sitwell are less than the Rotherham average.

Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 & 2019

The Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a Government index for all areas in England. The 2019 index uses 37 indicators across 7 deprivation domains (themes) with a 2013/14 baseline. The IMD is only produced for Lower-level Super Output Areas (SOAs) of which there are 167 in Rotherham (around 8 per ward) and 32,844 in England, each with around 1,500 people. SOAs are ranked across England where 1 is the most deprived. Any rank below 3,285 indicates that an area is within the 10% most deprived areas of England.

Deprivation in Sitwell

Sitwell is well below the Borough average and in most of the ward is also well below the national average. There are 3 neighbourhoods which are more deprived than the ward average, with Whinston East being significantly more deprived than other neighbours and part of the most deprived 20% in England.

Income deprivation is below average in Sitwell for all age groups. Children affected by income deprivation at about the same level of than adults, which is well below the Borough average.

The IMD is not published for wards but the average SOA score in Sitwell is 14 (12 in 2015), well below the Rotherham West average score of 29 (28 in 2015), with an SOA equivalent rank of 20,712 (63rd percentile).

Data Sources

2011 Census, 2021 Census, ward population estimates: Office for National Statistics

Employment data: Business Register and Employment Survey, ONS (via NOMIS)

Benefit data: Department for Work and Pensions (via NOMIS)

Child poverty data: HM Revenue and Customs

Local Health Indicators: Public Health England. For non-commercial use only.

Hospital Admissions: Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC)

Modelled smoking prevalence estimates: University of Essex, Office for National Statistics and other sources.

Mortality: Office for National Statistics. (ONS)

Dwellings, households, council benefits, educational attainment: Rotherham MBC

Crime and ASB: South Yorkshire Police

Indices of Deprivation 2015 & 2019: Department for Communities and Local Government

Office for National Statistics sources licensed under the Open Government Licence v.3.0.

Rotherham School and Pupil Census (January 2020)