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 central part of the Borough, with a population of 13,197 (2019 population estimate). The ward is represented by three members of the Council. Sitwell is a mainly suburban ward covering the parish of Whiston (population 4,868) 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: -254 (-1.9%) (Rotherham +3.2%)

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 both the 2011 census and latest School and Pupil census by the ethnic groupings used by the ONS.

Sitwell is the fourth most ethnically diverse ward in Rotherham with over 11% from BAME backgrounds, including nearly 8% 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 2020: 5,671 (5,522 in 2011), Households in 2020: 5,665 (5,522 in 2011)

The number of dwellings in Sitwell has increased by 149 (+3%) since 2011 and there are 143 more households (+3%). With population falling (-1.8%) and both households and dwelling figures growing since 2011, it signals a reduction in average household size.

Sitwell has one of the highest proportions of owner-occupied housing in Rotherham at 83%, most of which is semi-detached. There are notably few social rented properties, with only 18 detached social rented properties.

Council Rented Properties in 2020: 334 (289 houses and 45 flats), 6% of dwellings.

Employment, Benefits and Pensions

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 2019 (DWP)

Child poverty in Rotherham West is well below the Borough averages.

General Health and Disability

General Health bad or very bad (2011): 5.8% (Rotherham 7.6%, England 5.5%)

Limiting Long Term Illness or Disability (2011): 20.5% (Rotherham 22%, England 17.6%)

Sitwell had better general health than the Borough average in 2011 and the rate of disability was slightly below average for Rotherham, but both were still well above the national average. Disability benefit claim rates are below the Borough average.

Lifestyle and Specific Health Issues

Over 70% of health and lifestyle indicators are better (have lower rates) than Rotherham average. Additionally, a half of indicators are significantly better, particularly in terms of lower rates of deaths from circulatory disease under 75 years and hospital stays for self-harm. The period the data relates to is shown as (a) to (f) below and explained in the notes.

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

Admissions for injuries in under 15s (b); deaths from causes considered preventable, from circulatory disease all ages, from circulatory disease under 75 years, from coronary heart disease all ages, and from stroke all ages all persons (c); deliveries to teenage mothers (d); emergency hospital admissions for hip fracture in 65+ and for stroke (d); hospital stays for alcohol related harm (broad and narrow definition) and for self-harm (d); incidence of breast cancer, lung cancer and prostate cancer (a); obese Children Year 6 (e).

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

Smoking prevalence at 15 years regular and at 15 years regular or occasional (2014); incidence of colorectal cancer (a).

Sitwell ward has higher (better) life expectancy at birth compared to Rotherham overall (1.5 years more life expectancy for men and 0.9 years more for women) (c).

The Top 5 better and worse indicators are shown below (see Notes):

Better than Rotherham average

Deaths from circulatory disease under 75 years (2013-2017) 84.2 Rotherham 119.4

Hospital stays for self-harm (2013/14-2017/18) 61.3 Rotherham 84.3

Admissions for injuries in under 15s (2011/12-2015/16) 86.6 Rotherham 107

Incidence of lung cancer (2012-2016) 105.9 Rotherham 128.6

Deaths from circulatory disease all ages (2013-2017) 91.4 Rotherham 110.1

Worse than Rotherham average

Smoking prevalence at 15 years Regular (2014) 8.6% Rotherham 7.2%

Incidence of colorectal cancer (2012-2016) 116.6 Rotherham 101.3

Smoking prevalence at 15 years Regular or Occasional (2014) 11.3% Rotherham 10%

Emergency hospital admissions for CHD (2013/14-2017/18) 121.1 Rotherham 115.1

Deaths from all cancer all ages (2013-2017) 115.5 Rotherham 111.3

Notes 

Hospital admissions, cancer incidence and death rates are standardised to England (England = 100) 

A ratio less than 100 is relatively better, more than 100 is relatively worse. 

These are based on 5 years data to produce robust rates at ward level. 

Cancer incidence data based on 2012-2016, children emergency admissions/A&E attendances 2013/14-2015/16, deaths 2013-2017, hospital admissions/stays/emergency admissions 2013/14-2017/18, children’s weight indicators 2015/16-2017-18, admissions for injury (children) 2011/12-2015/16.

Data periods: (a) 2012-2016 (b) 2013/14-2015/16 (c) 2013-2017 (d) 2013/14-2017/18 (e) 2015/16-2017/18 (f) 2011/12-2015/16. 

Data represents persons all ages unless otherwise specified. 

*Modelled prevalence (based on socio-demographic profile and small area population data) 

**Persons aged under 75. 

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

Top 5 – Based on statistically significant or largest differences from Rotherham value. Ordering difficult due to comparing different measures (rates, percentages, ratios, life expectancy) 

Covid-19

Number of residents who tested positive for Covid-19
 (1st January 2020 – 21st March 2021)

Sitwell ward has well above average infection rates for Rotherham, being the highest of the 25 wards.

Education

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 (2011 Census):

Level 4 or higher 22.1% (Rotherham 17.4%, England 27.4%)

No Qualifications 18.7% (Rotherham 29.8%, England 22.5%)

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, 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)

Public Health England Covid-19 Situation Awareness Explorer (22/03/2021)