Ashford

The information below is correct at the time of the Census 2021. More detail is available from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census homepage.

Population

The latest population estimates by age and sex, trends and forecasts can be viewed on the Population and Census page on the main Kent County Council website. A selection of tables from the most recent Census in 2021 (including ethnic group) is also available. The Office for National Statistics provides a helpful comparison of change between the 2011 and 2021 Census. School population within each district is available from the Kent District profiles produced by Kent Analytics.

Wider determinants of health

Wider determinants of health are root causes for health outcomes and can be used as enablers for overall health and wellbeing for individuals and communities if addressed systematically. They include factors such as education, employment, income, housing, access to green spaces, air quality (the environment), as well as crime rates, and social inclusion.

The Deprivation and poverty page on the Kent County Council website contains headline findings for Indices of Deprivation 2019, a financial hardship toolkit, children in poverty report, fuel poverty bulletin, and information about homelessness. The Economy and employment page contains statistics about businesses, earnings, unemployment, and benefit claimants. The Office for National Statistics has produced an interactive Income deprivation data visual for each local authority district which includes a map.

The Labour market profiles from NOMIS include the latest figures on employment, earnings, benefits, occupation and industry sector. The ONS Health Index tracks health and wider determinants metrics over time in comparison with the England benchmark in 2015. The local authority district can be changed using the drop-down menu.

The Fingertips website, produced by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) contains a profile of indicators related to the wider determinants of health. There are topics on natural and built environment, work and labour market, vulnerability, income, crime and education. Local crime statistics can also be accessed from Police.uk.

Health inequalities

Health inequalities are avoidable, unfair, and systematic differences in health between different groups of people. Health inequalities, encompass variations in health status, life expectancy, and the prevalence of diseases among different socioeconomic groups, gender, age, ethnicity, disability, and geographic locations.

The Public Health Outcomes Framework profile on Fingertips shows life expectancy at birth and at 65 years of age for males and females with the gap between most and least deprived, known as the slope index of inequality. Different local authority districts can be selected using the menu at the top of the page. Trends over time are available by changing the setting on the data view menu.

Inclusion health groups

Inclusion health describes population groups who are socially excluded, who typically experience multiple overlapping risk factors for poor health and are often not accounted for in electronic records. These groups include the homeless and rough sleepers, vulnerable migrants, sex workers, Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller, victims of modern slavery, people who are in prison or contact with the criminal justice system, and people with drug and alcohol dependence and other socially excluded groups.

The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has produced Inclusion Health data packs for each Integrated Care System (ICS) in the South East. The version for Kent & Medway can be downloaded from the SE Clinical Network website.

The packs are intended to provide a one-off summary of available data and evidence for inclusion health groups in the South East region. They present an initial overview to support systems to understand need in their area and provide a resource including data and summaries that can be taken out and used as required, as well as be further developed by local Systems.​

The Kent Public Health team has produced a Gypsy Roma Traveller Health Needs Assessment.

Behavioural risk factors

The Fingertips website includes a number of profiles or collections of indicators. These include obesity (affecting children and adults), physical activity, tobacco control, alcohol and sexual health.

Health conditions

Some profiles on Fingertips provide an overview across a broad range of indicators. For example, the Public Health Outcomes Framework, Local Authority health, and Mortality. Suicide rates are included in these but also available in a separate profile. The Office for National Statistics Health Index tracks health and wider determinants metrics over time in comparison with the England benchmark in 2015.

Small area data

The Health and Social Care Maps tool is an interactive Power BI report produced by Kent Public Health Observatory. It consists of carefully selected indicators which are not already available for small areas and or have been identified as local priorities. There are sections related to the wider determinants of health, risk factors, interaction with health and care services, and mortality.

Census maps for small geographical areas are available from the Office for National Statistics.

The Local Health profile on Fingertips displays data electoral ward and middle super output area level. It provides a good cross-section of data on population, wider determinants, life expectancy, health conditions, risk factors and mortality. As with all profiles on Fingertips, different geographical areas can be selected using the drop-down menus on the web page.