To receive information on the 2022 Residents’ Survey from Anna Murphy, Policy and Projects Officer.

Anna Murphy, Policy and Projects Officer, gave a presentation to the Forum on the Residents Survey which was carried out in July and August 2022. Of those surveyed, 15% of respondents had their day-to-day activities limited by a health condition or illness.

Overall, residents’ perceptions of the council were relatively high, and were higher than the Local Government Association (LGA) benchmark. However, there were discrepancies within the residents who lived in Maidenhead, those not in work and those with a disability, as these groups showed lower satisfaction across the three key metrics measured in the survey. 17% of respondents indicated that they would not use online services, and those less likely to use online services included those not working and those with a disability.

The quality of parks and open spaces and access to nature were the top two responses when asked what made the area a good place to live. Disabled residents were the least likely to say it was easy to access green spaces, with concerns about mobility, a lack of parking and not being able to visit without a car being cited as the key barriers.

The top five areas for improvement were focused on transport, waste and high streets. RBWM residents had a strong sense of community, though groups who had lower engagement in community activity included those who were disabled.

One of the key concerns emerging from this piece of work that was likely to be explored further was isolation and loneliness. 12% of respondents stated that they always felt lonely, with 26% of those with a disability stating that they felt lonely always.

With regards to mental health and life satisfaction, 85% of respondents indicated a high level of satisfaction. However, high satisfaction scores were less common among respondents who were finding it difficult financially (54%) or living with a health condition (61%).

Overall, respondents who had their activities limited due to health conditions or illness indicated that they had lower rates of life and local area satisfaction and higher rates of loneliness. Additionally, they had lower rates of community engagement.

The Chair thanked Anna for the presentation but stated her concerns that the survey was not representative of RBWM as a whole.

Councillor Price stated that this information was very helpful when looking at moving towards being an evidence-based borough. When looking at this survey in conjunction with the Corporate Plan and the current budget, it was important to ensure that these were reflective of each other. Councillor Price urged forum members to look at the budget proposal and contribute to the consultation.

Dominic Manley stated that he shared the Chair’s concerns and was shocked at how low loneliness was and how high satisfaction was within the borough. Dominic Manley asked what statistical significance the survey had.

Anna Murphy explained that the market research agency that conducted the survey worked to a particular standard with a code of conduct, and would have worked from an appropriate sample size to extrapolate data from. The financial context since the survey was conducted would have changed, and it was important to note that these surveys were indicative rather than being completely accurate. The survey was conducted through random sampling, with the majority being conducted through telephone calls. A small number of face to face interviews also took place. A questionnaire was designed, with professional interviewers asking these questions and having these conversations.

Sharon Bunce asked for more information on why people with disabilities stated that they were unable to visit green spaces without using a car, as she wanted to know if these issues included pavement access and public transport.

Anna Murphy stated that within the survey, some questions only appeared if the previous question was answered in a certain way. With regards to specific reasoning, Anna Murphy stated that she would be able to come back on this point.

The Chair highlighted that the borough had received £587,000  from the government’s household support fund to help residents facing severe financial hardship, with around £300,000 going towards helping people who were making difficult choices over household expenditure such as between heating and eating. If any resident needed help, they should contact the borough.

The Chair thanked all for attending and stated that the next forum meeting would be held on Monday 13^th March.