This User Guide presents the Age UK local statistics tool and explains how partners can make best use of the data

1. Local
AgeUK
Statistics Tool
Research
User Guide
Vivienne Contact:
Avery 2013 research@ageuk.org.uk

2. Why use local data?
• To deepen your understanding of older people and their needs in
your area
• To understand the key drivers for funders and commissioners
• To complement and support your qualitative expert knowledge
• To support the identification of local priorities and hot spots
• To ensure your services are targeted where they are most needed
• To develop a dynamic planning process
• To help you to measure impact

3. Benefits of using the tool
I just had the link for the Local
Statistics tool forwarded to me and
had to comment on what a useful and
well-constructed spreadsheet it is. To At a recent staff away day for a local Age
be able to access so much London UK I presented the stats tool to staff to
borough information with just a demonstrate the level of intelligence that
couple of clicks is very valuable can be called upon from Age UK. This is
indeed. increasingly important as we move in to a
more clinical world of commissioning and
Ben Donovan, Age UK, London have to demonstrate the worth of our
services in more quantitative ways. The
level of detail that we now have at our
finger tips impressed the staff and I am
sure they will make good use of this
impressive resource.
Alison Waters, Age UK, London & South

4. Key features of this version
More areas • Data for all 365 Local/Unitary authorities + Home Nations
• e.g. Service data (e.g. Health and social services)
New topics • Lifestyle data
• Select an area for a profile comparing this to your regional
Local Area Profiles and national average
• instantly see how your area compares to the national
Maps picture
Improved data quality • Reliable estimates based on official statistics
Simplicity • focus on making it user friendly

5. Data themes
• Population
• Living Arrangements
• Life Expectancy
• Health / Health Services
• Social Care & Carers
• Mortality & End of Life
• Pensions, Poverty and Exclusion
• Employment and Lifestyle

6. Accessing the spreadsheet
The most up-to-date version is on
AGEnet
Updates are announced in the weekly
Signpost bulletin
To access the tool, click on:
Resources
Information and Advice
Information Resources
Local Statistics

7. Maximising the screen
1. Click the
‘maximise’ button
1. Click the
2. Click the left hand
‘maximise’ button
arrow to all
worksheets are
2. Click ‘’ to go to
visible
the start of the list of
worksheets

8. Use the Index worksheet to navigate
to where you want to go
• The spreadsheet
contains 9
worksheets
• Click on the ‘Index’
worksheet for an
explanation of each
worksheet
Click on the Index worksheet

9. Finding the Indicator you need
Click on the worksheet ‘List of
Indicators’
Scroll down through the list in
Column B to find the item of 2. Scroll down to browse
interest through the indicator list
Click on the link to go to that 3. Click on a link to go
item in the ‘Data’ worksheet to the desired indicator
Browse other columns in this 1. Click on the ‘List of
worksheet provide more Indicators’ worksheet
information about each indicator

10. Using the ‘Data’ worksheet
The ‘Data’ worksheet lists areas in
rows and indicators in columns
Nations and English regional
totals are listed first, followed by
 local authorities
 social care county councils
 Wales, Scotland and Northern
Ireland local authorities/districts
To find your area either scroll
down through the list
Or use the ‘search’ function

11. To search for a local area
• Click at the top of column
D to highlight the column
• Click on ‘find and select’
• Type in part of the area 2. Click ‘Find and
name Select’ and type in
1. Click to highlight area name
• Click ‘find next’ if a Column D
different area comes up at
first
• Highlight the row for that
area to read across for all
the indicators

12. Using Social Care data
• The areas responsible for
providing social care are a
mix of local/unitary
authorities and county
councils
• In areas where
responsibility lies with the
local authority, the social
care indicators can be
found in the relevant row
• In areas where
responsibility lies with a
county council, data can be
found by scrolling down
where these are listed
below the local authorities

13. Local Area Profiles
• This new tool provides an Select chose authority from
overview of statistics on older drop-down menu
people in your area and
compares this to the regional and
national average
• Simply select an area from the
drop-down list and the profile is
created automatically
• You can print or save the profile
as a .pdf by clicking the buttons
(you may need to enable macros
in your version of Excel)
• Future profiles will allow
comparison of two or more
individual areas

14. Maps of selected indicators
• A selection of maps provide a
snapshot of how your area
compares with the national
pattern
• To adjust the size for a better
view, either
• use the zoom feature within
excel,
• or click on the map and drag
and corners
• or cut and paste into another
document
• The maps are .jpeg files and
can be cut and pasted into other
documents for your own use

15. Lower level analysis
• This worksheet tells you
how to get data for
different geographies
including smaller areas
• These include Clinical
Commissioning Groups
and Lower Super Output
Areas.
• Data for smaller areas
provide a more precise
picture but are only
available for a few
indicators
• In future we hope to
include these in the tool

16. Future plans
• This is part of a longer-term programme to improve the accessibility of local
data on older people
• We hope further releases will include
• More area comparison tools
• Expanded range of indicators drawing on Census 2011 and other data
• Data for a range of different geographies
• Ability to select different age groups e.g. today’s pensioners,
tomorrow’s pensioners, those aged 85 & over
• Training in how to use evidence
• Tools to allow users to create local maps and do more interactive
analysis

17. New web tool on the Knowledge Hub
• We developed an interactive map
for the Party Conferences showing
data by Parliamentary Constituency
• Received requests from a range of
people including local partners who
find the data useful when dealing
with their MP
• This has been added to our website
• To access use the link below, or go
to the Age UK website, click on ‘For
professionals’ at the top then
‘Knowledge Hub’ from menu at
RHS
http://www.ageuk.org.uk/professional-resources-home/knowledge-hub-
evidence-statistics/interactive-maps-of-ageing-/

18. Feedback
• There are currently 26,000 data items in the spreadsheet. We have done
some intensive checking but there may still be errors. Please let us know if
something looks odd
• We need your feedback on the content and design of the tool to feed into
our future planning e.g.
• Comments on design and usability
• Comments on the sort of comparison tools that would be useful
• Requests for data items
• Send your feedback to research@ageuk.org.uk or contact me
vivienne.avery@ageuk.org.uk / tel: 0203 033 1381