Foleshill and Longford place based profile - Print version

What is the Coventry Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)?

Introduction  

Welcome to the Foleshill and Longford area profile. This profile includes areas of Longford, Little Heath, Foleshill West and Foleshill East. Coventry is divided into 18 electoral ward areas; while the areas were not specifically designed around ward boundaries, this study area includes all of the ward of Foleshill and part of the ward of Longford. One part of Longford ward, around the area of Bell Green, is not covered in this profile because it is covered in another profile.  

Foleshill and Longford is one of the six places in Coventry profiled as part of the JSNA. The map below illustrates the Foleshill and Longford area covered in the profile, alongside the other five places. 

 

 

What is the Coventry Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA)? 

The JSNA brings together evidence about the health and wellbeing of Coventry residents, to help leaders across health and care understand and work together to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Coventry. 

Health is more than the healthcare system: it is not just about NHS hospitals, doctors or nurses. Instead, health is about people’s lives. Indeed, people’s health is determined by their economic and social circumstances, such as: 

• their communities - whether they have access to a good network of family and friends. 
• their prospects - whether they have access to good jobs and education; and  
• their environment - whether they live in a good neighbourhood with access to green spaces.  

These social circumstances determine people’s health and wellbeing, and therefore, are known as social determinants of health. 

This JSNA contains a full range of evidence to provide decision-makers with an understanding of local people and communities. It contains a lot of numbers and statistics, because these are essential to show the trends of how things have changed, as well as comparisons with other places. However, because health is about people, this JSNA also contains a lot of evidence from local people and local community groups. 

 About this JSNA

This JSNA is one of the six places in Coventry that was profiled in 2023 and 2024 by Coventry City Council with co-operation from partners across the Coventry Health and Wellbeing Board and ideas contributed by community organisations and residents. In April 2018, the Coventry Health and Wellbeing Board authorised a move towards a place-based approach to the JSNA, with the production of a citywide JSNA profile and JSNA profiles for six local areas.  

Since the production of the last JSNA, there have been huge external influences on the health and wellbeing of our residents. The COVID-19 pandemic shone a light on inequalities within our communities and has fundamentally altered our lives. There have been changes to what we value, our communities and how they function, our ways of working and to our economy. The data within this profile reflects these changes. 

Each JSNA profile is structured as follows: 

• Demographics and Community 
• Prospects 
• Environment  
• Health and Wellbeing. 

For each topic area covered, the JSNA explores: 

• Why is this important? 
• What is the local picture? How does it compare? 
• What is happening? What else can be done? 

In addition to the JSNA profiles, detailed statistical data and evidence is available in the citywide intelligence hub [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/citywideintelhub]. The hub provides tools to compare and contrast metrics and indicators of all kinds. 

Despite every effort to ensure the information in this profile is accurate and up to date, it may become less reliable over time. 

The following profile uses various data sources and statistics that cover local neighbourhoods within the city. It compares statistics to those of Coventry as a whole and other neighbourhoods, using Lower-layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) and Mid-layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) as the geographic units. These are areas where the boundaries have been defined by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and used by the ONS and other bodies to publish local area statistics. LSOAs and MSOAs cover the whole of England and Wales, there are 42 MSOAs that cover all parts of Coventry and each of these are divided into LSOAs, typically 4 to 6 per MSOA. The profiles highlight key strengths and challenges of each area, though data availability at the neighbourhood level may vary. For citywide data, refer to the Coventry Citywide JSNA profile. [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/facts-coventry/coventry-citywide-profile-2023] 

Executive Summary

Demographics and communities 

Foleshill and Longford has seen significant population growth, increasing by 13% over the past decade to 34,400 residents, partly due to new housing developments like Webster’s Park. The area has a younger population, with 25% being children aged 0-15, and fewer elderly residents compared to the city average. 

The population is increasingly diverse, with 70.2% from ethnic minority groups, compared to 45% in Coventry overall. The largest group is Asian Pakistani (14.2%), with a rise in the Black African population and a decline in White British residents. International migration, including economic migrants, students, asylum seekers, and refugees, has significantly contributed to growth. The area has a higher proportion of asylum seekers than others. 

Foleshill and Longford is one of the most linguistically diverse areas in the city, with 30.3% of residents not speaking English as their main language. Common languages include Panjabi, Polish, Urdu, and African languages. This diversity presents challenges in accessing services. 

While the area celebrates diversity through festivals, there has been a decline in feelings of belonging and community cohesion. Cultural participation and community involvement have also decreased. Support for newly arrived communities is provided by organisations like the Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre, Foleshill Women’s Training, and the Roma Project, with libraries aiding in language learning and integration. 

Prospects 

By age 5, only 57.8% of children in Foleshill and Longford achieve a good level of development, below the Coventry (61.1%) and national average (65.2%). There are some factors that may contribute to child development that are measured and the statistics are presented in this profile, although of course these are not the only, or necessarily most important factors. These factors being: higher maternal smoking rates and lower breastfeeding rates. However the area does have higher rates of early antenatal care and health visitor reviews.  

Foleshill and Longford face high child poverty rates, which have increased since 2014/15, and 41% of residents live in England's most deprived areas. The area's attainment at age 11 is higher than Coventry’s average, but performance drops by school-leaving age. Additionally, 59% of residents worry about money, and economic inactivity is higher than the city average. 

Community support includes health visitors, the Family Hub, and voluntary groups like Foleshill Women's Training. Initiatives such as food hubs, the Holiday Activity and Food programme, and digital skills drop-ins help residents. Collaborative efforts through the Hope Hub and Foleshill Community Centre foster resilience amid these challenges.

Housing and environment 

Satisfaction in Foleshill and Longford is below the city average, with some residents feeling the area has declined. Air quality is poorer due to major roads, but initiatives are in place to address traffic and pollution. Foleshill has less green space compared to Coventry, while Longford benefits from good access, notably Longford Park. Green spaces bring communities together, reduce loneliness and mitigate the negative effects of air pollution, excessive noise, heat, and flooding. There is opportunity to work with communities to protect and improve existing green space and create new ones in areas most in need. 

Home ownership is below average, with higher private renting and lower house prices. Overcrowding and homelessness are more prevalent. Fuel poverty is high, exacerbated by the cost-of-living crisis. Crime rates are higher than average and rising, with reduced feelings of safety in recent years. 

Health and wellbeing 

Health and Wellbeing in Foleshill and Longford is below the city average, with shorter life expectancies and higher poor health rates. Life expectancy is lower than the city average of 82.0 years for females and 78.0 years for males, though Foleshill West has higher life expectancy, especially for females.  

COVID-19 highlighted health inequalities, with higher mortality rates in this deprived, diverse area. Despite this, vaccination rates are relatively low.  

Addressing these health inequalities requires a citywide approach, considering lifestyle factors linked to socioeconomic conditions. While residents have good access to health services, vaccination rates for childhood vaccines are below 95%, and lifestyle issues like high smoking rates, low fruit and vegetable consumption, and low physical activity contribute to health problems. Childhood obesity rates are also higher. Improving support group awareness and sustainability is essential for addressing these health needs.

Demographics and communities

Location

Foleshill and Longford are wards in Coventry. The data in this profile is aggregated from small areas on a best-fit basis, and therefore may differ slightly from other sources. This profile covers all of Foleshill ward but not all of Longford ward, it does not include the area of Bell Green. The profile includes the areas of Longford, Little Heath, Foleshill West and Foleshill East. Each of these four areas are one of the 42 MSOAs that cover Coventry.   

Population

Why is this important?

It is important to understand how Coventry’s population and demographics are changing so that local communities and organisations can ensure that the city has the right services to meet the needs of its people.

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

The Foleshill and Longford area is an area of growth in the city, in the past 10 years, there has been a 13% population increase, and is home to an estimated 34,400 residents. Between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, the population of Foleshill and Longford has increased by nearly 4,000 additional residents from 30,500. This means that the population has grown faster here than it has in the city overall (9%); and that around about 1 in every 10 residents of Coventry live in this area.

Population growth has partly come from new housing developments such as the Webster’s Park area in between Foleshill Road and Stoney Stanton Road, part of Foleshill East. The local neighbourhood that includes this development has seen the highest 10-year population growth in the area at 55%.

Foleshill and Longford covers a wide area and growth rates vary across the patch. The parts that have experienced the highest population growth are Little Heath (20%) and Foleshill East (17%), these areas are amongst the faster growing parts of the city. Longford (8%) and Foleshill West (6%) have grown at rates slightly lower than the city average.

The population is particularly young in Foleshill West and Foleshill East with a median age of 30 compared to 35 for the city overall and 40 across England. In the north of the area, Little Heath and Longford, the average age of residents is a little higher at 33 and 37 respectively.

The age profile of Foleshill and Longford is quite different to the city overall, as illustrated by the population pyramid diagram.

Source: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics, Crown Copyright

Foleshill and Longford have younger populations than Coventry, but unlike Coventry as a whole, it is not because of students and young adults. Instead, it is because there are more children and fewer elderly people. 

A quarter of the Foleshill and Longford population are children aged 0-15, 25.1% compared to 19.8% for Coventry overall. Only 9.5% are aged 65 and over, much lower than both the 14.6% in Coventry and the 18.6% England average. This is an important consideration for understanding the health needs of the population in this area. This age profile (more children and families and less elderly people) is typical of the areas in Foleshill ward: Foleshill West, Foleshill East and Little Heath; but not in Longford which has an age profile more typical of the city average.

The number of older residents has been increasing and is likely to continue to grow in the future, but not at the same rate it has for Coventry overall. Looking at population change over the 10 years between the 2011 and 2021 censuses, the growth by age group in Foleshill and Longford was like the experience of the city overall, with a reduction in the population of infants and young children aged 0-4 years due to falling birth numbers over that period, but significant growth in the number of children aged 5-17 years.

Foleshill and Longford’s population has changed differently from Coventry overall in that is has experienced greater increases amongst residents aged 35 – 49 years (26% increase compared to 6% for Coventry overall) and 50 – 64 years (32% increase compared to 18% for Coventry overall), but a relatively low increase in the number of older residents aged 65+ (4% increase compared to 9% for Coventry overall).

Like Coventry overall, the total number of births to mothers living in Foleshill and Longford has been on a falling trend up to 2021. In 2021 there were 519 births, down from 669 in 2014. The birth rate in 2021 remained relatively high for Coventry however, the general fertility rate for the area, the number of live births per 1,000 resident females aged 15-44, is higher than the city average at 64.4 compared to 52.0.  Fertility rates vary across the area, higher than the city average in the areas that are part of Foleshill ward and about average in Longford. Births are particularly high amongst residents of the Foleshill East area with a fertility rate at 73.3 being amongst the highest in the city.

There are fewer elderly households and more households with dependent children in Foleshill and Longford. One-person households made up of an older person aged over 65 or a single-family household in which all people are aged over 65 make up 8% (1,025) and 3% (404) of all households in Foleshill and Longford compared to 12% and 7% across Coventry overall.

24% (2,879) of all households are couple family households with dependent children compared to 19% across Coventry overall and 10% (1,202) are lone parent family households with dependent children compared to 8% across Coventry overall.

Like for Coventry overall, the most common single type of household in Foleshill and Longford are one person households of people aged 65 or younger, making up 20% of all households in the area, 2,465 households out of a total of 12,192 households as measured in the Census 2021, compared to the city average of 19%. Household composition varies a little across the area, with Longford having more households of elderly people and fewer households with children, prevalence of these is broadly in line with the city average.

Households in the area are larger than average. The most common household size is 4 or more people in the household (31% of all households), compared to 1 person per household the most common for Coventry. The average household size in Foleshill and Longford is 2.80 people compared 2.48 for Coventry overall. Household size is particularly high in the areas that are part of Foleshill ward, the highest in city, at 3.89 in Foleshill West, 2.87 in Little Heath and 2.86 in Foleshill East.

We can understand more about our communities by using Geodemographic segmentation. The Acorn geodemographic profiler data model from CACI ltd categorises all UK households into 6 main categories ranked from most to least wealthy. Most postcodes in Foleshill and Longford (95.5%) are categorised in the three less wealthy groups of the six categories. There are three groups/types of households that dominate the area, making up more than two-thirds of the local population; the three in order down to least wealthy type are:

• ‘Steadfast Communities – Young families in ethnically diverse urban centres’ (people living in this type of household make up 34% of the population of Foleshill and Longford compared to 5% across Coventry overall),
• ‘Stretched Society – Young families struggling on low incomes in rented terraces’ (19% of local population, Coventry 14%) and
• ‘Low Income Living – Diverse young families in rented terraces and flats’ (17% of local population, Coventry 4%).

Acorn Wellbeing divides households into types according to their health needs, residents in Foleshill and Longford have a higher percentage of residents in the “At Risk” and “Healthy” groups. The four main groups Acorn Wellbeing divides residents into are:

• Health Challenges (highest levels of illness, often areas with higher elderly population),
• At Risk,
• Caution and
• Healthy (more affluent neighbourhoods with low levels of illness given their age).

Residents in Foleshill and Longford largely fall between group 2 “At Risk” (43% compared to 39% across Coventry overall) and group 4 “Healthy” (27% compared to 15% across Coventry overall). A relatively low percentage of the Foleshill and Longford population live in households in group 1 “Health Challenges”, (6% compared to 12% across Coventry overall), perhaps because of the relatively low population of elderly people.

Further analysis reveals that the three most notable subtypes in this area are:

• ‘Healthy – Gym & Juices’ (younger people with relatively healthy lifestyles; 23% of local population, Coventry 3%).
• ‘At Risk – Everyday Excesses’ (tend to be younger with higher rates of smoking and drinking; 16% of local population, Coventry 19%).
• ‘At Risk – Dangerous Dependencies’ (less well-off family areas, higher smoking, less healthy diet and high BMI, 7% of local population, Coventry 3%).

Why is this important?

The growth of new communities can change the age and ethnic profile of the city, which can have an impact on demand for local services such as schools and GP surgeries and is influenced by of many complex factors, such as living and working conditions, social inclusion, ethnicity, socioeconomic position, education, and cultural factors.

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

Coventry as a city is becoming increasingly diverse, and Foleshill and Longford is no exception with 70.2% of the population being part of an ethnic minority group compared to 44.7% in Coventry as a whole. We use ‘ethnic minorities’ to refer to all ethnic groups except the White British group. Ethnic minorities include white minorities, such as Gypsy, Roma, Irish Traveller and other white groups.  In the 2021 Census, 70.2% of Foleshill and Longford’s population were a part of an ethnic minority group, an increase of 8 percentage points from 62.1% in 2011. 

Asian Pakistani is the largest ethnic group in Foleshill and Longford, making up 14.2% of the population, compared to 3.7% in Coventry. This follows a decline in Asian Indian residents from 16.8% in 2011 to 13.9% in 2021.

There is some variation within neighbourhoods,57.4% of residents in Longford are White British, while Foleshill West and Foleshill East have much lower figures (14.6% and 17.2%).

White British residents have decreased by 8 percentage points from 37.9% in 2011 to 29.8% in 2021, a decrease of 1,286 people. Between 2011 and 2021 there has been a 5.3% (2,055) percentage point increase in White: Other with 11.2% in 2021 (3,838), up from 5.9% (1,783) in 2011. The Black African population has continued to increase, growing from 5.8% in 2011 to 8.8% in 2021. Within Coventry, Foleshill West, Foleshill East, and Hillfields had the largest percentage of their population being from an ethnic minority group with 80% or more doing so.

Among schoolchildren who live in Foleshill and Longford 78.8% are from an ethnic minority group, a higher proportion than for the population of all ages taken from Census 2021 (29.8%). The largest ethnic minority groups amongst school pupils are similar to those amongst the overall population, children of Asian Pakistani ethnicity (18.1%), Black African ethnicity (12.5%), White Other ethnicity (11.0%) and Asian Indian ethnicity (10.2%).

Religious affiliation of residents in Foleshill and Longford is diverse. Of those who responded to the question on the 2021 census, 18.6% have no religion (Coventry 31.6%). Christianity is less prevalent than the city average here but is still the most common single religion, at 37.1% of the area’s residents compared with 46.8% across Coventry overall. Islam is the second most followed religion accounting for 30.6% of residents compared to 11.0% across Coventry overall. There is also a slightly higher number of Sikhs with 8.3% for Foleshill and Longford, compared to 5.3% for the city overall.

There is notable variation between the neighbourhoods of Foleshill and Longford. The Muslim population is higher in Foleshill West and Foleshill East at 46.1% and 45.6% respectively. Christian and Sikh populations are higher in the neighbourhoods further north; in Little Heath, Christians make up 42.6% of the population and Sikhs 12.0% and in Longford, Christians make up 46.2% of the population and Sikhs 11.0%.

International migration, people moving from overseas, has been an important part of population growth in this area. This has historically been the case and continues in recent years, with levels of migration to the area being higher than average for Coventry neighbourhoods since 2011, although not amongst the very highest of all. Newly arrived communities to Coventry are from diverse sources, and include people migrating for economic reasons, international students, asylum seekers and refugees, amongst others. Foleshill and Longford have a higher population growth than other areas, mainly due to international migration. Foleshill and Longford's population growth is mainly due to international migration, not students, with only 6% of its population being students, compared to 10% citywide. Internal migration, people moving from other parts of Coventry and the UK to Foleshill and Longford, may also contribute to population growth.

19.4% of Foleshill and Longford residents were born abroad and arrived in the past decade, higher than Coventry's 14.2%. Foleshill West and East have higher migrant populations (22.4% and 23.2%) than Longford (11.2%). Overall, 41.3% of area residents were born outside the UK, compared to Coventry's 27.9%, with many from Asia (18.4% vs 10.5% citywide ) and the EU (13.9% vs 10.1% citywide). Foleshill West and Foleshill East are amongst the areas of Coventry that are home to the highest populations of first-generation migrants, with people born outside the UK making up 49.4% and 48.4% of the areas’ total populations respectively. Residents have a wide variety of countries of birth with 22 countries of origin with at least 100 Foleshill and Longford residents. The most common nations represented are India (7.1% of all residents), Romania (5.7% of all residents), Pakistan (5.5% of all residents) and Poland (3.4% of all residents).

Between 2011 and 2021, the population of Foleshill and Longford increased amongst people born in the UK and people born outside the UK; the number of UK born people increased by 400 and non-UK born people increased by 3,500 – the majority of the increase was amongst people born in EU countries, an increase of 2,700, compared to an 500 increase in the number of people born in Africa and an increase of 200 amongst people born in Asia.

Over the past 10 years, Foleshill and Longford have seen higher-than-average international migration compared to other Coventry neighbourhoods. Although data collection poses challenges, National Insurance Number (NINo) registrations offer insight into these trends. In 2022, 1,795 foreign nationals moved to the area, a higher rate per capita than the city average, returning to pre-pandemic levels after a drop in 2020. Unlike the rest of Coventry, where migration surged post-pandemic, Foleshill and Longford's increase was modest. While the area had one of the highest per capita NINo registrations in 2015, the 2022 figure is only slightly above average.

Source: Department for Work and Pensions, https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ [https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/]

Migration to Foleshill and Longford from South Asia has surged, with 786 arrivals in 2022, up from 310 in 2021, 88 in 2018, and 180 in 2012. EU migration, once the highest, dropped to 475 in 2022 from 1,108 in 2018 but remains above the 351 in 2012. Migration from Sub-Saharan Africa is at a peak of 347, up from 81 in 2018 and 56 in 2012.

Coventry has a long history of providing safety to those fleeing conflict and persecution and Foleshill and Longford is a particular area that homes asylum seekers. While the total numbers are relatively low compared to other types of international migration, this is still an important part of the area’s demographic when it comes to health and care needs. Coventry as a city supports more asylum seekers than most other local authorities in the country. At more than 2,000 people, Coventry supports the highest proportion of asylum seekers per head of population in the West Midlands region – Foleshill and Longford is an area where a higher-than-average number for Coventry live, approximately 230 in August 2023. These people live mostly in the areas that cover the Foleshill ward, less so in Longford.

In 2021, 19.8% of households had no people with English as their main language compared to 10.7% of households across Coventry overall. For nearly a third of residents (30.3%) English is not their main language according to responses to the Census 2021, compared to 17.5% across Coventry overall. 7.1% of residents in Foleshill and Longford stated that they cannot speak English well and 1.1% could not speak English at all, this compares to 3.0% and 0.5% for Coventry overall.

Foleshill and Longford has a greater and increasing diversity of languages, perhaps the most diverse in the city, which could act as a barrier when accessing and having an awareness of services available to residents.  In 2021, 19.8% of households had no one with English as their main language, compared to 10.7% citywide. About 30.3% of residents don't primarily speak English, compared to 17.5% across Coventry. Additionally, 7.1% of residents speak English poorly, and 1.1% not at all, higher than the city’s 3.0% and 0.5%. There are variations within the area, the diversity of main language is highest in Foleshill West and Foleshill East with 36% of residents’ main language being other than English, followed by 30% in Little Heath and 17% in Longford.

In Foleshill and Longford, ‘Any other EU language’ (likely to be mostly Romanian) (7.0%), Panjabi (5.2%), Polish (3.3%), Urdu (3.1%) and ‘African languages (1.9%) are the most common main languages spoken aside from English, although there are many more languages with a significant number of speakers.

For school children living in Foleshill and Longford an even lower proportion don’t speak English as their main language, 56.8%. The most popular languages amongst school children living in this area are Urdu (10.2%), Romanian (7.7%), Panjabi (6.2%), Bengali (3.1%), Polish (3.0%), Arabic (2.7%), Somali (2.1%) and Kurdish (2.0%). 

As it becomes more diverse, the area remains cohesive, but Coventry Household Survey data indicates that overall feelings of belonging, and cohesion, may have reduced over the last few years. Most residents agreed (61%) that their neighbourhood is a place where people got on well together, slightly lower than Coventry overall (63%) and a significant reduction since 2018 (88%). These estimates have margins of error associated when inferring about the whole population because the survey was only asked of a sample of residents, but the size of change does indicate that this has reduced amongst the wider population of the area over that period.

52% of respondents said they felt a sense of belonging to their neighbourhood down from 75% in 2018 but about average for Coventry overall (54%) Those in Longford are less likely to have a strong sense of belonging at neighbourhood level (33%).

All residents were subsequently asked if the Covid-19 outbreak has changed their sense of belonging to their local community. Only a minority of 13% feel a stronger sense of belonging to their local community after Covid-19, the same as the city average.

In Foleshill and Longford, 24% of residents in Foleshill and Longford agreed that there are opportunities to get actively involved in improving their local area, down from 54% in 2018, compared to 38% citywide.  42% of residents indicated that they were likely to get more involved in the next 12 months, compared to 51% across Coventry overall.

Cultural participation in Foleshill and Longford is lower than average, with particularly low rates in Foleshill West (47%) and Foleshill East (55%). ‘Low’ or ‘no’ participation is defined as respondents who had not engaged in any of a list of cultural activities at least three times in the previous 12 months. It varies between different neighbourhoods in the area, with higher-than-average participation in Little Heath and lower than average in Longford, Foleshill West and Foleshill East. Foleshill West and Foleshill East have particularly low rates. It is notable that the % not participating had reduced in these two areas between 2018 and 2022, whereas participation measured using this question had increased for Coventry overall, notably in Little Heath, due to the opportunities available when Coventry was City of Culture for 2021/22.

For Foleshill and Longford residents, overall attendance at City of Culture events was lower than the city average, with 36% saying they had attended at least one event in the city centre compared to the city average of 45%. 20% said they had attended an event based in their locality compared to the city average of 27%.

What else is happening? What else can be done?

The diversity of the area is celebrated through events and festivals throughout the year. This is a huge cultural asset for the city and there is a desire to expand these opportunities. The City of Culture brought many events to the city to celebrate diversity and promote cohesion. There are several groups throughout Foleshill and Longford that meet to connect, create, and celebrate different cultures. Foleshill Creates regularly meet to create artwork together culminating in exhibitions and a festival of light to celebrate Diwali. Foleshill is a starting point for many parades and celebrations, from Diwali to Vaisakhi the diversity of the city and communities is something to be celebrated. There is a desire to harness the city’s creativity with some residents in Foleshill expressing that “The city could continue and grow its culture offering…This would attract tourists and jobs to the city... We should expand our cultural offering by doing something like a Coventry Fringe Festival. I think attracting visitors is vital for the city.”-

Foleshill and Longford have an abundance of places of worship in the city. Places of worship not only create a sense of community and belonging they also make great community venues hosting many small groups, providing spaces for cultural activities, such as exhibitions, drama performances, and other community services like mother and toddler groups. These community spaces and events are integral to the community with one resident noting that they “include everyone … this makes people feel equal and less of an outsider”

Culturally aware and appropriate interventions can support newly arrived communities settle. There are many voluntary and charitable groups throughout the area helping newly arrived communities’ build a new life in the city. Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre (CRMC) welcomes and empowers asylum seekers, refugees, and other migrants in Coventry to rebuild their lives and achieve their potential. They provide a wealth of support, from advice services, English classes, translation and interpretation services and support people into gaining employment through their project building bridges. The centre also offers therapy and housing support ensuring that individuals know their rights and what they are entitle to.

Foleshill Women’s Training (FWT) also offer a culturally sensitive and appropriate place for all women to access Education, Training, Healthcare and Employment Opportunities, and be empowered and enabled in moving forward. They offer a range of courses, health programmes, and employment pathways.

The Roma Project works with the community and mainstream services to ensure that they can confidently help and provide the best support possible to the Roma Community.

Newly arrived communities are supported by Coventry Libraries work with the Syrian resettlement programme. This includes library tours, special book collections and events, as well as the use of library spaces for information and education sessions. 

Conversation cafes, libraries and children play key roles in helping families learn and practice English. The experiences of migrant families in learning and using English vary depending on their circumstances and needs. Some may face challenges such as isolation, lack of confidence, or limited access to formal education whilst others may find support and motivation from their communities, workplaces, or cultural activities. Libraries provide a useful resource in learning languages and building support systems, from opportunities to attend English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses, to conversation cafes to meet other people and practice their conversational English.  

While children often adapt to the new language environment more easily than adults, they may also face pressures and expectations from their parents or peers. Therefore, it is important to recognise the diversity and complexity of language learning for migrant families, and to provide them with flexible and inclusive opportunities to develop their skills and identities.

Community Assets

Why is this important?

Understanding the local network of assets, resources and community organisations help facilitate sharing and understanding to improve the health and wellbeing of local communities.

The Community Information Directory [https://cid.coventry.gov.uk/kb5/coventry/directory/adult.page?adultchannel=3] is also a useful tool for knowing what groups, events and activities are happening in the area.

Prospects

Why is this important?

Understanding Coventry's economic, cultural, educational, and early childhood prospects can help us better understand the effects these factors have on the wellbeing of the local populations. A person's lifelong health, happiness, and productivity are affected by preventable health inequalities that can arise during pregnancy, childbirth, and the early years.

Best start in Life

Why is this important?

“Giving every child the best start in life is crucial for securing health and reducing health inequalities across the life course. The foundations for virtually every aspect of human development – physical, intellectual, and emotional – are laid in early childhood. What happens during these early years, starting in the womb, has life-long effects on many aspects of health and well-being”. - Sir Michael Marmot

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

Avoidable differences in health emerge by the time a child reaches the age of five. In Foleshill and Longford, a lower percentage of children (57.8%) achieve a good level of development by age 5 compared to the Coventry (61.1%) and national average (65.2%), however there is significant variation between neighbourhoods.  A child’s level of development is assessed at the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) on early learning goals in the prime areas of learning: personal, social, and emotional development; physical development; and communication and language and the early learning goals in the specific areas of mathematics and literacy.

Longford and Foleshill West have some of the lowest rates in the city with only 47.3% and 49.1% measured as being at a good level of development in 2021/22. Children living in Foleshill East have higher rates than average at 64.7%, reaching as high as 74% in the specific neighbourhood of ‘Paragon Park Red Lane’.

In Foleshill and Longford, uptake of funded early years childcare for all children aged two, three and four is below the Coventry average. Two-year-olds whose parents are in receipt of certain benefits are entitled to 15 hours of free early education per week. Additionally, all three- and four-year-olds are entitled to 15 hours free education.

The 2-year-old up take in Foleshill and Longford in 2023 was 64% compared to 75% for Coventry overall and 72% nationally. Similarly, the 3- & 4-year-old take up was 82% which is still below the Coventry average of 88% and national average at 92%.

There is significant variation between neighbourhoods, the lowest take up rates in Foleshill and Longford for eligible 2-year-olds was Little Heath at 55%, significantly lower than the Coventry average. The 3-&-4-year-old take up was lowest in Foleshill West at 74%.

Between 2018-2022, the percentage of all babies born at low weight (under 2500g) in Foleshill and Longford was slightly higher than the Coventry average. Low birthweight is often associated with premature birth, Coventry has relatively high numbers of babies that are born prematurely, leading to a higher number of babies born at low weight. Between 2018 – 2022 the number of babies born at low birth weight in Foleshill and Longford was 9.3%. This is higher than the Coventry average of 8.6% and the national average 6.8% (in 2021).

Antenatal appointment attendance in Foleshill and Longford has declined, with 74.1% of mothers attending within 12 weeks in 2022-23, below the city average of 80.3%. This is having been on a declining trend since 2019-2020 where rates were 80.5%, a 6.3 percentage point drop. However, 77% of children aged 2 to 2 ½ received timely health visitor reviews, above the city average of 75%. Foleshill East and West had some of the highest review rates (85% and 84%) despite lower antenatal attendance.

Maternal smoking at the time of delivery in the last 4 years (2019/20 – 2022/23) in Foleshill and Longford was 13.2% higher than 10.5% across Coventry but not the highest rates overall.

Breastfeeding prevalence in Foleshill and Longford is higher than the Coventry average. In 2022-23, 74.4% of new mothers initiated breastfeeding within 48 hours, compared to 72.2% citywide, a 5% increase since 2019-20. At 6-8 weeks, 62% of infants were still totally or partially breastfeeding, above the city average of 58%. It is known that rates of breastfeeding are generally higher amongst women from ethnic minority groups, and Foleshill and Longford is an ethnically diverse area where the population is made up of a high proportion of people from ethnic minority groups.  

The percentage of children under the age of 16 who live in relative poverty is significantly greater in Foleshill and Longford compared to the rest of the city. The percentage of children living in ‘relative poverty’ in Foleshill and Longford in 2021/22 is 42.8%, amounting to an estimated 3,682 children, this is significantly higher than 26.7% for Coventry and 19.9% for England. This has been on an increasing trend in Coventry, and elsewhere, since 2014/15. Improving access to support and services whilst addressing the root causes of relative poverty can work to provide better opportunities for children to thrive.
Children in Foleshill West, Foleshill East and Little Heath are more likely to experience deprivation relating to low income.

What else is happening? What else can be done?

Health visitors can help children and families make the best start in life. NHS Health visitors are very active in the area. They visit all parents with children under the age of 5 in the city and offer health promotion and write developmental reviews during their home visits to promote childhood development. Schools, faith groups and community centres can work together to help reach socially isolated families, helping bring support to those who need it.

The Family Hub located in Foleshill is highlighted as an asset in the community. Families for all Family hub, located in Foleshill helps co-ordinate early intervention and support. By bringing together different professionals such as, Health visitors, social workers, midwives, police, and others the hub can offer holistic and tailored support to families who face challenges.

Community and voluntary groups also play a vital role in supporting families and young people. Foleshill Women's Training is an organisation that provides a culturally sensitive and appropriate environment for women to access education, training, healthcare, and employment opportunities. They aim to empower and enable women to move forward. Some of their projects include MAMTA, which supports ethnic minority women during and after pregnancy, cervical screening projects to improve cervical screening uptakes among women from different backgrounds, the perinatal mental health peer support project, which educates and supports women during and after pregnancy, and the Loss Pathway pilot project, run in partnership with Coventry and Warwickshire perinatal mental health team.

Education and skills

Why is this important?

Poor work chances, social isolation, and difficulties with mental and physical health are just a few of the social disadvantages that people could potentially face later in life as a result of low educational attainment and low expectations. By supporting high levels of educational attainment and boosting their expectations, these barriers can be removed so that children and young people realise their full potential in life.

There have been significant disruptions to education over recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, forcing schools to close and move to digital classrooms. It is fair to say that this has had an impact on education and some children’s school readiness as a result. Therefore, the Department of Education are reluctant to directly compare attainment statistics between 2019-2022, we have included some for your information here.

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

There are 12 Primary Schools and 2 Secondary schools in Foleshill and Longford. The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills, also known as Ofsted, inspects services providing education and training for learners and regulates services that care for children and young people. 58% (7) of the primary schools were rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’, 25% (3) of the primary schools were rated ‘Requires improvement’ and 16% (2) were not rated at all. Of the two secondary schools, both were rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’. 

In May 2023, 72.3% of children who live in Foleshill and Longford attended a ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ school. 15.6% attended a school with the rating ‘Requires improvement’ or ‘Inadequate’ and 10% were uninspected. This means that 82.7% of those whose school had been inspected attend a ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ school similar to the city average of 83.5%. It should be noted that the number of students living in Foleshill and Longford is 7,476 compared to the city’s total of 58,507.

The number of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is in line with the city average (18.2%). In 2023, 19.0% of children living in Foleshill and Longford were SEN pupils. SEN can be divided into two types, those with a Statement or an Education, Health & Care (EHC) plan; and those with SEN support. In total 1,400 children were identified as SEN pupils, 4.0% were in receipt of an EHC plan, slightly higher than the city average of 3.4%, and 15.0% were receiving SEN support.

Longford has a higher than average number of pupils, with 20.8% of children in this area being SEN students, it is amongst the areas with the highest rates in the city; although it is higher than average here mainly due to higher numbers of pupils with SEN support rather than having more with EHC plans, who tend to be those with greater needs.

Foleshill and Longford’s attainment performance at the end of year 6 (key stage 2) is higher than Coventry averages and in line with national averages. In 2022, 61% of students who live in Foleshill or Longford met the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths combined at the end of year 6, compared to 54% for Coventry as a whole and 59% for England. There is some variation between the neighbourhoods across Foleshill and Longford, 70% of students living in Foleshill East achieved the expected standard in 2022 putting it amongst the areas in Coventry with the highest rates.

At key stage 4, the average attainment 8 scores for pupils living in Foleshill and Longford is lower than the Coventry average. Based on attainment 8 scores, which are an average score used to measure an individual student's progress across their 8 best performing subjects taken at GCSE level, the average attainment 8 score for pupils in Foleshill and Longford in 2022 was 41.4, compared to 46.2 in Coventry and 48.9 in England overall.

Pupils living in Little Heath had the lowest attainment 8 score in the city at 38.0, 10 points lower than the average for England. Foleshill West (42.3) and Foleshill East (41.5) were also amongst the top 10 lowest scores throughout the city.

Free school meals eligibility in Coventry continues to increase, and for students who live in Foleshill and Longford. 31.6% of pupils were entitled to free school meals in 2022, compared to 24.8% across Coventry. 

More people living in Foleshill and Longford have little or no qualifications, compared to the city average. A lack of qualifications may make it more difficult for someone to find more fulfilling work in the city or reduce their chances of getting positions based in Coventry as the city's jobs become more competitive and demand higher skilled workers.

27.2% of residents aged 16+ in Foleshill and Longford do not have any qualifications, this is significantly higher than Coventry (19.4%) and England (18.1%).

30.1% of residents in Foleshill West have no qualifications, the highest in the city. This is closely followed by Foleshill East ranking second highest with 28.9% of residents having no qualifications. Little Heath also ranks within the top 10 with 25.2%.

25.5% of Foleshill and Longford’s population aged 16+ are qualified to level 4 or above, which means they have a foundation degree or above, lower than the city and national average.

What else is happening? What else can be done?

Adult education offers opportunities across the city for adults to engage and learn. The Adult Education Service in Coventry offers a choice of courses in a wide range of subjects. Each year thousands of people take the opportunity to learn a new skill, gain a qualification, find out more about something they are interested in, or simply make new friends. Data from the academic year (2020/21) suggests Adult Education delivery in Coventry is doing reasonably well in serving Coventry’s communities. Wards with higher levels of deprivation have higher volumes of learners such as St Michaels (12%) and Foleshill (12%). However, there could still be community groups and areas of the city that are under-represented, and we need to continue to ensure our Skills Providers have good reach across the city.

The library also supports children through programmes such as Bookstart. Through Bookstart children of preschool age receive a free information pack containing a variety of activities, guidance for parents and a book. This is in the hopes that good literacy habits will be formed at a much younger age. Rhyme times are also an opportunity for the formation of good literacy habits and encourage the development of language and social skills amongst babies and toddlers.

“Apprenticeships for young people so they go into jobs. There are so many big industries in and around Coventry that could do more.”

“Work more closely with employers to get them working with schools to prepare children for the realities of the workplace.”

Utilising Coventry’s diverse industry and trade was noted by residents in Foleshill and Longford as an opportunity for progression. Apprenticeships offer opportunities to receive hands on training and a chance to put skills into practice. There are many opportunities for apprenticeships throughout the city at a variety of levels, from school leavers, people upskilling in their careers or complete career changes.

Residents in the area also noted the importance schools and colleges play in raising the aspirations of young people with suggestions to work more closely with them to ensure children are prepared for the workplace.

Community groups are working together to provide better opportunities and outcomes for children. Having a healthy balanced meal is vital for children going to school and concentrating, there is lots of food-based provision for children throughout the holidays through initiatives such as Holiday Activities and Food programmes (HAF) as well as Magic Breakfasts. HAF provides free activities, experiences and food for eligible children and young people in the Easter, Summer, and Christmas school holidays, whilst Magic Breakfasts are healthy school breakfasts to children at risk of going hungry. HAF also has information available to support families particularly to help with cost of living and food help for families. Which has been well received by residents.

“Continue the free summer activities in local parks, our local one was great and enabled families to get out and participate with no barrier of cost.”

Economy

Why is this important?

A protective factor for health is having meaningful employment. Reducing avoidable health disparities will involve tackling the unequal distribution of money, wealth, and power by improving opportunities and skills.

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

Foleshill and Longford neighbourhoods have higher levels of multiple deprivation than most other areas of Coventry. The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019, measures the extent to which people in each neighbourhood (LSOA) in England experiences ‘multiple deprivation’ across the factors of employment, income, education, health, crime, housing and services and living environment; it is the headline measure of deprivation at a local level. This measure remains valid, although the data is now a little old as it is only refreshed every five years on average – the insights from this should be considered in conjunction with other more up to date statistics.

41% of the population live in neighbourhoods (LSOAs) that are amongst the most deprived 10% LSOAs in England and two thirds (66%) live in neighbourhoods that are amongst the most deprived 20% LSOAs in England.

The map below indicates that many of the neighbourhoods across Foleshill and Longford are amongst the most deprived 10% of areas in England, those in the darkest red colour. It shows parts of the area to the south, in the ward of Foleshill, have higher levels of multiple deprivation, particularly parts of Foleshill East, and parts of Little Heath; and Longford less so, although still experiencing higher than average multiple deprivation.

Map: Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019 for all Coventry neighbourhoods (LSOAs)

Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2019, Ministry of Housing, Communities of Local Government

These pockets of deprivation limit people’s opportunities to succeed and transforming life chances requires addressing the social inequalities that are established right from the earliest years.
The unemployment rate in Foleshill and Longford is higher than the city average. A contribution to this will inevitably be the disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic and slow growth in the national economy in 2022, however rates in these areas have been consistently above average. The unemployment rate according to the 2021 Census, for residents in Foleshill and Longford was 6.5% which equates to (1,463 people), higher than the Coventry average 5.9%. There is variation across the area, Foleshill East has an unemployment rate much higher than average at 7.9%, whereas Longford’s unemployment rate is lower than average at 4.9%.

In the 2021 Census, 61.2% of those aged 16-64 were in employment, compared to 64.2% across Coventry overall. The Census measures employment and unemployment rates differently to other data sources and was produced during a unique time for the labour market due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, therefore the percentages used from the Census are lower than other official data and employment rate sources.

Employment is lower in the areas that are part of Foleshill ward to the south of the area, at 55.7% and 55.9% respectively the employment rates in Foleshill East and Foleshill West are among the lowest in the city. The employment rate in ‘Edgwick Webster’s Park’, a neighbourhood where new housing has been built, is higher than the city average at 74.4%.

The number of residents claiming unemployment benefits is notably higher in Foleshill and Longford. Another way to measure unemployment rates is by using the claimant count, this enables us to understand more recent changes than the 2021 Census. The claimant count increased significantly in early 2020, an indication of the impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on employment, and while it has fallen since 2020 it remains notably higher than 2019 levels. Between August 2019 and August 2023, the proportion of the local working age population claiming unemployment benefits in Foleshill and Longford had increased by 3.3 percentage points from 5.9% to 9.2% equating to 2,065 claimants in total, significantly higher than the city average of 5.6% and greater than the overall increase across the city of 1.9 points from 3.7% to 5.6%.

Economic inactivity rates in Foleshill and Longford are higher (32.2%), than the city average (29.9%) despite the area being home to a lower-than-average number of students. Economic inactivity refers to people who are neither in work nor unemployed, they are not actively seeking work for various reasons. This includes full-time students, those looking after a home, people living with long term illness, retired people, and others.

Across the city the main group of inactive people are full-time students, but this is not the case in Foleshill and Longford. Economic inactivity rates are particularly high amongst people who are ‘looking after home/family’, making up 10.5% of all working age people (compared to the rest of Coventry 6.0%), and people who are ‘long-term sick or disabled’, making up 6.0% of all working age people (Coventry 4.9%).

1.3% of working age residents in the area are retired (Coventry 2.3%) and 8.9% are inactive students (Coventry 12.8%).

Large parts of the area, in Foleshill West, Foleshill East and Little Heath, have the highest rates of ‘looking after home/family’ in the whole city with proportions as high as 13%.

Household income is lower than the city average for residents in Foleshill and Longford. The ‘UK Paycheck’ dataset from CACI estimates average gross annual household income in 2023, for Foleshill and Longford the mean average is estimated at £36,636 compared to the Coventry average of £41,552 and the UK average of £47,621.

When calculating household income, it is important to consider the incomes of all individuals living in the same household. The number of people per household is higher than average in this area, so total household income in this area is lower than average and has to be shared between a higher number of people.

A higher proportion of households in this area are on low incomes, 31% of households are on an annual income of less than £20,000 in Foleshill and Longford, compared to 27% across Coventry overall and 22% across the UK.

Average household income is at its lowest in Foleshill East at £32,934, lower than most areas in the city. There are some neighbourhoods with higher-than-average income: ‘Edgwick Webster's Park’ in Foleshill East (£41,806), ‘Ricoh Arena & Wilsons Lane’ in Longford (£43,369) and ‘Little Heath Old Church Road’ (£45,145).

People living in Foleshill and Longford are more likely to worry about money, this in part can be attributed to the cost-of-living crisis. The Household Survey 2022 found that 59% of residents said that they had felt worried about money often or almost all the time in the last few weeks this is significantly higher compared to the Coventry average of 40%.

69% of residents in Foleshill East have worried about money in the last few weeks, one of the highest percentages in the city, second to 71% of people in Stoke Heath.

An emerging impact of the cost-of-living crisis is shown by the responses recorded in the Household Survey 2022 regarding household food consumption. 58% of residents surveyed in Foleshill and Longford said that all their household had enough of the kind of food they wanted. This is significantly lower than city average of 69%. Less than half of those living in Foleshill West (43%) said that all their household had enough of the kind of food they wanted, significantly lower than residents in Little Heath where most residents 86% stated that they had enough of the kind of food they wanted to eat.

Foleshill and Longford is home to a thriving small business community. The area has a high number of business and there are employment opportunities locally. There are 1,310 businesses in the area, the majority of which are small businesses. Foleshill East and Foleshill West is home to 455 and 365 respectively whilst Longford and Little Heath both have 245 businesses.

There are an estimated 17,235 people employed at workplaces in the area; if you compare this to the resident population of 34,400 you get a ‘Job Density’ figure of 0.50, which is higher than the city average of 0.47 and higher than most Coventry neighbourhoods.

Digital accessibility is crucial, but many Foleshill and Longford residents face digital exclusion despite good infrastructure. The Ofcom Connected Nations report 2022 gives us local data, there is a high level of ‘gigabit’ availability, 96.7% of premises have gigabit broadband capable of 1,000 Megabits per second (Mbit/s)and 99% %) have services capable of ‘Superfast Broadband’ (30 Mbit/s or more). However, having overall good connection levels does not mean that residents have the capacity to access fast broadband or can afford it. The Digital Exclusion Risk Index (DERI) tool, developed by Greater Manchester Combined Authority, models the likelihood of digital exclusion for all small neighbourhoods (LSOAs) in England by creating an overall score based on number of metrics measuring the risk factors of demography, deprivation, and broadband availability. This data shows a mixed picture for the area, some neighbourhoods, like Ricoh Arena & Wilsons Lane, have a low risk (score of 3.09), while others, such as Paradise - Awson Street in Foleshill East, score 4.11, placing them in the top 5% at risk of digital exclusion. Half of the area is classified as ‘e-Withdrawn,’ indicating low internet engagement, especially in more deprived neighbourhoods.

There is another measure of digital exclusion, the Internet User Classification 2018 data set from the Economic and Social Research Council, which used a number of statistics to classify each LSOA in Great Britain into 10 different types according to the internet use and engagement of its residents. Half of the neighbourhoods in Foleshill and Longford, concentrated in the part of the area covered by Foleshill ward, were classified as ‘e-Withdrawn’, the type that is least engaged with the internet.  The areas of Coventry that were given this classification were typically those with higher levels of multiple deprivation.

What else is happening? What else can be done?
 

Increasing the economic prosperity of the city is important to those living in Foleshill and Longford. The One Coventry Plan sets out the council’s ambition to ensure more residents of Coventry are fulfilling their ambitions, living healthier lives for longer and living in safer, connected, and sustainable communities.

One Coventry plan engagement found that residents in Foleshill and in Longford felt that the most important priority was increasing the economic prosperity of the city and of the region, closely followed by improving outcomes and tackling inequalities within our communities and finally tackling the causes of climate change.

Community and voluntary organisations are working together to address the needs of those on low incomes with affordable access to food, advice, and support. Many community groups throughout Foleshill and Longford are actively involved in supporting the Holiday Activity and Food programme, developing and implementing Food Hubs and Advice services, as well as raising awareness, and supporting the delivery of the Household Support Fund. All of which are exploring opportunities for collaborative working by being a part of the Coventry Food Network, Community Centre Consortium or becoming Community Messengers, these groups work with a range of organisations both locally and nationally, including Business in the Community and Feeding Britain.

An example of partnership working is work at Foleshill Community Centre led by Feeding Coventry. Feeding Coventry first opened in March 2020, two weeks later the COVID-19 pandemic meant that the UK went into a national lockdown. Instead of closing their doors, they, like many of the community groups and centres in the area adapted to the changing government regulations and supported people in need. Joining a growing network of other social supermarkets Coventry Food Network.

Since then, the centre has provided more services and supported more people.  

Similarly, the Hope Hub at St Laurence’s Church opened in April 2020 to support the community during COVID19. Working in partnership with Coventry Foodbank, Coventry City Council, volunteers from the local area and generous funding and support from Godiva Lions, Severn Trent and the Heart of England Foundation and Ladybird Nursery, they are feeding over 100 people a month.

Coventry Food Network is a food partnership which brings together several public, private, voluntary and community sector partners to address food poverty and its causes in Coventry by taking a city-wide collaborative and strategic approach towards a unified Coventry Food Network and Strategy. Since 18 March 2020, the Council has been working closely with a range of partners, to create and deliver a system of food provision. Some of the initiatives that have evolved from this partnership are:

• Established 15 social supermarkets/grub hubs throughout the city to provide nutritional food and support to those residents in greatest need.
• Support the delivery of the Household Support Fund by providing emergency food provision to vulnerable residents who needed additional support with accessing/affording food.
• Supported the delivery and developed a model to support those who were clinically extremely vulnerable (Shielding) re: food and basic support.
• Procured food and distributed food parcels to children eligible for free school meals provision during school holidays.
• Continue to support and enhance the offer of healthy, nutritious food to children and families eligible for free school meals through the HAF programme.

The cost-of-living crisis is undoubtedly having a huge impact on residents, however there is a more coordinated approach to help and support on offer to residents. Amba Care solutions provide residents in Foleshill with a ‘Here 4 U’ Warm Hub with advice and support for people experiencing mental health issues due to the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. This project recognises that many people are struggling to keep up with the cost of living where the price of energy, food and bills are all rising steeply and for many this is having a huge impact on their mental health. As the cost-of-living crisis intensifies, it is more important than ever to ensure that we look after each other's mental health. 

Since August 2023, Coventry Independent Advice Service (CIAS) have been holding monthly digital skills drop-in sessions at Foleshill Library. Digital volunteers help people to learn useful digital skills, from getting to grips with the devices themselves, to navigating websites and writing emails. Residents who attend are the drop-in were keen to develop their digital skills and through being supported by digital volunteers, they were able to do so.

Housing and environment

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

Satisfaction with Foleshill and Longford is lower than the city average, with 50% of residents satisfied in 2022, down from 78% in 2018, and below Coventry’s 66%. According to the Coventry Household Survey 2022, Foleshill West saw the biggest drop, from 83% to 35%, one of the lowest in the city. Additionally, 43% of people surveyed thought their area had got worse to live in compared to 28% citywide, with Foleshill West (54%) and Longford (51%) reporting the highest dissatisfaction.

Residents in Foleshill ward have significantly less access to green space than residents in Longford. The Green Space Strategy 2019 -2024 shows there is considerable variation in the amount of green space by ward across Coventry, the average per ward is 62.3 hectares. Residents of Foleshill ward only have access to 11.4 hectares while residents in Longford ward enjoy access to 84.1 hectares.

Across the city, the average level of unrestricted green space is 3.05 hectares per 1,000 population (based on data from 2017). Foleshill ward has the lowest level across the city with an average level of 0.50. Longford ward has an average level of 4.23 hectares per 1,000 population and was the 6th highest out of the 18 wards in Coventry. The table below shows the green space quantity by type and ward.

Table: Green space quantity by primary type and Coventry ward, hectares per 1,000 population

Source: Coventry Green Space Strategy 2019-2024, Coventry City Council

Foleshill ward scores are low and below the average for Coventry in all categories. Longford ward scores are better and above average for Coventry but below average in outdoor sports facilities and allotments.

Foleshill and Longford have poorer air quality than Coventry's average, mainly due to major roads and traffic emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM). Air pollution is the largest environmental risk to the public’s health and has a harmful impact on the health of people living, working, and studying within Coventry. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the pollutants of concern, and ‘diffusion tubes’ are deployed to measure levels at various roadside locations in Coventry, in 2022, 75 locations were measured. NO2 levels were measured at 11 roadside locations in Foleshill and Longford, all were below the former 40 µg/m3 standard but above the new 10 µg/m3 guideline. While not the highest in the city, the measurements taken at these 11 locations were higher than most others in the city.  NO2 levels in Foleshill and Longford are among the highest 20% in the country, air quality is poorer in Foleshill than Longford.  An alternative measure, estimated annual NO2 levels by neighbourhood presented in the ‘Shape Atlas’ tool from the Department of Health and Social Care, also indicates NO2 levels to be higher than average for the city but not the very highest. It also shows that particulate matter (PM) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) levels are also among the highest in the city.

The Local Air Quality Action Plan (LAQAP) has been based on air quality and traffic monitoring data and modelling, and the package of measures focusses on improving NO2 levels at those locations where particular problems have been identified, one of these is based in the area: Foleshill Road, the other is Holyhead Road.

In the 2021 Census, 67.5% of households in Foleshill and Longford had access to a car or van, meaning 32.5% did not - higher than Coventry's average (27.6%) and England's (23.5%). Despite fewer households using cars, the area has high vulnerability to air pollution, much of which is traffic-related, highlighting an inequality in exposure.

What else is happening? What else can be done?

On Foleshill Road, traffic management measures will be introduced to remove through traffic, which will be encouraged to use the A444 to access the city centre instead. The Transport Strategy has 4 broad objectives, two of which are to deliver a sustainable, low carbon transport system and maximise health and wellbeing and reduce health inequalities.

Despite lower levels of car ownership in Foleshill and Longford, parking was identified as a particular problem for the area.

“I'd like there to be a community feel in Longford, events going on in our parks, safe to walk at night, clean streets and tackling speeding drivers and dirt bikes.”

Green spaces can bring communities together, reduce loneliness and mitigate the negative effects of air pollution, excessive noise, heat and flooding, however dangerous parking and fly tipping have been highlighted by residents as a cause for concern. There is opportunity to work with communities to protect and improve existing green space and create new ones in areas most in need, with one resident suggesting the need to consider “Plan developments carefully so they focus on improving the local area rather than building on every available space.”

The area could be improved by ensuring that the local environment is clean and attractive for residents which will encourage people to enjoy their local spaces. It is thought that this would make Foleshill and Longford a more attractive place to live “Attract customers by tidying up the litter and mess in the streets.”

“Prioritise improving our local communities with clean streets, well cared for parks maybe supporting local residents to set up community groups (e.g., Friends of Longford Park).” 

Protecting the environment is important to residents in Foleshill and Longford, there are concerns over the loss of mature trees and creating isolated green spaces. The Urban Forestry Strategy consultation revealed that the residents of Foleshill and Longford value the protection, projects, and procedures related to the urban forest in Coventry. They also proposed some ideas for achieving these themes, such as engaging the community, identifying suitable locations to plant more trees, and restoring the River Sowe. However, concerns were expressed over the loss of mature trees, the effects of development, and the need to maintain biodiversity and connectivity. Respondents felt that the strategy should be consistent with the local plan and the net gain principles, and that it should avoid planting monocultures.

Initiatives to reduce air pollution and facilitate more active transport overlap considerably and there is opportunity for closer working across health, air quality improvement initiatives and transport to better meet the needs of residents. In Coventry, the main air quality issues identified and being addressed by the Local Air Quality Management (LAQM) process relate to residential properties that are near major arterial routes in the city, which experience high levels of congestion. Currently identified hotspots include sections of Holyhead Road, Walsgrave Road, Foleshill/Longford Road, Stoney Stanton Road and at certain junctions along the A45.

Suggestions from residents have been to improve public transport by ensuring that there are “More frequent and later running bus services... No one is going to ditch their car for such a poor public transport offering…”  or ensuring more people use public transport by providing “Incentives to switch to bikes or electric vehicles (using said solar panels).

Measures to improve pedestrian crossings, provide a high-quality cycleway and improve bus service reliability are to be introduced along the Foleshill Road in Coventry under a £4.5 million investment in sustainable transport. The package will be used to encourage more people to cycle, walk or take the bus for their journeys contributing to a greener and better-connected city. The measures include a high-quality segregated cycleway along the Foleshill Road, extending south to the A4053 ring road at Junction 9. The scheme will also aim to reduce through traffic using Foleshill Road and improve bus journeys as part of the All Electric Bus City [https://www.wmca.org.uk/news/coventry-on-the-road-to-becoming-uk-s-first-all-electric-bus-city/] scheme, which will see all buses in Coventry become zero-emission by 2025.

Upgrades to the A444 Blue Ribbon roundabout will, with new crossings, improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists and allow bus priority to further support public transport. Some measures will be taken to reduce pavement parking in the area to further improve safety.

Offering incentives to residents to encourage them to recycle could be an effective way to raise awareness of the benefits and ensure more residents recycle. Residents in Foleshill and Longford commented on the One Coventry Plan engagement that in order to achieve the commitment to “tackling the causes and consequences of climate change” there is a need to incentivise recycling “Make more recycling units and ensure that shops are doing what they can to become less dependent on one time use goods. Offer incentives to use own bags.”

“Better recycling system. Programs that encourage people to participate in tackling the causes and consequences of climate change.”

Housing and homelessness

Health and Wellbeing

Life expectancy and healthy life expectancy are extremely important summary measures of overall population health. The Marmot Review, Fair Society, Healthy Lives, demonstrates clear and significant links between avoidable differences in health outcomes and deprivation, where people experiencing multiple deprivation not only living shorter lives, but spend a greater portion of their shorter lives with a disability or in poor health. As a Marmot city, Coventry has adopted and embedded the principles of Marmot, tackling the social conditions that can lead to health inequalities, and working to improve the areas in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. 

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

There are health inequalities across Coventry whereby areas with higher levels of deprivation tend to have lower life expectancy, Foleshill and Longford is one of those areas.  Life expectancy is a statistic giving a high-level picture of the health of Coventry residents and should be used with care in understanding likely life spans for people; excess deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic will have a negative impact on life expectancy statistics but this may not have a permanent impact. Whilst this data includes 2020 and the pandemic will have undoubtedly affected mortality statistics, life expectancy increases had already stalled before 2020.

Life expectancy in most areas of Foleshill and Longford is below the city average of 82.1 years for females and 78.1 for males, which in turn, is below the national average. There is variation within the area, life expectancy at birth is particularly low in Foleshill East and Little Health, these areas have some of the lowest figures of all areas in the city. Life expectancy at birth figures are nearer the city average in Longford and Foleshill West.

In the Foleshill and Longford area healthy life expectancy (the number of years a person can expect to live in good health) for males and females is below the Coventry’s average of 61.2 and 61.8 respectively. See the table below for the figures for each area, the most recently available data at local level (MSOA) for healthy life expectancy is for 2009-13.

Table: Life expectancy at birth 2016-2020 by MSOA, the most up to date figures available at local level

Area name	Life expectancy at birth (2016 to 2020)
	Female	Male
Foleshill East	78.6	73.3
Little Heath	79.0	74.5
Longford	79.5	77.2
Foleshill West	83.6	77.8
Coventry	82.1	78.1
England	83.2	79.5

Source:  The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities 2022, Crown Copyright.

Health inequalities across the city mean that people in more deprived parts of the city not only live shorter lives, but also spend a greater proportion of their shorter lives in poor health; Foleshill and Longford is one of the parts of the city where this is the case. The gap between healthy life expectancy and life expectancy is referred to as the ‘window of need’. It is the average number of years that a person can expect to live with poor health, during which they will be likely to need support from the health and care system. The table below illustrates that the window of need is wider in each of areas in Foleshill and Longford.

Table: Life expectancy (LE) at birth & healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth 2009-2013 by MSOA*.

Area	Healthy life expectancy at birth (2009-2013)		Life expectancy at birth (2009-2013)		Window of need (2009-2013)
	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male
Foleshill East	50.6	52.9	78.8	74.3	28.2	21.4
Little Heath	56.7	55.3	81.7	74.3	25.0	19.0
Longford	58.6	59.6	80.6	78.8	22.0	19.2
Foleshill West	51.6	54.4	80.4	76.2	28.8	21.8
Coventry	61.8	61.2	82.1	77.9	20.3	16.7
England	64.8	63.5	83.0	79.1	18.2	15.6

Source:  The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Crown Copyright.

*The most up to date figures available at local level for healthy life expectancy, data for LE is presented for the same period to accurately calculate the ‘window of need’. The data for 2016-20 LE in the table above is the best to use to understand LE alone. This is the most up to date data at MSOA level, for more up to date information for Coventry City as a whole please see our Citywide profile [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/facts-coventry/joint-strategic-needs-assessment-jsna/4].

Premature mortality (deaths amongst residents aged under 75 years) is considerably higher in Foleshill and Longford area than the city overall and national average. Premature mortality rates are higher than the city average in Foleshill and Longford for all major causes, they are particularly high for Circulatory Disease, the gap between the local rate and the city average being higher than for other major causes. Premature mortality is defined as deaths amongst resident aged under 75 years of age.

The premature mortality rates by all causes in Foleshill East are the 3rd highest rate out of all the city’s 42 MSOAs. A comparison of premature mortality rates by all causes can be seen in the table below.

Table: Premature mortality rates (deaths aged under 75) by major causes 2016-2020, by MSOA

Causes of deaths. Standardised Mortality Ratio (SMR*)	Foleshill and Longford		Coventry	England
All causes	148.7		116.9	100.0
All cancer	121.3		108.7	100.0
Circulatory disease	176.1		122.1	100.0
Causes considered preventable**	146.6		120.1	100.0

Source: Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, produced from Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.

*SMRs are age standardised death rates that allow mortality rates for areas with different age structures to be compared. ** Deaths which could be avoided by public health or primary care interventions.

What else is happening? What else can be done?

Preventable deaths can be avoided by addressing the social conditions that lead to poor health, such as people’s prospects and opportunities; housing and environment; as well as behavioural and lifestyle changes. These are explored throughout this JSNA.

Health protection

Why is this important?

Health Protection is a term used to cover a set of activities within public health. It is defined as protecting individual, groups and populations from single cases of infectious disease, incidents and outbreaks, and non-infectious environmental hazards such as chemicals and radiation. Monitoring health protection coverage helps to identify possible drops in immunity before levels of disease rise.

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on Foleshill and Longford, with 10,860 recorded cases between March 2020 and May 2022.This is out of a total population of 34,358 from the 2021 Census, a case rate of 316.1 per 1,000 residents, similar to the overall city rate for this period of 324.8. It may be interesting to note that there are differing case rates by neighbourhoods within Foleshill and Longford; Foleshill West (283.9) and Foleshill East (305.6) have reported rates amongst the lowest in the city, whereas rates amongst people living in Little Health (346.0) and Longford (334.0) are higher than average. However, we should be mindful when comparing the area’s case rate to other areas and looking at the difference between areas in Foleshill and Longford, these official cases do not represent all cases of course, not all people who had COVID-19 in this period will have taken a test or reported its result and some people were asymptomatic so were unaware they had the virus. Therefore, these figures do not count total prevalence and it is difficult to conclude from differing case rates, it may be a result of different testing and reporting rates. 

The number of people who died where COVID-19 was the underlying cause was disproportionately high amongst residents of Foleshill and Longford. Death rates associated with COVID-19 were nationally higher in areas of higher deprivation and amongst many ethnic minority groups, at least during 2020 and 2021 when most of the deaths occurred. Foleshill and Longford, a diverse area with relatively high levels of multiple deprivation, saw significantly higher than average COVID-19 mortality rates.  In the three years 2020 to 2022, 85 residents died with the underlying cause being given as COVID-19, out of a total number of 762 deaths from all causes. When calculating age standardised rates, that allow comparing of deaths rates between areas with different population age profiles, all four areas in Foleshill and Longford had Standardised Mortality Ratios (SMR) for COVID-19 of over 100, meaning that death rates were higher than the national average. Mortality rates experienced in Little Heath and Foleshill East were the highest in the city, at 200 and 227 respectively age adjusted deaths rates were more than twice the level of the national average.  This is perhaps generally in line with expectations given that these areas are amongst the most deprived areas of the city and have relatively high populations of people from ethnic minority groups. 

Many people suffer from ongoing symptoms, from ‘long COVID’; while we don’t know how many local residents suffer from this and if it higher or lower than average, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates the prevalence of self-reported long COVID at 2.92% of all people living in private households in the UK in March 2023.

COVID-19 Vaccination rates in Foleshill and Longford were lower than the city average with 58.2% (21,765 residents aged 12+) receiving their first dose compared to 68.1% citywide and 68.1% (20,019) their second by December 2023 compared to 63.3% citywide. Rates were higher among older residents, with 86.5% of those 65+ receiving the first dose compared to 93.1% for Coventry and 85.4% for dose 2 compared to 92.4% for Coventry.  Overall, lower rates in Foleshill and Longford are partly due to the area having a population made up of higher proportion of people from ethnic minority groups, rates amongst these communities being lower in general everywhere; but also, vaccination uptake rates are lower in all ethnic groups, including White ethnic groups, in this area compared to the city average.

There is some variation between areas in Foleshill and Longford; Foleshill West and Foleshill East are amongst the parts of Coventry with the lowest vaccination coverage, with 51.4% and 52.1% of residents aged 12+ having received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 80.7% and 79.6% of residents aged 65+ having received a first dose; coverage is lower than average in Little Heath at 61.2% of all aged 12+ and 89.2% of all aged 65+, and coverage slightly higher than the city average in Longford at 72.7% of all aged 12+ and 94.0% of all aged 65+.

The pandemic had many impacts, not all directly on residents’ physical health. The restrictions due to the pandemic and the lockdowns, may have had an impact on different aspects of health, not least mental health. The ONS conduct an annual survey where they ask people about their personal wellbeing, it indicates increased levels of anxiety amongst Coventry’s population during the pandemic. The % who gave a score indicating high levels of anxiety increased from 20.6% in 2019/20 to 26.9% in 2020/21.

There are some indications that mental ill health is less prevalent than the average for Coventry in Foleshill and Longford. The proportion of this area's adults diagnosed with depression according to GP registers in 2021/22 is lower than the city average (11.9%) and England average (12.7%). Using the data from all adult patients registered at the 11 GP practices located in the Foleshill and Longford area gives some indication to the prevalence of depression amongst local residents; the prevalence rates of diagnosed depression are lower than the city average for most, not all, GP practices based in the area, and for all patients across the 11 practices prevalence is 9.9% overall. On the other hand, prevalence of diagnosed cases of schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses appear slightly higher in this area. In 2021/22 of all adult patients registered at the 11 practices located in the area, 1.07% (808 residents) had this diagnosis compared to 0.95% across the city overall. As part of the Household Survey 2022, a sample of resident were asked seven questions about their mental wellbeing, part of the short ‘Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale' (SWEMWBS). They were asked how often recently they have been feeling: optimistic; useful; relaxed; dealing with problems well; thinking clearly; feeling close to others; able to make up their mind. Their responses are scored and aggregated into a single score. Using this measure indicates that an average proportion of Foleshill and Longford gave responses that created a score indicating relatively low mental wellbeing; 18% scored less than 18 compared to 15% for Coventry overall.

Responses to questions in the Coventry Household Survey 2022 give indications as to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on mental, physical, and financial wellbeing. 32% of residents in Foleshill and Longford worried about the impact the pandemic had on their mental health, lower than the city average of 38%.

51% residents in the area stated that they are worried about the impact of COVID-19 on their financial situation; this percentage is higher than city’s overall percentage of 40%.  

Residents in the area were less worried about the impact of COVID-19 and subsequent lockdowns on loneliness than the city average. 17% residents are worried about the impact of Covid on loneliness; compared to 28% for the city overall.

Uptake rates in Foleshill and Longford are below the 95% threshold for several different childhood vaccinations, and are lower than average for Coventry, however rates vary considerably across the 11 GPs in the area and between different vaccinations.

• DTaP/IPV/Hib for one-year olds (a vaccination offered to babies to protect them against five serious childhood diseases) range between 75.0% to 98.0%. For most of the GPs this is below the overall city’s uptake rate of 90.3%.
• The rotavirus vaccine uptake (which protects against gastroenteritis) range between 72.5% to 96.1%, compared to 88.5% for the city overall and national rate 89.9%
• MMR for 2-year-olds ranges between 63% to 97.9% compared to the overall city’s uptake rate 88.5% and national rate 89.2%.
• MMR first dose for 5-year-olds, range between 84.7% to 97.9% compared to the overall city’s uptake rate 92.9% and the national rate 93.4%.
• The rates for the second dose for 5-year-old are considerably lower than the first dose, ranging between 69.7% to 93.4%, it is a mixed picture as some of the rates are higher than the other parts of city and the overall city’s rate 84.6% and national rate 85.7%.

Vaccination rates for key cohorts of people eligible to receive the annual seasonal Flu vaccine are lower than the city average in Foleshill and Longford, however rates vary considerably across the 11 GPs in the area. Flu Vaccines help protect against the main types of flu virus circulating and are offered to a range at risk groups of people including children, people aged 65 and over and pregnant women. Flu vaccination in all of these groups in Foleshill and Longford are lower than the city and national rates, particularly for children and people aged 65 and over, rates for pregnant women and those aged under 65 in at risk groups are around average; the rates present a varied picture across the area by GP practice.

The vaccine uptake rates for this area’s GPs, for Coventry overall and England for 2022/23 can be seen in the table below.

Table: Flu vaccine uptake rates 2022/23 by cohort amongst people registered at local GP practices - % of eligible population receiving the vaccine

Area	Aged 2 years to under 4 years	Aged 4 years to under 11 years	All 65 Plus	All Pregnant Women	Under 65 at-risk only
Foleshill & Longford (range)	19.3 - 37.1%	20.1 - 39.2%	59.1 - 78.1%	22.4 - 41.7%	35.2 - 50.3%
Coventry	31.1%	40.5%	78.1%	33.5%	46.1%
England	40.1%	55.5%	82.8%	43.4%	55.3%

Source: ImmForm, UK Health Security Agency

HIV remains an important public health concern in Coventry, some areas of Foleshill and Longford have higher rates than average. In 2021, the diagnosed HIV prevalence rate was between 2 to 5 per 1,000 residents in Foleshill East, Little Heath and Longford which is higher than other areas of city, and the overall city and national rates were 3.2 and 2.3 per 1,000. The HIV rate was between 1 to 2 per 1,000 residents living in Foleshill West area, lower than the overall city rate.

Map: Diagnosed HIV prevalence among people of all ages in Coventry by MSOA, 2021

Source: UKHSA HIV and AIDS Reporting System (HARS). https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-reports/sexualhealth-reports/2023/E08000026.html?area-name=Coventry#hiv [https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-reports/sexualhealth-reports/2023/E08000026.html?area-name=Coventry#hiv]

Despite a falling trend, teenage conception rates in Coventry remain higher than average, and Foleshill and Longford are also high when compared to national averages. In 2021, there were 18.6 conceptions per 1,000 people under the age of 18 for Coventry overall. Longford ward is one of three Coventry wards where rates are higher than average and Foleshill ward’s rates are not significantly different to the Coventry overall. The data does not give a clear picture whether rates are particularly high across Foleshill and Longford as an area but gives tentative indications that they may be and Longford may be an area of focus. 

Map: Under-18s conception in Coventry by ward, compared to England: three-year period between 2018 – 20

Source: Fingertips, [https://fingertips.phe.org.uk/static-reports/sexualhealth-reports/2023/E08000026.html?area-name=Coventry#reproductive-health] data sourced from Conception Statistics, England and Wales, ONS

What else is happening? What else can be done?

Ensuring communities understand and trust public health messages, and that they are accessible and culturally appropriate is vital. Coventry has a very diverse and active voluntary and community sector with many small and well-connected groups, it is also blessed with many community leaders and “go to” people in local neighbourhoods. During the pandemic the Community Resilience Team created Community Messengers who consisted of existing faith, voluntary and community networks in the city. The number of messengers has now grown to 320. The messengers perform two main functions: -

• they help to disseminate into their community the “stay safe” messages.
• they collect and feedback community intelligence which is then used to influence a number of things such as improving our communication materials, focusing our interventions and deploying our local
  teams of COVID-19 advisors.

Young people were included through a partnership with The Positive Youth Foundation, a charity that supports young people in the Coventry area (and who chair the Coventry Youth Partnership), and a series of focus groups held with young people and the council’s communications team helped the development of
specific messaging for young people, including several videos.

Community members now have a platform and a chance to participate directly in shaping how the council and communities engage with each other. This helps to facilitate a community-led response to communications and messaging surrounding several topics.

There is increasing recognition of the key role that places and communities play in our health. Community groups are best placed to address health challenges, because they are trusted and have the networks understanding and legitimacy to do so. Health and care providers need to shift to an ‘enabling’ leadership style, supporting communities to maintain their health and well being by pooling engagement resources and helping to build capacity by sharing skills and facilities with the communities we serve. The One Coventry Plan is designed to work with our communities to ensure that they are able to address their health needs and to reduce inequalities.

Since 2021, Coventry was successfully awarded funding to deliver the Healthy Communities Together (HCT) programme.  This programme is funded by the National Lottery and aims to support local areas to develop effective and sustainable partnerships between the voluntary and community sector, the NHS and local authorities to improve health and wellbeing, reduce health inequalities and empower communities. 

A community-informed and culturally competent approach to healthcare is essential to increasing screening and vaccination rates. Asylum seekers and refugees typically have worse health than the wider migrant and UK-born population. During migration they are vulnerable to environmental threats – e.g., trafficking, and sexual exploitation – and may have experienced gender-based violence – e.g., torture, sexual violence, FGM, and conflict - that lead to health problems. They, and other newly arrived communities, can also spend long periods of their journey with limited access to healthcare which presents challenges in the form of poorly-managed long-term conditions – e.g., diabetes, and hypertension – and untreated communicable diseases such as TB, HIV and STIs. Newly arrived communities are at increased risk of poor mental health too potentially suffering with anxiety, PTSD, and depression. Therefore, newly arrived communities need healthcare on arrival and information and guidance about the NHS, what services are available, and about their health care rights. The impact of language and cultural barriers cannot be understated so services should be culturally appropriate, and trauma informed.

Building on existing health and wellbeing infrastructures having a collaborative partnership approach, bringing together residents’ experience and partners’ skills and assets, should be taken to strengthen health and wellbeing in communities. An example of this is Vaccinating Coventry – a partnership group with membership from a range of council teams with a focus on improving vaccine uptake inequality across the city. While vaccine uptake across Coventry and Warwickshire has been good, early in the vaccination programme data started to reveal areas of Coventry with much lower uptake, particularly among minority ethnic groups and those living in more deprived areas. The work of the group is linked tightly with wider COVID-19 prevention inequality work, focused upon access to testing, understanding of and adherence to national guidelines.

Demand and access

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

Foleshill and Longford has good access to health services, with most residents being able to reach a GP and a pharmacy within a few minutes. There are 50 GP surgeries in the city, 11 of which are based within Foleshill and Longford. Most residents are within a 15-minute walk of a GP practice. People living in parts of Little Heath, and the northern part of Longford area have more limited access. The dark green areas on the map below indicate residents are within 5-minute walk to the GP, the light green area represents 15 minutes’ walk:

Map: Locations of GP practices around the area of Foleshill and Longford, with walking distances highlighted

There are 14 pharmacies in the local area, Coventry and Warwickshire have 197 community pharmacies and, 91 pharmacies in the city. Most residents of the area are within a 15-minute walk to a pharmacy, however there are some parts in Longford that are slightly further. The dark green areas are within a 5-minute walk to a pharmacy, the light green area represents 15-minute walk. All pharmacies in the area are accessed within 15 minutes by public transport.

Map: Locations of pharmacies around the area of Foleshill and Longford, with walking distances highlighted

Source: Shape Place tool, Department of Health & Social Care

Another way of understanding access to primary health care in the area is to summarise the total GP resource available at the 11 practices located in the area.  The number of staff including doctors, nurses and other direct patient care staff totals 60 across the practices located in the area.

When comparing this to the number of patients registered at the practices, this amounts to 10.2 direct patient care staff per 10,000 patients, similar to the Coventry average of 11.0.

We can understand satisfaction with GPs in Coventry by examining responses to the national GP patient survey by Coventry patients annually between 2019 and 2023. It shows reducing satisfaction levels amongst Foleshill and Longford residents, reflecting Coventry’s overall average. In the 2023 survey, when asked ‘Overall, how would you describe your experience of your GP practice?’ 69% of respondents from this area said their experience of their GP practice is good or very good, down from 78% in 2019 and slightly lower than the city’s rate of 71%. When asked ‘Generally, how easy is it to get through to someone at your GP practice on the phone?  55% of respondents felt it was easy, lower than the city overall at 59% but higher than 50% for England overall.

When asked ‘How satisfied are you with the general practice appointment times that are available to you?’ 58% of respondents said satisfied or very satisfied down from 62% in 2019, similar to the city's overall rate of 58% and better than better than 53% for England overall. Whilst satisfaction has been reducing, as it has across England, this data does indicate that access to GPs, in terms of getting through to the surgery by phone and getting the appointments patients’ want, is better than the national average.

What else is happening? What else can be done?

Some residents in Foleshill and Longford express frustration with the difficulty of booking GP appointments. One resident described the process as stressful, noting that “GP surgeries are becoming more and more useless that's why the A&E is so busy. You need to call GP at 8 am in the morning to get an appointment if you call 10 past 8 that's it they won't give you an appointment...” The lack of flexibility in scheduling is another issue, as patients must accept whatever time slot is available, often without a specific time for when a GP will call. This forces patients to wait all day for a call that, if missed, results in a lost appointment. Consequently, many turn to A&E for care instead, adding to the strain on emergency services.

Culturally aware services and clearer signposting are crucial in meeting the diverse needs of local communities. For instance, the NHS services provided at the Coventry Muslim Resource Centre are tailored to be more accessible and culturally sensitive to the Muslim community. This approach makes it easier for residents to seek medical help in an environment they trust and feel comfortable in.

Another example is the partnership between Foleshill Women’s Training, midwifery services, health visitors, and GPs to raise awareness of cervical screenings among women from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds. Due to cultural stigmas, language barriers, or lack of awareness, many women from these communities may avoid or delay screenings. By collaborating with trusted local organisations and professionals, healthcare services can better reach these communities, offering education and support in a way that respects cultural norms and increases health engagement. These initiatives not only improve healthcare access but also address health inequalities by providing care that acknowledges and respects cultural differences.

A social gradient approach focusing on people’s prospects and opportunities, housing and environment and lifestyle factors can help improve outcomes, reduce inequality and reducing premature mortality.

The citywide JSNA identified that a culturally competent approach that recognises and makes best use of the assets of the city’s diverse communities is essential. This includes working with local community and religious groups to encourage take-up of vaccination, diagnosis and screening programmes

Health visitors can help support residents to meet their health and care needs – and reduce avoidable demand on A&E. Health visitors are very active in the area and having support within the community made them feel more at ease. Having different support groups has encouraged socialisation and is seen as a good way for people to meet other people in similar situations to themselves. Further work can be done with the health visiting service, perhaps, including out of hours service, will help people manage their own health problems – without needing to attend hospital.

As part of the Adult Social Care Service, the council are working more closely with other organisations to improve the outcomes for adults. The Improving Lives programme is a partnership programme, led by Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System, bringing together University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust and the Council to work as one service. It aims to enhance patient experiences, prevent hospital admissions, and improve hospital discharge processes. The program focuses on effective care through three sub-programs: Interfaces, Hospital Processes at UHCW, and One Coventry Integrated Team. Its key goals are to promote independent living and simplify care delivery through partner collaboration.

Working together in partnership is vital to delivering services to residents. The Working Together Group; an alliance of CWPT, VSCE, and Primary Care in Coventry and Warwickshire, aims to strengthen partnership working within the voluntary, community, faith and not for profit social enterprise sector.

Lifestyles

Why is this important?

Individual behaviours, such as eating enough fruits and vegetables, smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity can affect health. These lifestyle behaviours are strongly influenced by the environment in which people live. For example, people living in a ‘food desert’, with limited access to affordable and healthy food, are more likely to eat unhealthily; an unsafe environment is likely to discourage people from walking or cycling; and social and cultural influences, including friendship groups, advertising and media, play an important role in determining people’s lifestyles.

These lifestyle risk factors – poor diet, physical inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and smoking – are all linked to ill health and premature death. Having a combination of risk factors contributes to greater ill health. People facing poorer social circumstances are more at risk of having multiple risk factors, exacerbating avoidable differences in health.

What is the local picture? How does it compare?

The number of residents that smoke in Foleshill and Longford remains higher than the city average. In the Household Survey 2022, 18% said they currently smoke cigarettes; this percentage is same as it was in the 2018 survey and is higher than the city’s rate of 11%.

Residents in Foleshill East were more likely to smoke (32%) than in Foleshill West (15%), Little Heath (9%) and Longford (9%). 8% said they use e-cigarettes compared to 7% for the city overall.  

Smoking has been linked to causing cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lung diseases. It can also affect the respiratory and circulatory system.

Alcohol consumption in Foleshill and Longford appears to be lower than the city average, however hospital admissions for alcohol related conditions is significantly worse compared to the city overall. Alcohol consumption in Foleshill and Longford is lower than the city average. Coventry Household Survey 2022 asks residents about their drinking habits, when asked if they drank any alcohol on two or more days in a typical week, 12% of respondents said they did compared to 25% for the city overall.

Of those that do drink alcohol, 9% said they drink more than 2-3 units of alcohol on two or more days in a typical week, compared to 24% respondents from the whole city.

Alcohol is causing disproportionate harm to health in Foleshill and Longford. Hospital admissions rates for alcohol-related conditions are significantly higher than the Coventry average, particularly in Foleshill East.

Table: Rates of admissions to hospital due to alcohol related conditions (defined in two ways, broadly and narrowly due to alcohol) by place of residence, 2016/17 to 2020/21

Hospital admission rates – alcohol related	Hospital Standardised Admission Ratios (SARs)
	Foleshill and Longford	Coventry	England
Hospital admissions for alcohol attributable conditions (Broad definition)	160.1	134.9	100.0
Hospital admissions for alcohol attributable conditions (Narrow definition)	148.3	132.8	100.0

Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) NHS Digital

The importance of eating healthy food remains well recognised by the majority of residents, but there are indications that some aspects of diet are poorer in this area overall and the price of food is a particular concern for residents in Foleshill and Longford. 10% of residents surveyed said they eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables in a typical day, compared to 21% citywide. 43% said they eat takeaways once a week compared to 28% for the city overall.

In 2022, Household Survey residents were provided with a series of statements relating to eating habits. The responses give a few insights: the importance of eating healthy food remains well recognised by the majority of residents in Foleshill and Longford area (95% compared to 93% overall city); being able to cook from scratch every night is becoming more challenging for some, both due to time pressures and by not having everything needed in their kitchen to do so (67% in this area of city compared to 81% for overall city still state that they have what is needed). The proportion of residents who stated that price is the most important factor when buying food has significantly increased to 99% in this area of the city, compared to 64% for the city overall, a potential impact of the cost-of-living crisis.

Using data from the National Child Measurement Programme for the 3 years covering 2019/20 to 2021/22 the obesity rate in reception for children in Foleshill East and Foleshill West is higher than the city and regional rate, in Longford it is lower. Obesity rates for children in reception (aged 4 to 5) vary across neighbourhoods. In Longford the rate is lower than the city average at 8.3% and Little Heath is similar to the city average at 10.6%. Rates in Foleshill East (12.5%) and Foleshill West (13.3%) are higher than overall city’s rate (10.8%) and in England (9.9%).

Despite lower rates of obesity in reception, by the time a child reaches Year 6 (aged 10 to 11) in Longford obesity rates are significantly higher (32.1%) than the city average (24.8%). All other areas are also higher than the city average and England (21.6%). Foleshill West at 29.6%, Foleshill East 28.1% and Little Heath 26.7% are all higher than the city average and England (21.6%)

The obesity (including severe obesity) rates are listed in the table below:

Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity), 3-years data combined, 2019 to 2020, to 2021 to 2022
Area Name	Reception: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity)	Year 6: Prevalence of obesity (including severe obesity)
Longford	8.3%	32.1%
Little Heath	10.6%	26.7%
Foleshill East	12.5%	28.1%
Foleshill West	13.3%	29.6%
Coventry	10.8%	24.8%
England	9.9%	21.6%

Source: National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP), NHS Digital

Overall levels of physical activity are lower than the national average in Coventry overall, and Foleshill and Longford is an area with relatively low rates. The Coventry Household Survey asks residents about levels of physical activity with three questions based on different levels of intensity of activity; for all levels the proportion of local residents who said they did none of that activity was higher than the city average.  19% of respondents from Foleshill and Longford said they did no ’everyday activity’ in the last week, higher than 11% for the city overall.  30% said they did no ‘active recreation’ in the last week, higher than 24% for the city overall. 53% said they took part in no sporting activity in the last week, higher than 41% for the city overall.

What else is happening? What else can be done?

Priorities around improving access to parks and green spaces, reducing loneliness and social isolation, hyper local community interventions showcasing services to improve health and wellbeing support and promote communities’ health and lifestyles. Partnerships between the local sport centres, GoFoleshill, and community organisations can help encourage people to access sports, leisure and exercise activities. While the neighbourhood does not have a great amount of green space, the partnership has helped enable and encourage people to step out of their neighbourhood borders; build community cohesion and promote physical activity.

Go Foleshill, Positive Youth Foundation and FWT have partnered together to provide ‘Women’s Walk’. A walk to encourage women to explore their local greenspaces through Longford Park.

To address health inequalities and establish an environment that promotes and preserves good health, it is important to acknowledge that lifestyle factors are rooted in socioeconomic conditions. Foleshill and Longford have an abundance of groups working in the area to provide support to residents. It is important to continue to address access to affordable; lowering risky behaviours by changing social norms and connecting people to peer support groups, such as encouraging them to use health check services, sexual health check services, stop smoking services and improving their access to drop-in sessions for psychological therapy and child clinics in the neighbourhood.

Key Messages

Demographics and communities

Foleshill and Longford is home to a vibrant yet complex community that requires a nuanced approach to address its diverse needs and challenges.
Having a culturally competent health and social care workforce is particularly important in this diverse area and efforts could be directed towards fostering a sense of community, addressing linguistic diversity, and supporting voluntary and community organisations that support residents.

The age profile, with more children and fewer elderly residents, has implications for understanding health needs in the area, despite there being fewer than average elderly residents, the needs of these residents cannot be ignored and ensuring that there are services available for these residents is vital.

Prospects

It is important to address disparities in child development, improve educational opportunities, and address economic and social issues through collaborative community-driven approaches.

In Foleshill and Longford, there are notable discrepancies in child development compared to Coventry and national averages. Targeted interventions can enhance early childhood development. Increasing awareness and access to funded early years childcare can ensure more children benefit from early education programs.

With higher rates of unemployment and unemployment benefits being claimed, its vital to ensure there is a holistic offer of adult education programs to improve digital skills and overall educational attainment among residents is crucial. Encouraging and supporting local businesses, fostering economic growth, and facilitating collaboration between schools and employers can enhance career opportunities for students.

Community-driven initiatives, including health visitors, family hubs, and voluntary organisations, play a key role in addressing local challenges. Strengthening partnerships between local authorities, community organisations, and businesses is vital for a coordinated approach to community development.

Housing and environment

Housing challenges are prevalent in Foleshill and Longford, marked by lower homeownership rates, higher private renting, lower house prices, and a higher likelihood of overcrowded households. Homelessness rates are also higher than the city average, and fuel poverty rates are relatively high, with housing quality being identified as a contributing factor. The promotion and support of energy efficiency programmes remain crucial in alleviating some of these effects.

Disparities in access to green spaces are evident between Foleshill and Longford, with residents in Foleshill having significantly less access to greenspace than other areas of the city. However, there is a lot of collaboration within the community to protect existing green spaces and a desire to maintain and create new ones.

There is a notable decline in satisfaction with the local area, with residents in Foleshill and Longford expressing discontent, particularly regarding the perceived decline in liveability. The presence of major roads contributes to poorer air quality in Foleshill and Longford, however there are initiatives taking place to address this.

Recorded crime rates are higher than the city average in Foleshill and Longford, with an increasing trend over the past five years. Residents also report lower feelings of safety, however they felt that an increased visibility of police in the community could enhance feelings of safety and deter crime. Community concerns are also raised of issues such as fly tipping, illegal parking and antisocial behaviour.

Initiatives to address environmental concerns, enhance green spaces, improve housing quality, and tackle crime issues present opportunities for collaborative efforts with communities to enhance overall well-being.

Health and wellbeing

Vaccination rates, especially for childhood vaccinations, are below the recommended threshold in Foleshill and Longford a continuation of targeted outreach programs, collaboration with local institutions, and increased awareness are essential to improve vaccination rates.

While access to health services is generally good, concerns about satisfaction and potential strain on emergency services highlight the need for improvements in healthcare accessibility and responsiveness.

Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours contribute to health challenges, influenced by socioeconomic factors. Social prescribing programs connecting individuals with non-medical support services can address these issues.