This classification helps us and our partners target investment and action in the areas where it will have the most impact.
These tools have been instrumental in shaping our work and informing investment decisions..
The importance of intersectionality
A key message from the Inequalities Metric is that intersectionality has an impact on activity levels.
If we're to level the field so everyone is able to be active, we need to do more to cater for people with multiple characteristics of inequality.
The numbers are clear:
- 75% of adults with no inequality characteristic meet activity guidelines, compared to 44% for those with two or more.
- 51% of children with no inequality characteristics meet activity guidelines, compared to 39% for those with two or more.
These figures prove that if adults with one, two or more characteristics of inequality were active at the same levels as those with zero characteristics of inequality, there would be over four million more active adults and an estimated £15.6 billion more annual social value created by sport and physical activity.
Therefore, the good news is that there is an opportunity to be more focused and tailored to those whose behaviour we’re trying to influence and where (which places).
This doesn't mean we should solely focus on people with two or more characteristics of inequality, or that there aren't other groups who experience inequalities in participation or who experience discrimination.
What it means is that where we're applying the Inequalities Metric (and Place Need Classification, of which the Inequalities Metric is a component), we're using the data to inform (not restrict) our decisions, and we'd expect the same from our partners and other organisations.
How the Place Need Assessments work
The Place Need Assessments are designed specifically to support other organisations to use the Inequalities Metric and the Place Need Classification to support localised decision-making.
These two tools provide a structured approach to identifying and understanding inequalities in sport and physical activity at local and neighbourhood levels.
Using national and local data, organisations can:
- identify priority areas and groups where interventions can have the greatest impact
- assess both sporting needs (where people are less active and inequalities in participation are high) and social needs (where health, wellbeing and economic outcomes are poorer, meaning that increased activity could have the greatest benefits)
- tailor interventions and programmes to address local characteristics effectively.
The assessments are an example of how to take a data-driven approach to guide decision-making and ensure that investment, support and interventions are directed towards, and tailored to, the communities where they can create the most meaningful change.
Thanks to our Place evaluation we know that this type of analysis is an important foundation for locally productive partnerships.
And we also know that partners collaborating on an approach like this can help build shared understanding and purpose, increasing the likelihood that combined actions are aligned and effective.
They are not an exhaustive approach and, within them, we highlight where different types of data (e.g. local, national, qualitative – including lived experience – and quantitative) can play a role.
They are intended to provide a framework where organisations might need support but, of course, there are other datasets and other means of analysis that can achieve similar outcomes.
Next steps and how to get involved
We've developed a range of resources to support organisations to use the Place Need Assessments. These are:
- What you need to know: a summary highlighting the insights you'll gain from carrying out a Place Need Assessment.
- A Step-by-Step Guide: a document outlining how to conduct a Place Need Assessment.
- Real-World Examples: three assessments to serve as examples demonstrating how need differs from place to place and how to draw conclusions from the data.
- Supporting data files: the data needed to conduct a Place Need Assessment, following the approach outlined in the Step-by-Step Guide.
By using these resources, you'll be able to better target interventions, ensuring that sport and physical activity reach those who need them most.
If you’d like to learn more, please visit our new webpages or get in touch to discuss how the assessments can support your work.
Let’s continue working together to tackle inequalities and to create more opportunities for everyone to be active.
