Vale Viewpoint Survey Spring 2013
Results
Background
The January 2013 survey of the Vale Viewpoint panel was available for
completion both online and via postal surveys. Despite the use of the Council
website, there were only 283 responses. This can be compared to the 297
responses achieved with the September 2012 survey. This is a disappointing
result.
Research has been conducted into how to incentivise engagement with Vale
Viewpoint. As a result of this, a number of possible options have been
highlighted. These will be investigated further.
The panel were asked a number of questions in relation to health and
wellbeing, carers in the Vale, highways maintenance, waste management and
influencing decisions.
Health and Wellbeing in the Vale
Questions one to four sought to gain an understanding of respondents’
experiences of accessing health information.
Respondents were first asked “Have you tried to access any information in the
last twelve months to help you make healthy choices or lead a healthier
lifestyle?” 60% of respondents answered that they had.
These respondents were then asked what they had tried to access information
on. There were two very common responses. Healthy eating (47%) and
keeping active and exercising (27%).
Of those respondents that had tried to access health and wellbeing
information 88% said they had found it easy or very easy to find. Only 4% had
not been able to find the information that they needed.
The survey then asked “If you found the information that you were looking for,
where did you find it?” 76% of respondents that found the information that
they needed answered that they had found it online. This was by far the most
common response and suggests that this is a very effective method of
communicating health and wellbeing information to residents.
Questions five to eight sought to gain an understanding of how residents felt
we should approach providing health and wellbeing information in the future.
To introduce this the survey stated “We want to support the health and
wellbeing of people who live in the Vale of Glamorgan in part by providing
people with the information that they need to make healthy choices.” and then
asked “Which of the following do you think we should prioritise when trying to
do this?”
There were three clear preferences from respondents. 28% felt that
information on keeping active and exercising should be a priority, 19% felt that
healthy eating should be a priority and 19% felt that how to stop smoking
should be a priority.
The next question sought to understand by which methods residents would
prefer to access health and wellbeing information in the future.
Respondents were asked “How would you prefer to learn about health and
wellbeing topics such as the ones listed above?” and were allowed to select
as many options as they would like.
The most common method was online. 63% of respondents selected this
method. 47% selected printed leaflets, 39% selected local newspapers and
34% selected face to face from a GP.
It should be noted that even the least popular methods offered – social media
and email – were selected by nearly one in five respondents. This suggests a
broad range of methods are required to communicate health and wellbeing
information effectively in the Vale.
Respondents were then asked “Is there anything specific that you would like
to know about any of these topics?” A number of suggestions were given.
Respondents wanted to know about keeping active and exercising, healthy
eating, mental health concerns and alcohol.
Finally the survey asked “Do you have any suggestions for how we could
support residents to live healthy lifestyles?” A large number of valid
suggestions were made by respondents. Amongst these responses, making
healthy living affordable was a recurrent theme. Some respondents suggested
that healthy food should be available at a lower price. 18% of respondents
said that activities and facilities which promote a healthy lifestyle should be
available at a low cost or at no cost. 10% of respondents suggested that
more outdoor activities should be made available, including walking and
cycling, as these tend to be less financially demanding. Other suggestions
that were made included weight loss groups, quit smoking groups, healthy
cooking workshops and easy access to general information.
Carers in the Vale
Questions 9 to 13 sought to gain an understanding of how carers in the Vale
access information and how residents would access information about care if
they needed to.
Respondents were first asked “Have you tried to access information on how to
care for a friend or relative in the past twelve months?”. 26% of respondents
to this question answered that they had.
These respondents were then asked where they had accessed this
information. 56% of respondents to this question accessed the information
online. The next most common responses were ‘by speaking to my doctor’
(13%) and ‘by speaking to a voluntary organisation’ (10%).
Where did you try to access information about care?
60
50
Online
40
By speaking to my doctor
By speaking to another health professional
30
By speaking to a voluntary organisation
By speaking to family or friends
20
At a library
Other
10
0
Those respondents who had not accessed information about care in the last
twelve months were asked how they would do so if they required it. 54% of
respondents to this question answered that they would access information
using the internet; a figure similar to that for those who had accessed care.
24% said they would speak to their doctor, while 9% said they would speak to
another health professional.
In both cases, using a library proved the most unpopular choice for seeking
information about care. 3% of respondents who had tried to access
information in the past twelve months had used the library, while only 2% of
respondents who had not sought information said that the library would be
their first port of call.
Where would be the first place you would look for information about care if you required it?
60
50
Online
40
By speaking to my doctor
By speaking to another health professional
30
By speaking to a voluntary organisation
By speaking to family or friends
At a library
20
Other
10
0
Overall, 87% of all respondents believed that it would be useful to provide a
‘one stop shop’, a single place where the public could go for information, for
issues such as carers’ advice and support.
Respondents were then asked if they had any thoughts as to what this ‘one
stop shop’ should provide. A large number of suggestions were made, with
many respondents making more than one suggestion. Each different
suggestion has been categorised and counted below. The table also shows
whether each suggestion was made by a carer (someone who has sought
information about caring for a friend or relative in the past twelve months) and
non-carers (someone who has not sought information about caring for a friend
or relative in the past twelve months). Below are the most popular
suggestions.
Suggestion
Benefits advice
Multi-agency service
General help and information
Healthcare advice and information
Portal website
Financial advice and information
Access to respite care/ help for carers
Access to useful/correct contact details
Signposting
Experienced and knowledgeable staff
Information about daily care, care homes and retirement
homes
Housing advice and information
Carers
11
2
5
4
4
4
3
6
2
NonCarers
10
13
10
10
13
8
8
7
4
7
Total
21
15
15
14
13
12
12
10
10
9
3
4
5
2
8
6
Highways Maintenance
Questions 14 to 16 asked residents about The BIG Fill pothole campaign.
52% of respondents had heard of The BIG Fill scheme. Of these respondents,
62% said they had heard about The BIG Fill scheme in the local press, while
22% said they had heard about the scheme on the Vale Council website. No
respondents cited bike advertisements as the source of their knowledge.
How did you hear about The BIG Fill scheme?
70
60
Local press
50
Leaflet / flyer
Vale Council website
40
Local Councillor
Social media
30
Bike advertisement
20
Word of mouth
Other
10
0
As The BIG Fill scheme was created in response to feedback about the state
of the roads, question 16 sought to understand whether Vale residents believe
that the Council should continue to deliver services in response to public
feedback. 100% of respondents believe that this should be the case. This
strongly suggests that Vale residents appreciate meaningful engagement;
when their feedback noticeable informs service provision.
Question 17 focussed on the Council’s treatment of the roads in sub-zero
temperatures. Respondents were asked whether they had found the salting of
274 miles of the Vale’s road network in such conditions to be effective over
the past twelve months. 76% of respondents believe that the salting of the
roads has been effective. 12% of respondents disagreed. A further 12% of
respondents said that they do not know. This may suggest that improvements
need to be made in how the Council communicates its road maintenance work
to residents. However, it is vital to note that not all residents will be road
users. Those who are not road users are less likely to be aware of the impact
of the Council’s winter maintenance programme. As a result, the 12% of ‘I
don’t know’ replies may not necessarily represent a negative response.
Questions 18 to 20 sought to understand how Vale residents access
information about roadworks.
Only 23% of respondents had tried to access any information about
roadworks in the Vale in the past twelve months. Of those respondents who
had tried to access information, 89% felt that the Council should provide more.
Of those respondents who had not tried to access information, only 64%
believed that the Council should improve its provision of information in relation
to roadworks. Overall, 70% of respondents felt that the Council should provide
more information about roadworks in the Vale.
In order to gauge how residents would like to access information about
roadworks, question 20 asked those who felt that the Council should provide
more information how it should be provided. Respondents were asked to
select as many responses as they wanted.
How should we provide information about roadworks in the Vale?
60
50
On our website
40
Via social media (twitter, facebook etc.)
By text
30
By email
In local newspapers
Via leaflets
20
Via roadside notices
By using promotional banners
10
Other
0
The most popular methods of communication proved to be the Council
website and local newspapers, with 56% of respondents and 54% of
respondents respectively selecting these options. Roadside notices also
proved relatively popular, with 38% of respondents choosing this option.
Overall, only 11% of respondents did not suggest that information about
roadworks be provided either on our website or in local newspapers. These
results suggest that our website and the local newspapers could function as
the main channels of communication, but that other methods of
communication should complement these.
Question 21 asked respondents to rate how satisfied they are in general with
road surfacing, pothole repairs, street lighting maintenance and the gritting of
the roads.
How satisfied are you wth the following issues?
Road surfacing
Pothole repairs
Street lighting maintenance
Gritting the roads
20%
0%
Very satisfied
40%
Fairly satisfied
60%
Fairly dissatisfied
80%
Very dissatisfied
100%
I don't know
86% of respondents were very satisfied or fairly satisfied with street lighting
maintenance. 71% of respondents were very satisfied or fairly satisfied with
the gritting of the roads. 51% of respondents were very satisfied or fairly
satisfied with road surfacing. Only 38% of respondents were very satisfied or
fairly satisfied with pothole repairs.
While this suggests that Vale residents have, on the whole, a positive opinion
of street lighting maintenance and the gritting of the roads, there appears to
be widespread dissatisfaction with the general maintenance of the roads.
Satisfaction with Road Maintenance
Road Maintenance Overall
Opinion
Road surfacing
Pothole repairs
0%
10%
Very satisfied
20%
Fairly satisfied
30%
40%
Fairly dissatisfied
50%
60%
Very dissatisfied
70%
I don't know
80%
90%
100%
Waste Management
Question 22 asked “To what extent do you agree that the zero tolerance
approach to littering has had a positive impact on the Vale?”.
57% of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that the zero tolerance
approach has had a positive impact, while only 15% of respondents either
disagreed or strongly disagreed. The remaining 28% neither agreed nor
disagreed.
The next question focussed on recycling. Panel members were asked “If we
were to begin to collect any of the following items which would you find most
helpful?”. Respondents were given six options: textiles; household batteries;
small electrical items; certain light bulbs; polystyrene and other.
The most popular response was small electrical items, with 31% of
respondents to this question choosing this option.
24% of respondents said that they would like to be able to recycle
polystyrene, 20% said that they would like to recycle textiles and 19% said
that they would like to be able to recycle household batteries.
Recycling certain light bulbs was a very unpopular response, with only 3% of
respondents choosing this option.
If we were to begin to collect any of the following items which would you find the most helpful?
Other
3.0%
Textiles
20.0%
Polystyrene
24.0%
Certain light bulbs
3.0%
Household batteries
19.0%
Small electrical items
31.0%
Question 24 also asked respondents to consider the recycling system offered
by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. Respondents were first told that, “It is
possible that Welsh Government legislation may force the Council to change
back to a separated recycling system (where residents would have to sort
their recycling before collection)”. They were then asked whether they would
see this as a positive move.
84% of respondents said that they would not see this as a positive move. This
suggests that, on the whole, the current co-mingled kerbside recycling system
is more popular than the previous separated recycling system. Residents may
view this reversal in policy as a regressive step.
Question 25 moved the focus away from recycled waste to black bag waste.
Respondents were asked, “Do you feel that the Council should take stronger
action against those who place their black bags out on the wrong week?”.
55% of respondents to this question thought that the Council should take
stronger action, while 45% thought that the Council should not take stronger
action. Respondents were then asked to explain their answer.
The explanations from those respondents who thought that the Council
should take stronger action have been categorised below.
Reason
Number of Respondents
Bags damage the local environment (unsightly, odorous).
Bags attract animals and vermin.
Bags split and waste litters the streets.
Action against those who persistently offend.
To encourage more recycling.
Bags are a health and safety hazard.
Council information is easy to access and understand.
It is antisocial.
Bags are not removed by residents when they are not collected.
16
37
22
10
12
7
13
3
16
It is a social responsibility to put bags out on the correct day.
3
These respondents were mainly concerned with the state of their local
environment as well as the health and safety issues caused by abandoned
black bags.
The explanations from those respondents who thought that the Council
should not take stronger action have been categorised below.
Reason
It is not a problem in my area.
The Council should provide more information more frequently.
This would be a bad use of resources.
It is an easy mistake to make.
Reminders should be issued instead of punishments.
The current system can confuse residents, especially the elderly.
The Council should provide wheelie bins.
Each case is individual.
There should be weekly collections
This is not a priority.
Bank holidays, personal holidays and poor weather can cause
Number of Respondents
6
18
8
35
4
24
1
1
7
5
10
confusion.
It would be difficult to prove liability.
A punitive approach is too heavy handed.
Only persistent offenders should be punished.
Collections are too early to place bags out on the day.
The main concern for these respondents is that placing bags out on the wrong
day is an easy mistake to make – punitive measures should not be taken
against those who do not intentionally litter the streets. In addition to this, a
large number of respondents commented that the current fortnightly collection
system can be highly confusing. There was a desire for the Council to provide
more information, in the form of leaflets, timetables and calendars, instead of
spending resources to penalise residents.
Influencing Decisions
The results of the September 2012 Vale Viewpoint survey told us that Vale
residents have very mixed views about the extent to which they can influence
decisions in the Vale. Questions 27 and 28 sought to discover how we can
help residents to have their say.
Question 27 asked the respondents what they would most like to influence.
They were given 5 options.
1. “Changing the services on offer in the Vale – telling us which services
we need to start providing and which ones we should stop.”
2. “Changing how we communicate with you – telling us the best ways to
tell you the services that are on offer so that more Vale residents
become aware of them.”
3. “Improving services that you use – telling us what is good and bad
about services in the Vale that you have recently used.”
4. “Improving services that you don’t use – telling us what you think of
services that you haven’t used.”
5. “Improving policies – reading through the policies that are being
developed by organisations in the Vale and telling us what you think.”
Respondents were asked to select only one option. 33% of respondents
chose option 2, making this the most popular option. 31% of respondents
chose option 3 and 28% of respondents chose option 1.
Options 4 and 5 proved significantly more unpopular amongst respondents.
8% of respondents chose option 5 and1% of respondents chose option 4.
Amongst all age groups, options 1, 2 and 3 are the most popular.
3
5
8
2
Which would you most like to influence?
35%
30%
25%
Changing the services on offer in the Vale
20%
Changing how we communicate with you
Improving services that you use
15%
Improving services that you don't use
Improving policies
10%
5%
0%
Question 28 asked which methods respondents would like to use to have their
say, in order to inform the development of a new range of communication
tools for residents. Respondents were encouraged to select all of the methods
that they would like to use.
The most popular was via online questionnaires, with 67% of respondents
opting for this method. Written questionnaires also proved a popular method
of communication, with 60% of respondents choosing this. 42% of
respondents would like to communicate by email and 33% of respondents
would like to speak to decision makers face to face.
Which methods would you like to use to have your say?
Written questionnaires
Online questionnaires
In writing
By email
Over the phone
At focus groups
At public meetings
By speaking to decision makers face to face
Other
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
In every age group, apart from those aged 75 or older, the four most popular
methods of communication were via online questionnaires, via written
questionnaires, by email and by speaking to decision makers face to face.
However, for those respondents aged 75 or older, the most popular method of
communication was via written questionnaires (64%). 29% of respondents
would like to use public meetings to have their say and 29% of respondents
said that they would like to be able to have their say over the phone.
Conclusion
The responses to this survey demonstrated a large inclination amongst
residents to use the internet as both a source of information and a channel of
communication. In almost every case when residents were asked how they
accessed information, how they would like to access information or how they
would like to communicate the online option scored most highly. There was
only one exception - when respondents were asked how they heard about the
BIG Fill scheme the local press was the most popular response, with the Vale
Council website coming second.
While only about a quarter of respondents had tried to access information
about caring for a friend or relative in the past twelve months, the idea of a
‘one stop shop’ for carers was very popular. There was a desire for easier
access to information, better signposting and a more unified approach
amongst services to providing information and advice for carers, as well as
opportunities for the cared for.
One aspect of this survey in particular provided a very striking response.
When asked whether services should be delivered in response to public
feedback 100% of the respondents said yes. It would be very worthwhile
considering this when planning future service improvements and
developments.
Recycling also received a positive response. The majority of respondents are
in favour of the current co-mingled recycling system. They also demonstrated
an eagerness to start recycling more household items via the kerbside
recycling service. This suggests that expanding the recycling repertoire may
well be something worth investigating.
Conversely, respondents were not quite so positive about the state of the
roads in the Vale. On the whole, more than half of respondents were either
fairly dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with road maintenance (road surfacing
and pothole repairs) in general. This suggests that more could be done to
meet residents’ expectation in regards to the standard of the roads.