Hidden Needs in Northamptonshire: Update Report

Northamptonshire is a county originally consisting of seven districts: Corby, Daventry, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Northampton, South Northamptonshire and Wellingborough. Since April 2021, Northamptonshire’s borough councils were replaced with two unitary councils. The new West Northamptonshire unitary council serves the areas of Daventry District, Northampton and South Northants, and the new North Northamptonshire unitary council serves Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby and East Northants. The county has a mixture of rural and urban areas, with several issues that require attention, including support for an ageing population, poverty, health, and well-being (Paterson-Young, Hazenberg, and Brylka, 2017; Northamptonshire Health & Wellbeing Board, 2016). One of the underlying causes of these inequalities is that the various needs of the county inhabitants are not being adequately identified or/and addressed by the local authorities and other actors (e.g., charities). Northamptonshire has experienced significant growth over time, with the population of Northamptonshire growing faster than the national average over the past 30 years. This growth is predicted to increase by 16.6% or 123,927 from 2018 to 2043 (JSNA, 2020).
A report on the Hidden Needs in Northamptonshire (Paterson-Young, Hazenberg and Brylka, 2017) highlighted the significant issues facing people living in Northamptonshire including poverty, health inequalities and social isolation. The problems affecting Northamptonshire have been exacerbated by Coronavirus (COVID-19 ), also known as SARS-CoV-2, a virus that has been spreading worldwide, affecting an individual’s lungs and airways (with other affects under investigation). Action taken to limit the spreading of COVID-19 has included lockdown of entire countries, including the United Kingdom. This measure consists of physical isolation and social distancing, but in the long term, has resulted in social isolation and lower levels of well-being (Pierce, et al., 2020; Iob, Steptoe, and Fancourt, 2020). The impact on social isolation and well-being is intensified for individuals already experiencing a prominent level of deprivation and low levels of health and well-being. Research (Bell and Blanchflower, 2020) shows that approximately 20% of people had lost at least half of their income due to COVID-19 .
This research seeks to update the original ‘Hidden Needs’ report (Paterson-Young et al., 2017), to assess the hidden needs of Northamptonshire’s population in 2023. Northamptonshire Community Foundation (NCF), a charity that delivers a variety of funding for the local voluntary and community sector in the region to support community-based action improving the lives of the county’s most disadvantaged people and communities, has commissioned this updated research. The assessment of the county’s hidden needs will help NCF to identify social problems in the county that need urgent attention and encourage prospective donors to contribute to these specific areas. The research was undertaken by researchers from the Institute for Social Innovation and Impact (ISII) at the University of Northampton. The ISII has provided expert evaluations of social impact to over 60 voluntary, community, and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations since 2014.