Exploring the datasets that measure Community Need in Wales

Two new measures, the Welsh Community Assets Index (WCAI) and the Welsh Community Resilience Index (WCRI), are now available to explore within Local Insight’s maps and dashboard. We’ve also added both datasets to the Community Custom Report Theme.

Across Wales there are areas that lack important local assets such as community centres and civic spaces while others face high levels of deprivation and poor economic outlook. There are many that are challenged with both.

In 2020, OCSI was commissioned by the Building Communities Trust (BCT) to create datasets that could be used to uncover community need across Wales at a local level – allowing policymakers and third sector organisations to target interventions where need is highest.

Since then, the measures have been used to inform over £1.6 million of funding, and have been referenced and cited by several elected members in the Senedd.

We’ve written about these measures in detail over on the OCSI blog, and explored the ongoing impact that they have within Wales. 

Exploring the WCAI and WCRI measures in Local Insight

Local Insight is an easy and intuitive platform that offers exploration of the WCAI and WCRI as well as hundreds of other datasets at a small-area level, helping you to quickly identify the hotspots of deprivation and need through interactive maps and dashboards.

With Local Insight, you can:

• Discover if your existing service provision is reaching the places most in need. 
• Identify priority communities that may benefit from targeted interventions and investment. 
• Strengthen funding proposals with clear, robust evidence.
  

What is the Welsh Community Assets Index (WCAI)?

The WCAI builds on earlier work mapping social infrastructure in England through the Community Needs Index (CNI). Using a similar methodology, the WCAI identifies places in Wales with fewer civic and social assets, across three domains:

• Civic Assets – such as libraries, community hubs and village halls. 
• Connectedness – evaluating access to transport networks, digital connectivity and economic opportunities. 
• Active and Engaged Community – reflecting levels of local volunteering, civic participation and community-led initiatives.

What is the Welsh Community Resilience Index (WCRI)?

The WCRI combines the WCAI with the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) – the official national measure of deprivation. This combined view helps you to find the highest scoring areas as ‘Less Resilient Areas’ – the places where communities are especially vulnerable, and facing both high levels of deprivation and lacking the things that make a community strong.

You can find out more about the WCAI and WCRI and their development on the BCT website.

Learn more and explore Local Insight

The WCAI and WCRI are available within Local Insight for Wales, along with a growing library of more than 1200 indicators covering demographics, housing, health, education and more.

If you’re an existing user and would like access to Welsh geographies or datasets, please contact your account manager or email support@ocsi.co.uk

If you’re new to Local Insight and want to see how it can support your organisation, book a demo to find out more.

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