Transcript

[MUSIC PLAYING]

JACKIE

We know that improving children's living conditions is key to improving their health, not just in the home, but in the local community. And this is one of the reasons why having services in the community is really helpful to improving children's health. And this is especially important if children live in areas of high deprivation.

So Helen, thank you ever so much for your time today. And really pleased that you've been able to join us to talk about children's health. So the first question I'd really like to ask you, Ladywood is described as an area of deprivation. So how do you think that the child's local environment can enhance or diminish their health?

HELEN

Well, yes, so Ladywood in Birmingham is certainly considered to be an area of high deprivation. It's one of the 10 Birmingham constituencies. This particular area that we're in today in the 1950s was subject to great renovation. The back to backs were all demolished on a very, very large scale.

Families and communities were moved out of this particular area. And purpose built flats were built primarily because the back to backs obviously didn't have those indoor bathrooms and the like. There was overcrowding and high incidences of poverty and the like in the area.

The flats that replaced the back to backs very, very quickly also fell into a state of disrepair and poverty remained very much in the area. And actually this particular area of Ladywood that's known-- was known locally as Lee Bank at the time. The residents were very, very vocal, very, very unhappy about their living conditions. Protested at events that were taking place within the city center. And actually people heard their protests.

And the 1990s flats were then torn down, and the area was again renovated. But this constituency in this particular area remains an area of high deprivation. Poverty is prolific.

Many of the children in Birmingham live in poverty anyway. I think it's around about 28% I think of Birmingham. Households have got children living as part of a low income family. And obviously areas like this the deprivation is much, much higher.

So some of the relatively old now data for Ladywood constituency has almost 50% of the children here living in poverty. And that's indicative of this particular area. In terms of the impact of that, I think obviously early childhood development is really, really complicated. Isn't it? It's very complex.

And we know that the social emotional as well as the geographic and the physical environment that the child is in has an impact within the family. But that's the case as well within that local community. So the physical local community, the social emotional local community, and the economics of the local community are equally going to impact on children's health outcomes.

JACKIE

That's really interesting. Thank you. So the next question is what are the current issues that are affecting children's health.

HELEN

Yeah, first and foremost, Jackie, this is the poverty. Poverty is obviously linked very much to poorer health outcomes for children. Birmingham in particular is focusing I suppose on infant mortality. We've got higher infant mortality rates. And that in my understanding tends to be indicative of poorer health of the population.

Equally, the impact of low birth weight on long-term health outcomes for children is there, and relevant to Birmingham as a city and then more so obviously to Ladywood as a constituency because of the deprivation in the area. And we're thinking about issues such as obesity. We're thinking about poorer mental health. We're seeing more and more of the young children seeking support around mental health and well being.

So yes, the poverty really is the overriding issue for the children that live in this particular locality. And on a much more local level, Birmingham's introduced a clean air zone. And this particular area sits just on the outskirts of that.

So whilst the children themselves are living just inside a clean air zone, they're living right next to a very, very busy dual carriageway that circles our city. So a number of health elements for us to work on as a city.