
Research, data and evidence
Data and intelligence are the backbone of effective public health protection, promotion, and healthcare. In an ever-evolving world, the ability to make evidence-based decisions is crucial for the well-being of our communities. By leveraging innovative research and robust data analysis, we provide actionable insights that drive effective public health strategies.
The Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA) for 2025/26 was released in June 2025. It is an assessment of the current and future health and social care needs of the local community. It uses the latest and most reliable data. Some of the sources are listed below.
Why does a JSNA matter to me?
It helps people in the Torbay statutory and voluntary sector understand the situation within Torbay in relation to different areas such as Children and Young People’s Education and Health, Mental Health, Women’s Health, Housing, Unpaid Carers and many other areas. It does this by bringing the data together in 1 place. There is also a ‘Ward Profile’ where you can find out information about individual wards within Torbay.
For example, if you are you writing a funding bid or trying to make a case for change? Use this data – it is accurate and up to date.
Key challenges
Torbay has a significant amount of challenging areas including:
- Residents in Torbay’s least deprived areas can expect to live 8 years longer than those living in our most deprived areas
- Torbay’s economy is among the weakest in England
- High rates of cared for children and referrals to children’s social care
- High rates of adult social care support needs for those aged 18 to 64 and 65+
- An ageing population with 1 in 3 Torbay residents expected to be 65 and over within the next decade
- High levels of self-harm
- High levels of homelessness
- High levels of vulnerability in the population, including groups with specialist needs and high levels of mental ill health
- High levels of admissions to hospital related to alcohol
Better outcomes and improvement
Torbay also has areas of improvement, these include:
- Increases in breastfeeding rates
- Child immunisation rates are higher than England
- Falls in under 18 conceptions over the last decade
- Although higher than England, a steady fall over the last decade in the rate of emergency hospital admissions for self-harm
- Lower level of unemployment claimants than England
- Increases in bowel cancer screening rates
- Higher rates of 15 to 24 year old females accessing services to screen for chlamydia than England.
- Falls in hospital admissions and deaths of under 75s in relation to strokes over the last decade.

Fingertips
Hosted by the Office for Health Inequalities and Disparities (OHID), this extensive public health data collection site offers insights into various health aspects at both national and local levels, including Torbay.
GOV.UK
repository for official statistics related to statutory and other functions, including data on abortion, housing and homelessness, children in care, educational attainment, research reports, guidance, and survey results.
Nomis
An Office for National Statistics (ONS) site providing statistics on population, society, and the labour market.
Over time, this website will develop to host our data and intelligence, as well as that of our partners, helping to tell more of our story in Torbay. If you have data, evidence, or insights valuable to share across Torbay, please contact us at: [email protected].
For up-to-date Joint Strategic Needs Assessments, two-page profiles on key health issues, current Health Needs Assessments or other key data about Torbay, please visit Torbay Knowledge and Intelligence.Sharing knowledge and intelligence to understand the needs of the community – Torbay Knowledge and Intelligence (southdevonandtorbay.info)
Sharing knowledge and intelligence is essential to understanding and meeting the needs of our community. Please check back soon for more data and intelligence about Torbay and its health partnerships.
