strength
Use the new care setting to keep support closer to home
The integrated facility has formally opened.
Joined-up care can reduce avoidable travel and disruption.
What could help →Isles of Scilly, in numbers
Issues and SWOT
Isles of Scilly council area. Every figure carries its own date.
Strengths to build on. Pressures to address. Choices to make.
These assessments connect evidence with proposed responses. They are not ratings of council performance.
Strengths
strength
Bring support closer to people in poor health
4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Isles of Scilly council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.3% in Tresco to 4.8% in St Mary's — a gap of 3.4 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
What could help →strength
Connect local skills to local opportunities
37.9% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Isles of Scilly council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.8% in St Martin's to 13.5% in Bryher — a gap of 4.7 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
What could help →Weaknesses
weakness
Turn serviced plots into suitable homes
Ennor Farm responds to limited affordable self-build land.
Site preparation is only one part of housing delivery.
What could help →Opportunities
opportunity
Make the restored Town Hall useful throughout the year
The museum project is intended to support culture and community activity.
Residents should benefit beyond the visitor season.
What could help →opportunity
Plan homes and care around an older population
28.3% of people in Isles of Scilly council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.5% in Tresco to 30.5% in St Mary's — a gap of 22 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
What could help →opportunity
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Isles of Scilly council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
What could help →opportunity
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
What could help →opportunity
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 12% in Tresco to 17.1% in Bryher — a gap of 5.1 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
What could help →Threats
threat
Plan construction around island logistics
The care facility required modular units and large components to be shipped to the islands.
Transport and sequencing can affect future delivery.
What could help →| Evidence and response | Who could lead | Related published plans |
|---|---|---|
| Use the new care setting to keep support closer to homeMay 2026 opening report. | NHS and council | |
| Turn serviced plots into suitable homesMay 2026 groundworks announcement. | Council of the Isles of Scilly | |
| Make the restored Town Hall useful throughout the yearConstruction announcement and December 2025 update. | Council of the Isles of Scilly | |
| Plan construction around island logisticsMay 2026 account of the completed build. | Council of the Isles of Scilly | |
| Plan homes and care around an older population28.3% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.5% in Tresco to 30.5% in St Mary's — a gap of 22 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 4 of 5 current wards have comparable figures. | Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities | |
| Bring support closer to people in poor health4% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.3% in Tresco to 4.8% in St Mary's — a gap of 3.4 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 4 of 5 current wards have comparable figures. | Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations | |
| Connect local skills to local opportunities37.9% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 8.8% in St Martin's to 13.5% in Bryher — a gap of 4.7 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 4 of 5 current wards have comparable figures. | Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority | |
| Target safety work where problems repeatUse the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate. | The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services | No reviewed project is linked yet. This remains a proposal, with funding and delivery to establish. |
| Target support where disadvantages overlapHouseholds facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 12% in Tresco to 17.1% in Bryher — a gap of 5.1 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 4 of 5 wards. | The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services |