ONS want to hear your views on 'well-being'

[KatieMumsnet]

Hello All

The Office for National Statistics is currently debating how to measure the nation's well-being. They want to measure 'how society is doing' by looking at more than just the dry stats like GDP.

But before they can start measuring, they want to know what is most important in your life and in the lives of your family.

Is it what you earn or is it the time you spend with your family? Does the value of your house count, or is the state of the environment more important?

If you'd like to let them know what's important to you, please do post below or join the debate here.

What I would be very interested to see Lindsay is a govt code of practice relating to its involvement of online communnities in consultation processes. Obviously it is a relatively new area for them and their existing codes on consultation might not cover this issue. I know it is a direction they are increasingly moving in, and of course it potentially makes sense. But I would like to know an awful lot more about how rigorously they treat the anecdotal and massively self-selected responses thus generated. If they are going to call on MN a lot in this way and there have been several calls so far it would be brilliant if MN could publicise links to govt codes of practice on such consultation.

Even in the relatively formal consultations that can fall under the regulation of judical review, govts ride roughshod -- see for example the judge finding against gove on the BSF consultation. And so I feel we are a little too exposed to being drawn into processes that don't actually provide adequate channels for our self-representation.

And I'm not sure that academe has notoriously failed to define well being. Obviously there is continuing discussion/dissent within academe on this issue. Of course there would be. But that helps to show its complexity and the implausibility of the current exercise, imo.

I know this is not the subject of discussion, but can someone let me know where to get advise re:

When emotionally upset/suicidal through the divorce I signed a Court order to support a child until they are 18yrs even though that child is not mine either biologically or by adoption? I did not read it properly and could not afford a Solicitor, I signed it as thought it only related to my biological daughter.

Things that contribute hugely to my, and to my family's, well-being:

• plenty of sleep
• regular nourishing meals, most of them at home together
• easy transport to school, work and other places we go to regularly
• living in a meaningful community with people from all walks of life/cultures that has a core stability but that is also opening and welcoming to newcomers
• a clean and peaceful environment
• decent accommodation
• access to a broad and deep cultural life

I value choice and opportunity
I need to know if I am unhappy with my job I cna get another. If I am unhappy in my career I can re train. If I am unhappy with my child's school I can make a change or move them. If I am unhappy with the area I live I can make a change or move. I hate being constrained by circumstances.

Caron that all sounds extremely odd. You're probably best starting a thread in legal or maybe mental health
Hope you are OK

I'd be happy if my daughter's wellbeing was taken care of in a completely appropriate manner to suit her severe autism.

I'd be happier if I had a partner, but I don't suppose the government will be giving out gorgeous boyfriends anytime soon

I'd be happy if they found a cure for depression

I'd be happy if society didn't have such a shit attitude towards disabled people and single parent families.

Not sure why this discussion is being triggered either. There are already significant international studies on things like the best cities to live that use a balanced score card approach, and there are some that actively measure happiness. Bhutan apparently has a gross happiness measure.

Apart from the things traditionally measured, wealth, health (mental and physical), security / fear of crime, access to education and healthcare I would suspect that most of things that make individuals are probably unmeasurable.

I am happier when my husband cherishes me - I really doubt that the ONS could measure that (or that I'd want them to for that matter).

I was thinking more about the point of this consultation; and I imagine that quite a large part of the point (though not all) is that the bare fact of consultation does an awful lot to increase 'buy-in' to a brand.

There is a lovely article online about how the mere process of talking with the Innocent Smoothie people about their products made Mumsnetters who participated in its consumer research feel more positive about the brand. The impression I get from that article was that the consultation existed in order to facilitate that sense of 'belonging' in the brand rather than (primarily) actually to gain consumer information about what they want from smoothies.

I think that is a very important part of what politicians seek when they come on here for webchats too. We feel consulted, included, respected and they hope that makes us more brand-friendly. Mumsnet's presence in the political sphere gives politicians/govt lots of opportunities for doing what Innocent has done. We need to make sure we get at least a pound of flesh back in return for that.

Let's save the ONS from spending lots of taxpayers hard-earned by just using the following Misery Index based on figures we already know:

Retail Prices Index + Unemployment rate + ( Public Sector Net Cash Requirement / GDP ) = Misery Index

It's racked up at a higher value even than Jan 2010 now, 20.83

Source is here

For me personally what is most important now is time with my children; the choice to stay home (if wanted) with preschoolers, being able to take your child to school and go to events etc. These are what matter to me. You can't put a price on being able to do that but many cannot and that is sad if they want to. Shocking how the last government and now this one have treated stay home mothers. I have been both a full time working mother and a stay home mother, we did what was best for our family at the time. Stay home mums often do volunteering in schools and eventually get jobs in many cases, they shouldn't be looked down upon, why is childcare only valued if it is done by someone other than the mother? It has been a big let down to me that this government have been the same as the last on this issue. I know alot of stay home mums and many feel the same as me.

And in general; I think the absent fathers who pay/do nothing for their kids should be chased after and stigmatised and not the mother left raising the children.

I think there should be more severe punishment for serious crimes, some of them are laughable and an insult to victims. I liked the idea of the boot camps for teenage criminals.

Houses should be somewhere to live not an investment, sky high house prices are not good.

I think there is too much pressure and objectification of women such as strip clubs etc, can't believe we still have page 3 as well. I think it has a severe effect on both young girls and boys and adults.

Education is also key for me, everybody should be able to get a good eductaion not just those well off enough to pay. Also, adult education should be encouraged.

Also think that parents of disabled children should get more help and respite care. And of course disabled adults should be supported and not stigmatised and forced to work.

I suppose having enough money not to worry constantly about covering bills and normal expenses

having good schools and access to health care
having free safe green open spaces
having leisure time
having good safe transport making it easy to see friends and family

feeling part of communities

meant public transport as well as good public/ municipal
as well as leisure/cultural facilities

Feeling of having time and not having to rush. I always seem to be rushing. Never have enough time. The time I'm at my happiest is when I can go at whatever pace I need to, and not the pace dictated to me by the number of things I have to do!

I hate it when I rush story time as I'm mentally thinking of what I have to do that evening.

health
money
education
public services

dont giev a toss about the environment

As someelse said to say I think that rates of mental illness should come into it
But other than that- enough money - I am being made redudant so that is a worry
Good enough schools - some schools really are not good enough
Low crime -lived in an area with high crime it was horrible

Hiya - thanks for all your comments so far. Know the ONS have been reading closely!

Our friends at Race Online, have also been asked their views, and would love to hear yours, about how new technology impacts on our happiness?

As families and government use the internet more, is it impacting our happiness, and what about those that still don't have reliable, or indeed any, access to the internet?

Thanks v. much.

Katie

if it is not to late would just like to ask the govt that if they care about well being and its measurement why on earth are they cutting funding to social sciences that answers these questions in a rigourous and consistent way? If they are just putting this in to show willing (a bit like Sir Humphrey's reviews and reports) then please put the extra money into something that we already knows makes a difference like sure start or ema