Peter Bates > The Inclusion Web > What key indicators are created by the analysis of Inclusion Webs?

What key indicators are created by the analysis of Inclusion Webs?

The Inclusion Web Spreadsheet will calculate three key indicators, and show whether the results are statistically significant. These three indicators are explained below.


Places score

The numbers from the table below the Inclusion Web diagram are entered into the Inclusion Web Spreadsheet. The spreadsheet counts the total number of entries in the places circle for each person. For most people in lengthy contact with services, more is better than few.

People Score

Similarly, the spreadsheet will count the number of entries in the people circle. In general, more is better than fewer.

Clock Spread

The spreadsheet also calculates the ‘clock spread’ of the entries across the nine life domains. Some people begin with all their activity in the services domain, and a broader distribution would indicate better inclusion in society. Whilst it would be a mistake to suggest that a full life should have activity in all nine domains, for a group of people who use services extensively and have a very low score on clock spread, an increase is generally a good thing.

This variable is calculated by adding up the number of domains that have a score in either the places or people segments, or both, giving a maximum score of nine. Spencer and Pahl (2006, page 200) underlined this point about the value of Clock Spread when they wrote:

“It seems that some types of personal communities are more likely than others to provide the kind of social support which numerous studies have demonstrated is so important for people’s sense of wellbeing and mental health. People with…a range of significant others – friends, family, neighbours – to whom they can turn, and it is this diversity of ties which, it has been argued is associated with better physical and mental health. By contrast, those with partner-based and professional-based personal communities lack such diverse sources and, by having ‘all their eggs in one basket’, may become vulnerable if services are withdrawn or a partnership breaks down.