# Place Explorer

> Free, open place-based profiling tool for the United Kingdom, built by Rose Regeneration and Social Value Engine.

## What it does

Place Explorer lets anyone look up a UK postcode or local area and instantly receive a detailed profile combining multiple official datasets. It is designed for policy teams, researchers, grant writers, community organisations, and anyone who needs to understand a place quickly.

## Who it's for

- Local authorities and public sector bodies needing rapid area profiles
- Housing associations assessing need and deprivation context
- NHS integrated care boards and health researchers
- Universities and think tanks conducting place-based research
- Charities and community organisations writing bids or strategies
- Social value practitioners and consultants

## Key concepts

- **Deprivation**: Measured using official national indices (IMD 2025 for England, WIMD for Wales, SIMD for Scotland, NIMDM for Northern Ireland)
- **LSOA**: Lower Layer Super Output Area — the small-area geography used for English deprivation data (~1,500 residents)
- **Decile**: Each LSOA is ranked 1–10 nationally, where 1 = most deprived 10% of areas
- **GVA**: Gross Value Added — a measure of economic output per head at local authority level
- **BRES**: Business Register and Employment Survey — tracks employee counts by industry

## Data sources

- IMD 2025 — English Index of Multiple Deprivation (2025 release)
- WIMD 2019 — Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation
- SIMD 2020 — Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
- NIMDM 2017 — Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measure
- Census 2021 — England & Wales demographics
- Community Life Survey — social cohesion indicators
- GVA per head (ONS)
- BRES 2019 and 2024
- Rural-Urban Classification (ONS/Defra)

## Main pages

- https://place.socialvalueengine.com/ — postcode lookup and home
- https://place.socialvalueengine.com/map — interactive deprivation map
- https://place.socialvalueengine.com/compare — side-by-side area comparison
- https://place.socialvalueengine.com/insights — statistical insights
- https://place.socialvalueengine.com/about — about the tool
- https://place.socialvalueengine.com/sitemap.xml — sitemap