This page provides an overview of social care in Havering, along with key metrics that could affect social care. Understanding these metrics is important because they help contextualise the challenges with social care provision in each local authority. These statistics are important to keep in mind when reviewing the other pages.
Why are these metrics important? Population size and density can affect the demand for social care services. For example, if a local authority has a high population (relative to other areas), it may need to allocate more resources to meet care needs. Similarly, areas with high population density may require more care services due to the increased number of people living in close proximity. Inversely, areas with a low population density may have fewer care needs, but residents may face challenges accessing services due to the distance between them. Lastly, people in rural areas might live further away from services, which can impact their ability to access care, or make it more expensive to provide.
Understanding these metrics can help local authorities plan and allocate resources effectively.
Deprivation decile is a measure of the level of deprivation in a local authority. It is calculated by ranking areas in England from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived) based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A higher decile indicates lower levels of deprivation, while a lower decile suggests higher levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation levels can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
Deprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
Many people want care, some receive care, but a significant number go without. What types of care are being requested? What care is actually provided? This section explores the gap between need and provision, the types of care available, and how our own data contributes to the understanding of these challenges.
Access Social Care and other Helplines providers are working to bridge this gap by providing free legal support to people who are struggling to access social care services. This first chart illustrates the types of calls we are getting.
The rest of this page distingushes between the different types of care provided to Working Age People and Older People, as we are able to disaggregate at a greater level of granularity.
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
This plot shows a breakdown of the types of requests for assistance received by Access Social Care and other helplines. Understanding the themes of these calls can identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to housing may indicate a need for more affordable housing options, while a high number of calls related to social care assessments may suggest a need for improved access to care services. The request types are:
Assessments: An assessment is a meeting or form to find out what help someone needs with daily tasks.
Care Plan: A care plan is a written agreement that lists the support you’ll get and who to contact if things change.
Carers: Carers are people who help a disabled or ill person with daily tasks.
Charging: Charging refers to checking if you can afford to pay for some of your care based on your savings.
Information Seeking: Information seeking means getting advice about available care options.
Legal Issues and Complaints: Legal issues and complaints involve reporting problems with your care to the council or an ombudsman.
Safeguarding: Safeguarding is protecting people from abuse or neglect.
Of course, high numbers also mean that people know where to call, and this number can be impacted by advocacy efforts. As a counterpoint, areas with low numbers may indicate a lack of awareness of available services or a need for more outreach to connect people with support.
To protect privacy, our minimum bin size is 5, which means that if we field 1-5 queries on a topic, we display 5.
Are you a helpline and would like to combine data resources? Let us know!
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
Working Age People
Knowing how many people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of people are disabled helps understand need and social care provision at a top level. For example, a high number of people requesting care may indicate a need for additional resources or services, while a low number of people receiving care may suggest a gap in service provision. Understanding these metrics can help identify areas where additional support may be needed.
MW was diagnosed with Functional Chronic Pain, she cannot walk without support, she holds on to her furniture to move around the house. She uses a wheelchair, especially when she goes out, with support from friends and family. She lives on second floor with 5 flights because of the way the building is designed and there is no lift. She never goes out because of the difficulties she experiences with the stairs. She needs help with cooking, cleaning, shopping and showering. She relies on friends and her mum who has knee replacement.
She was referred by the Social Prescriber who referred her onto also referred her to Croydon Adult Support, they told her they are short of staff to allocate her a social worker, so she was placed on a long waiting list. MW case still hadn’t progressed until the Social Prescriber, who had been recently trained on the Care Act, referred her to Access Social Care’s free legal Chatbot letter clinic.
The legal clinic volunteer completed a letter to Croydon Council with MW within a week which was sent to Adult Social Services. Access Social Care then called her after two weeks to complete a follow up survey. MW informed them that she had had an assessment and was waiting to hear back from Croydon following the panel meeting. Social Services has now done the assessment after which the panel offered MW 9 hours of social care support.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
This plot shows the types of care provided to working-age people in Havering. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The share of residents who say they are disabled is 15.3 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. Havering is therefore below the national level. The borough is a little less dense than the average London area and it is less deprived than England as a whole. A healthier and more affluent population can help to explain the lower disability rate.
In 2024 there were 1,425 requests for care from adults aged 18 to 64. This equals 531 requests for every 100,000 working-age residents. The national figure is 1,143 per 100,000. Fewer people are coming forward for help in Havering. Part of the gap may be genuine lower need, given the smaller disabled share. It could also point to hidden or unmet need if some groups do not know how to ask for support.
Havering supported 1,100 working-age adults in 2024, or 410 per 100,000 residents. The England mean is 533 per 100,000. Again the rate is lower, but the pattern inside the figures is important.
Nursing home use is almost the same as the national picture, 13 per 100,000 in Havering and 14 in England. Residential home use is lower, 45 per 100,000 compared with 61. Community support shows a mixed story. Direct-payment-only packages are common in Havering, 140 per 100,000 against 122 nationally. Other community routes that are led and paid for by the council are much less common, only 4 per 100,000 versus 58 in England.
This suggests that when people do need help they often choose to manage their own support through a direct payment. The generally higher income level in Havering may make personal budgets more attractive and manageable. At the same time, the council commissions far fewer community services itself, so the local market for council-arranged care may be thin.
New data on requests for help show where disabled people look for advice. Help with care plans is high at 3.7 per 100,000, well above the national 1.4. Requests about charging, funding disputes and safeguarding are all below the England average. People therefore seem confident about money matters but often want guidance on planning their care. This fits the earlier finding that many hold direct payments and need to design support themselves.
The combination of lower disability prevalence, fewer care requests and a strong tilt towards self-managed budgets points to a population that is relatively healthy and wishes to stay in control. The council should keep investing in clear information, simple assessment routes and peer support so residents can use direct payments well. It should also check for quiet pockets of unmet need, especially in more deprived wards, because low overall demand can hide smaller groups who struggle to come forward.
Finally, keeping a modest supply of council-commissioned community services will remain important. Even in an affluent borough, some disabled people will not be able or willing to run their own care packages and will rely on services arranged by the council.
✨ ✅ ❌Older People
Just like with Working Age people, knowing how many older people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of the population is 65+ helps understand need and social care provision at a top level.
Jamaican female, blind and in her 40s. She was in an emergency Bed & Breakfast with her Niece, who acts as her unofficial carer, she is unable to work but would like to go to University. She is receiving PIP but not the Daily Living Allowance which she applied for in June 2021. She is vulnerable and has a history of self harm so was assigned a rehab Support Worker. Vanessa supported her using the Chatbot to chase up her PIP Daily Living allowance application, after waiting for several months and they received a reply within a week but was awarded the lower rate.
Another Chatbot letter was sent to request an urgent assessment due to her vulnerability and this was action quickly by the LA. Vanessa also supported her to use the chatbot and ask the Social worker to be moved to a place that supports her needs and rights. As she was having to use a shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen in a place with drug/alcohol abusers and being blind with no carer, this left her vulnerable. The Chatbot was used again to raise this issue and after a few weeks she was successfully moved to a private property in another area.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
As above, it is important to see what type of care older people are being provided because it can help explain where additional work is needed.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
Between 2019 and 2023 the share of residents aged 65 years and over fell gently from 17.8 % to 17.5 %, then ticked up to 17.6 %. England as a whole moved from 18.4 % to 18.5 % in the same period. In other words, Havering has slightly fewer older people than the national picture and the gap has not closed. The borough also keeps growing in total size, reaching about 268,000 residents in 2023. Because the denominator is rising faster than the number of older residents, services aimed at this age group face a relatively modest growth in demand.
In 2024, 4,935 people aged 65 + asked the council for help. This equals 1,840 requests for every 100,000 residents, well below the England rate of 2,438. The lower proportion is only partly explained by the smaller older population. Havering’s density is high and deprivation is below average, so better transport links, family support or private purchasing power may also keep formal requests down. However, low request rates can hide unmet need if residents are not aware of, or do not trust, council services.
2,445 older residents were in long-term care during 2024, a rate of 912 per 100,000 compared with a national 1,003. Again, take-up is slightly lower than expected. The mix of services, though, tells a richer story.
Havering places 375 older people in nursing homes, 140 per 100,000, higher than the England mean of 122. By contrast, only 465 people live in residential homes, 173 per 100,000 against 250 nationally. The pattern suggests that the borough leans towards higher-acuity institutional care—nursing—while using fewer standard residential beds. Care homes may therefore see a concentration of people with complex needs, a point for workforce planning and cost forecasting.
Most older clients (1,600 in total) receive help at home. Direct payment only cases stand at 75 per 100,000, above the England rate of 55, showing a local culture of self-managed care. Part-direct payments are rare, and council-commissioned support only stands at 30 per 100,000, just one-fifth of the national figure. Taken together, Havering encourages personal budgets and may rely more on informal or privately arranged help. While this can promote independence, it can also mask pressures on carers.
Small 2025 counts for advice, legal questions and safeguarding—each below four contacts per 100,000—sit close to the England average. Levels this low make firm conclusions hard, yet they fit the broader picture of limited formal demand.
Because the proportion of older residents is stable and slightly below the national average, Havering’s adult social care budget is not under the demographic strain seen elsewhere. However, the preference for nursing over residential beds suggests higher unit costs. The heavy use of direct payments signals an empowered client base, but the council must ensure that choice does not drift into unmet need, especially in more deprived wards. Finally, with almost no rural areas, travel times should be short; any access gaps are likely to be financial or informational rather than geographic. Ongoing engagement with older residents will help confirm whether the low request rate reflects true independence or hidden demand.
✨ ✅ ❌When government support falls short, unpaid carers step in to provide care. However, many struggle with burnout, financial pressure, lack of social contact, and a lack of support. This section explores the number of unpaid carers, their increasing workload, and what forms of support are available.
Carers play a vital role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. The percentage of carers receiving direct payments highlights financial empowerment, the number of carers accessing services reflects local authority outreach, and the number turning to charities underscores unmet needs. Together, these data points reveal systemic strengths and weaknesses: low direct payment uptake may push carers toward charities, while effective services can reduce dependence on charitable support. Understanding these metrics enables targeted interventions to ensure carers receive the recognition and resources they deserve.
Unpaid carers play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. Understanding the number of unpaid carers in a local authority can be complicated. On the one hand, a relatively high proportion might be indicative of not enough being done by the local authority, and/or a strong community. On the other hand, a relatively lower number can mean good service provision, lower need, lower availability to look after family, or a problem with reporting.
Still, understanding the number of unpaid carers is a baseline number that must be considered.
NOMIS NM_2213_1
These values are widely considered to be an underestimate. See this report from Carers UK for more information.
August 2021 - Patient with dementia who lives in a shared lives setting. Carer had been requesting respite from the council since September 2020. Croydon Social Prescriber helped with a referral to the local authority in March 2021. Assessment conducted, with the promise they would come back with support, which did not happen. 25 August, social prescriber used the chatbot to find the right legal wording for the situation. The email was sent at 4.52pm that day. At 5.12pm the council contacted the carer to discuss the respite. This was the impact of one letter, addressed to a senior team.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
Social contact is important for carers’ well-being, as it can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Understanding the level of social contact that carers have can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of social contact may indicate a need for more social activities or support groups for carers, while a high level of social contact may suggest that carers have a strong support network.
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 11
The type of support available to carers can vary significantly, impacting their ability to provide care effectively. Understanding the types of support available can help identify areas where additional resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers receiving respite care may indicate a need for more support with caregiving responsibilities, while a low number of carers receiving financial support may suggest a need for additional financial assistance.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T47
Access to information is crucial for carers to navigate the social care system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for carers to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of carers finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 17
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
Access Social Care and other Helplines help people with information, advice, and support related to social care. Understanding the types of calls received by carers can highlight areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to financial support may indicate a need for more financial assistance for carers, while a high number of calls related to respite care may suggest a need for additional support with caregiving responsibilities.
It is important to note that, just as in the previous section, low numbers of requests might indicate that people don’t know where to get help, don’t feel they can get (or deserve) help, or other outreach problems. This is particularly important because we often work with people where the role of a carer is not recognised, or where the carer themselves does not recognise their role.
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
The 2021 census-based estimate suggests that about 20,600 residents of Havering are unpaid carers. This equals 7,874 carers for every 100,000 people, a little below the England rate of 8,204 per 100,000. Havering is slightly less deprived than the national average and has a population that is younger than many outer-London neighbours. Both factors can lower the share of adults who take on caring roles. A second explanation is identification: some carers only come forward when they need formal help, so the borough may have hidden carers who are not counted.
Only 31 percent of Havering carers say they have as much social contact as they would like. This is marginally better than the national result of 29.3 percent, yet it still means that two in three carers feel isolated. Urban density of 2,332 residents per square kilometre ought to support local networks, but caring tasks often take place behind closed doors, and travel across a long borough can be tiring. The finding points to unmet emotional and peer support needs rather than to sheer lack of neighbours.
Ease of finding information is a clear weakness. Just 45.1 percent of carers in the 2024 survey felt that services are easy to locate, far below the England figure of 59.3 percent. This gap sits uneasily beside Havering’s high use of signposting services: around 1,900 carers—about 709 per 100,000 residents—received information or advice last year, over twice the national rate. The data suggest that information is being offered but not always in a way that carers can absorb or act on. Digital exclusion among older carers, language barriers in new migrant communities, or simply too many entry points may be part of the problem.
Direct financial help is modest. Only about 240 carers (90 per 100,000) received a direct payment, well below the England average of 150 per 100,000. No activity was recorded for part direct payments or managed personal budgets, so choice and control appear limited. In contrast, respite or support delivered to the cared-for person is used by roughly 300 carers (112 per 100,000), comfortably above the national rate of 70 per 100,000. Fewer carers receive no support at all—75 per 100,000 against the national 130—showing that the council reaches many carers but tends to offer lower-cost or indirect help.
Havering has a slightly smaller pool of identified carers than England, yet the majority still report unmet social contact and difficulties navigating services. The council’s emphasis on information, advice and respite may stretch resources further, but it does not fully ease carers’ sense of isolation or confusion. Introducing more flexible cash or personal budget options could give carers the autonomy that direct payments provide elsewhere. Better signposting alone is unlikely to raise satisfaction unless it is combined with clear, single front-door pathways and community-based peer groups. Given the borough’s lower levels of deprivation, additional investment may be feasible, and targeting inner wards with higher deprivation scores could prevent inequity. Monitoring future survey rounds will show whether adjustments translate into better well-being and easier access.
✨ ✅ ❌Care providers are essential for delivering social care services, including home care agencies and care homes. The quality of care they provide can vary significantly, impacting the well-being of service users. This section examines the number and types of care providers, their quality ratings, and some of the difficulties of maintaining high standards. Understanding these metrics is crucial for ensuring that vulnerable individuals receive high-quality care.
The number and types of care providers in a local authority can impact the availability and quality of social care services. Understanding the distribution of care providers directly influences people’s ability to get the care they need.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates care providers based on their quality of care, safety, and effectiveness. Understanding the quality ratings of care providers can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of care providers with low ratings may indicate a need for improved training and support, while a high number of care providers with high ratings may suggest that existing services are effective.
Framework rates are the agreed prices that local authorities pay care providers for social care services, such as home care and residential care. These rates are crucial because they determine the affordability, availability, and quality of care in a city. If rates are too low, providers may struggle to sustain services, leading to workforce shortages, poor care quality, and limited access for those relying on council-funded care.
Understanding framework rates helps assess whether local authorities are adequately funding social care, ensuring fair pay for care workers, and maintaining a sustainable care market that meets residents’ needs.
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Several providers are finding it increasingly difficult to stay in business, and sometimes several providers collapse at once. For example, when pay rises are approved without consultation and effective immediately, providers may not be able to afford to pay their staff. This can cause a chain-effect which leads to collapse in the market, and a lack of care for those who need it.
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Workforce turnover rate is a measure of the number of staff leaving a care provider over a specific period. High turnover rates can indicate issues with staff retention, such as low pay, poor working conditions, or lack of training and support. Understanding workforce turnover rates can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed to improve staff retention and ensure high-quality care services.
NOTE: This data series is based on regional data
Staff retention is crucial for maintaining high-quality care services. Understanding the challenges faced by care providers in retaining staff can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of care providers struggling to retain staff may indicate a need for improved training and support, while a low number of care providers facing retention challenges may suggest that existing services are effective.
This dataset describes the results of a survey asking care providers about their challenges in retaining staff.
NOTE: This data series is based on regional data
Workforce_survey_data_tables, Tab 6_2
Vacancy rate is a measure of the number of unfilled positions within a care provider over a specific period. High vacancy rates can indicate issues with staff recruitment, such as low pay, poor working conditions, or lack of training and support. Understanding vacancy rates can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed to improve staff recruitment and ensure high-quality care services.
Recruiting staff is essential for maintaining high-quality care services, and for backfilling staff when they leave. Understanding the challenges faced by care providers in recruiting staff can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of care providers struggling to recruit staff may indicate a need for improved training and support, or can point to a systemic problem, such as low pay, poor working conditions, or not enough people interested in this job type.
Staff recruitment is important as it’s one of the areas that have levers to pull outside of social care, for example, by changing how many visas are awarded to social care workers.
NOTE: This data series is based on regional data
Workforce_survey_data_tables, Tab 6_2
Havering has 78 community-based adult social care providers. With a population of about 268,000, this equals roughly 29 providers for every 100,000 people. The England average is near 17 providers per 100,000. Community support is therefore well supplied locally. In contrast, there are 54 residential care services, around 20 per 100,000 residents, compared with a national rate of about 24. The lower residential offer is typical for an outer-London borough where land and property costs are high and space is limited. A dense, mainly urban setting (2,332 residents per km²) also makes home-based care easier to organise, because staff spend less time travelling between visits.
Only 14.4% of care providers in Havering are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, below the national figure of 16.8%. This suggests that the current mix of services is being managed well. A moderate level of deprivation (average decile 6.3, slightly less deprived than England as a whole) may help, because providers face fewer complex socio-economic pressures than in more deprived areas.
The workforce picture is stable rather than strong. The staff turnover rate is 19.0%, almost identical to the national average of 19%. Vacancy stands at 8.1%, just under the 8.4% seen across England. Managers still report difficulties: 68% find recruiting staff “more” or “much more” challenging, yet this is lower than the national 79.8%. Retention feels hard for 56% of services, again below the 68.1% benchmark. These gaps hint that Havering’s care market is coping slightly better than many places, possibly because travel times are short and wages compete with other local sectors.
Population has grown by about 7,000 people since 2019, a 2.6% rise. Even without an unusually large older population, more residents will add to care demand. Because the borough relies heavily on community support, keeping enough trained staff in domiciliary roles is critical. If workforce gaps widen, unmet need could grow quickly.
A strong supply of community services fits Havering’s dense, urban profile and helps people stay at home. Commissioners may wish to:
• Maintain and possibly expand home-care capacity to match population growth.
• Support providers with targeted recruitment schemes so vacancy and turnover do not rise.
• Monitor residential bed numbers, as current provision is below national rates; some people with higher needs may still require care home places.
• Keep quality improvement funds in place, as present ratings are better than average but still leave one in seven services below the expected level.
Overall, Havering’s care market performs well, with an emphasis on community support, good quality scores and slightly lower workforce stress. Continued investment in staff and flexible services will be key to meeting future demand.
✨ ✅ ❌Historically, hospital delays have been due in large part, to the inability to discharge patients into social care. We no longer have DTOC data, but we can still look at the number of hospital delays and the number of facilities requiring improvement.
CQC, as the regulator of health and social care services in England, is beginning to rate Local Authorities on their social care provision. Understanding the CQC rating of a local authority should be used as the most official evaluation of service care provision. For example, a low rating may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high rating may suggest that existing services are effective.
Hospital delays can have a significant impact on patient care and outcomes, and are in large part the result of not having invested sufficiently in social care. Understanding the number of hospital delays in a local authority can be a sympthom of a poorly working social care sector. For example, a high number of hospital delays may indicate a need for improved discharge planning and coordination, not enough places to discharge people to, lack of sufficient staff to assess patients, or a lack of care providers.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
This metric illustrates how long patients are delayed in hospital before being discharged. Higher average delays mean that patients are spending more time in hospital than necessary, which can lead to increased costs, reduced bed availability, and poorer patient outcomes. This also means that the beds are not available for people that might desperately need them for life-saving procedures.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
Delayed Transfer of Care (DTOC) refers to the time between a patient being declared medically fit for discharge and actually leaving the hospital. Understanding the number of DTOCs in a local authority can help identify precisely where the social care system is failing.
Unfortunately, this dataset is no longer being generated.
Reablement is a short-term service that helps people regain independence and confidence after a period of illness or injury. Understanding the number of people receiving reablement services can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving reablement services may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a low number of people receiving reablement services may suggest that existing services are effective.
Coming soon!
Service user satisfaction is a key indicator of the quality of social care services. Understanding service user satisfaction can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of service user satisfaction may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high level of service user satisfaction may suggest that existing services are effective.
It is important to note that the people surveyed are already receiving service care. Notably absent are all the people that are not yet lucky enough to be receiving care.
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 1
Access to information is crucial for people using social care services to navigate the system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for people to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of people finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 13
An ombudsman is a person who has been appointed to look into complaints about companies and organisations. The number of cases received and decided by the Ombudsman is important because it provides insight into the volume of complaints about a local authority’s social care services and how effectively these complaints are being addressed. The number of cases received indicates the level of dissatisfaction or systemic issues within a council’s care provision, while the number of cases decided shows how efficiently the Ombudsman is processing and resolving complaints. A large gap between the two may suggest delays in complaint handling, leaving individuals waiting.
It is important to note that contacting the Ombudsman is widely considered a last resort, often discouraged, and sometimes penalised.
Havering moves people out of hospital quickly and safely. Almost every hospital discharge (99.8 per cent) is from a trust judged acceptable by the CQC, well above the England average of 89 per cent. Only 5.9 per cent of discharges are delayed, and the average delay is just 0.58 days. Nationally, 12.3 per cent of discharges are delayed for around 0.7 days. This strong performance matters in an area that is almost completely urban (less than 1 per cent rural) and has a growing population – up by about 6,800 people since 2019. Quick flow through hospital beds helps local acute trusts cope with steady demand.
Service users are a little less happy than the England picture suggests. In 2024, 61.3 per cent of adult social care respondents in Havering said they were satisfied with the help they receive, compared with 64.7 per cent nationally. A second survey by NatCen records 57 per cent dissatisfaction, hinting at expectations that may not always be met. Residents also find it slightly harder to locate information: 65.3 per cent say it is easy, against 68.2 per cent for England. These gaps are modest, yet they sit alongside very good discharge figures, so the issue is unlikely to be basic safety. Instead, people may want clearer communication, better choice, or more personalised care once they leave hospital.
The Ombudsman received 5.6 complaints per 100,000 residents in 2024, compared with 4.5 nationally. That equates to about 15 cases in Havering, given a 2023 population of 268,145. Decisions were made on roughly 17 cases (6.3 per 100,000) versus 4.1 per 100,000 across England. Higher complaint rates can signal unresolved concerns, but they can also reflect a population that is confident about using formal channels. Havering is slightly less deprived than the national norm (mean deprivation decile 6.35 versus 5.9). Research often links lower deprivation with greater willingness to complain when standards seem below expectation.
Havering’s density of 2,332 people per km² is only a little below the England city average, yet social care teams keep hospital beds moving. Good links between the council and local trusts are likely. Rising numbers of older residents, however, can stretch community services and may explain why satisfaction trails discharge performance. Lower satisfaction and higher complaints may also stem from limited information pathways; people who cannot find clear guidance may turn to the Ombudsman when problems arise.
Maintaining swift discharge should remain a priority, but attention now needs to shift towards the quality of ongoing support and communication. Clearer signposting, stronger involvement in care planning, and feedback loops that resolve issues early could lift satisfaction and reduce complaint volumes. Given Havering’s urban setting and relatively low deprivation, digital information tools and co-production with users are realistic next steps. If these areas improve, the borough’s already strong operational performance is likely to be matched by higher public confidence.
✨ ✅ ❌We need to understand how much money is being spent on social care, and what this provides. First, let’s look at values reported by local authorities.
Gross Current Expenditure (2023-24) captures the total operational cost of services, indicating overall demand and financial commitment. This includes spending on residential and non-residential care, direct payments, and other social care services. Understanding gross expenditure helps assess the scale of social care provision and financial pressures on local authorities.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
This figure reflects the net cost of social care provision to the local authority, indicating the extent of financial support required to meet service demands. Understanding net expenditure helps assess the financial sustainability of social care services and the commitment level of the local authority.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Client Contributions, otherwise known as “Charging”, show the extent to which service users offset costs. Understanding client contributions helps assess the financial burden on individuals and the local authority, highlighting the need for fair and equitable funding mechanisms.
It is important to note that not all local authorities charge for social care services, and that charging can be a barrier to accessing care for some individuals.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Income from NHS reflects external funding and collaboration with the health sector. Understanding NHS contributions helps understand the level of integration between health and social care.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Budget Cuts indicate financial constraints and potential service reductions. Sometimes, budget cuts are explicit, but other times, they aren’t mentioned directly, making tracking this information difficult to access.
As such, this data is not consistently available for all local authorities.
Access Social Care have made a series of Freedom of Information requests about the government’s own assessment of sufficiency of social care funding. The social care sector is in crisis, yet the government refuses to disclose how it determines funding sufficiency. Without transparency, there is little accountability, no independent scrutiny to improve decision-making, and government trust heavily impacted. Evidence from across the sector indicates a severe funding gap, but without open data, meaningful reform remains impossible. True solutions require honesty about the scale of the problem to then work towards a fair and equitable funding model.
The government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known.
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In 2024 Havering spends about £40.1 million for every 100,000 residents on social care. With a mid-2023 population of roughly 268,000, this equals around £108 million in total. The national figure is close to £47.8 million per 100,000 people, or £128 million for a place the size of Havering. In other words, local gross spending is about £20 million lower than we might expect.
After income from clients and the NHS is taken away, the net cost to the council stands at about £33.2 million per 100,000 people, or £89 million in cash terms. The England norm is £40.5 million per 100,000, so the gap at net level is slightly wider than at gross level.
Havering collects around £6.9 million per 100,000 residents in client charges, a little below the national average of £7.3 million. This difference is modest. The larger gap sits with NHS contributions: £5.1 million per 100,000 in Havering against £7.9 million across England. We therefore see a funding profile that relies more on the council tax base and less on joint health money. Lower NHS support can limit the scope for truly integrated care, for example in step-down services after a hospital stay.
Havering’s population is rising steadily, up by about 7,000 people since 2019. Density is high (2,332 residents per square kilometre) and nearly all neighbourhoods are classed as urban. Deprivation is slightly lower than the England mean: the average decile score is 6.35, compared with 5.9 nationally. Lower deprivation often links to better health, which can reduce social care need. This may help explain part of the lower spend per head.
Yet urban areas with growing numbers can still face pressure, especially if the growth comes from older age groups. While we lack age-specific data here, Havering is known in London for a larger share of older residents. If that pattern continues, demand could outstrip the present budget.
The current spending level appears sustainable for now, but three factors deserve attention. First, population growth means that even steady spend per head will require more cash year on year. Second, the shortfall in NHS contributions could weaken preventative work at the health-social care boundary, risking higher costs later. Third, charges to clients are close to the national norm, so raising extra income from fees alone seems unlikely.
To keep services safe and effective, the council may need to seek a stronger pooled-budget deal with local NHS partners. Close monitoring of demand, especially from older adults, will be key. If need rises faster than funds, the borough could face higher waiting lists or tighter eligibility rules, despite its relatively low levels of deprivation.
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