This page provides an overview of social care in Hounslow, 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 Hounslow. 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
An age-standardised 14.8 per cent of residents in Hounslow say they are disabled, well below the England figure of 17.6 per cent. Hounslow’s population is young and fast-growing. The borough has gained about 6,000 people since 2019, and its median age is lower than the national average. A younger age mix usually brings fewer long-term conditions, so a smaller share of disabled people is expected. High inward migration may add to this effect, as new arrivals are often of working age and in good health. The figures may also hint at under-reporting, for example where recent migrants are unsure how to describe long-term health problems.
In 2024 the council recorded 1,555 requests for support from working-age adults. This equals 526 requests per 100,000 residents, less than half the England rate of 1,143. A low request rate can have two readings. It may reflect lower need, consistent with the younger, healthier population shown above. On the other hand, it can signal hidden demand. Hounslow is densely built, with 5,148 people per square kilometre, and more deprived than average (mean deprivation decile 4.8 versus 5.9). In crowded urban areas some residents find it hard to reach services or may rely on family and community networks instead of formal care. The borough should therefore explore whether information and referral routes are clear enough for people who do need help.
Hounslow supports 1,240 adults aged 18–64 in long-term care, or 419 per 100,000 people. The national rate is 533 per 100,000, again showing lower service use. The pattern of provision is distinctive. Residential and nursing placements are rare: 49 residents in total, equal to 49 per 100,000, compared with 74 per 100,000 nationally. Direct payments are also used less often. By contrast, two-thirds of working-age clients (790 people) receive a council-managed personal budget in the community, matching the national rate almost exactly.
This mix fits an inner-London borough where residential beds are costly and scarce, and where transport links make home-based care practical. It may also reflect policy choices: supporting people at home can promote independence and free up expensive placements. The low take-up of direct payments suggests scope to widen choice, perhaps by targeted advice and peer support.
Small numbers of cases in 2025 asked for help with assessments, charging or legal matters. Rates per 100,000 are close to, or slightly below, England averages. Because the volumes are tiny, year-to-year shifts can look large, yet they flag individual areas—such as complaints or safeguarding—where the council must still keep skilled staff in place.
Hounslow’s lower proportion of disabled residents and its below-average use of formal care sit alongside signs of higher deprivation. The council should keep checking that people in poorer neighbourhoods know how to ask for help and can choose the kind of support that suits them. Continued investment in community-based services seems sensible for a dense borough, but increasing the flexibility of direct payments may give disabled people more control. Monitoring future census and service data will show whether hidden need starts to surface as the population grows older.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Hounslow is a young borough. In 2019 only 11.4 per cent of residents were aged 65 plus. By 2023 this had edged up to 12.0 per cent, yet it still sits far below the England average of about 18.5 per cent. The rise is steady but small, adding roughly six hundred older residents each year. With 5,148 people per square kilometre, Hounslow is twice as dense as the country as a whole. High density often attracts younger working families, which helps to explain the low share of older people.
In 2024 the council recorded 4,100 requests for support from residents aged 65 plus. This equals 1,387 requests per 100,000 population, well under the national rate of 2,438. Two drivers are likely. First, the smaller older population means fewer potential applicants. Second, the area’s deprivation score (decile 4.8 compared with England’s 5.9) points to pockets of need, yet many older residents may live with extended family in multigenerational homes, reducing formal referrals. Lower demand can be positive, but it may also mask hidden need if some groups find services hard to reach.
Hounslow supports 2,275 older people in long-term services. This is 769 per 100,000 population, again below the England figure of 1,003. The mix of provision is telling. Residential placements stand at 83 per 100,000, only one-third of the national rate. Nursing home use is also lower. By contrast, community support funded through council-managed personal budgets is slightly above average (516 per 100,000 versus 508). Direct-payment-only packages are a little higher than the England norm too.
This pattern suggests an explicit “home first” approach, helped by short travel times in a compact urban area. Lower residential use can cut costs and keep older people closer to neighbours and shops. Yet it also places pressure on community nursing, home-care staff and unpaid carers. Workforce supply will be critical, especially as the older population grows.
Early-help contacts in 2025 were modest: only 14 enquiries about charging, five about information, and three or fewer in other advice categories. Rates are broadly in line with or below national figures. The small numbers may reflect effective online guidance, but they could also point to limited awareness among residents whose first language is not English. Targeted communication could prevent later, costlier interventions.
The present demand picture looks manageable, yet three trends call for forward planning. First, the share of older residents, though low, is rising year on year. Second, deprivation remains higher than average, so future cohorts may develop complex needs earlier. Third, the borough relies heavily on community services, meaning any workforce shortage or housing barrier could quickly expose gaps.
Maintaining a diverse home-care market, investing in assistive technology, and strengthening outreach in deprived wards will help sustain the “home first” model. Monitoring hidden need among minority groups will also be vital. If these actions continue, Hounslow can support its ageing residents without a sudden shift toward expensive residential care.
✨ ✅ ❌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
In 2021 about 19,400 Hounslow residents were unpaid carers. This is roughly 6.7 per cent of the population (6,733 carers per 100,000 people). The England average is 8.2 per cent. The gap suggests that fewer residents identify themselves as carers, not that the borough needs less care. Hounslow is young and very diverse, and many families share care tasks informally. People in such households may not use the word “carer”, so they are missing from official counts and from the support that follows.
The lower count also sits oddly beside the borough’s higher deprivation. Hounslow’s mean deprivation decile is 4.8, below the national 5.9, yet deprivation is often linked with greater caring pressure. Taken together, the figures point to hidden demand rather than low need.
Hounslow issues far fewer direct support packages to carers than the country as a whole. Only 46 carers per 100,000 receive a direct payment, against 150 nationally. Part-direct payments and personal budgets are also scarce. Instead, the council relies on commissioned support only (318 per 100,000, triple the England rate). This traditional, service-led model can be easier to manage in a dense, entirely urban borough, yet it leaves carers with less choice and control.
Information and advice services are very limited: 12 recipients per 100,000 compared with 339 nationally. When information is thin, carers tend to reach crisis before they ask for help. Fewer emergency respite places are then available (47 per 100,000 versus 70). In short, Hounslow offers relatively fixed services aimed at the cared-for person, while lighter, preventive help for the carer is uncommon.
Only one in four local carers (25.6 %) say they have as much social contact as they would like; the England figure is three in ten (29.3 %). This finding matters in a borough with 5,148 residents per square kilometre. High density does not always translate into social connection; many carers live in small flats and juggle work, care and travel time. Limited free support may force them to stay at home more often.
Just over half of carers (52.5 %) feel that it is easy to find information about services. Nationally, six in ten feel it is easy. Given the lack of advice pathways shown above, this perception is unsurprising. It also explains the modest number of carers recorded: people who cannot locate support may never register as carers.
Hounslow’s carers appear under-counted, under-informed and under-supported. The borough directs most resources to commissioned services for the cared-for person, leaving little space for flexible help that keeps carers healthy and in work. Investing in outreach, advice and small direct payments could bring hidden carers into view and slow the growth of more expensive, formal care.
Population growth (from 288,000 in 2021 to nearly 296,000 in 2023) will intensify the issue. Without earlier, lighter support, more residents are likely to hit crisis points that require higher-cost interventions. Redirecting a portion of spend from commissioned services towards advice, peer networks and personal budgets would align Hounslow more closely with national practice and, crucially, with its carers’ everyday needs.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Hounslow has 55 community-based adult social care services. With a population of about 296,000, this equals roughly 18.6 community services for every 100,000 people, a little above the England rate. In contrast, the borough has only 29 residential care homes, or 9.8 homes per 100,000 people, much lower than the national figure of 24.8. Land is costly and space is tight in Hounslow, which has more than twice the national population density. These facts make it hard to open or extend care homes, so most help is given in people’s own homes.
Just over one in five local services, 21.4%, are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”. The England share is 16.8%. Limited choice in the market means families may stay with a provider even if quality is poor, and some services work with residents who have higher needs because the borough’s average deprivation is a little worse than the national score. Both points can pull inspection ratings down.
Staff turnover is 19.0%, almost the same as the England rate, showing that many workers stay once they join. Yet the vacancy level is 16.1%, nearly double the national 8.4%, so posts stay empty for a long time. Living costs in London are high and other sectors can pay more, which makes social care less attractive. Even so, 68% of Hounslow providers say recruiting is “more” or “much more” difficult, below the 79.8% seen across England, and 56% report big problems keeping staff, below the national 68.1%. A large urban labour pool may soften the blow, but pay and housing still limit success.
The borough leans heavily on community care. This path suits its dense, urban setting, yet the small number of care homes may slow hospital discharges and leave few choices for people with complex needs. High vacancy levels and the weaker quality profile hint at stress within the sector. Population numbers keep rising and, while the borough is now fairly young, demand for adult social care will climb as residents age. Action to raise pay, improve training and give housing support to workers could fill vacant posts and lift quality. Hounslow may also need new ideas for residential provision, such as extra-care flats in mixed-use developments, so that people who cannot stay at home still have local options.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
The Care Quality Commission has given Hounslow a score of 70 for 2024/25. The England mean is 64.7. This “Good” rating shows that adult social care in the borough works better than the national picture. It also tells us that the council has made progress since the last national review.
Ninety-six per cent of people leave hospital to a service that the local authority judges acceptable. The England figure is 89 per cent. This suggests clear pathways and strong links between the council and local NHS trusts. Yet the story is mixed. Fifteen per cent of discharges are delayed, compared with a national level of 12.3 per cent, and the average delay is 0.79 days against 0.7 days. High population density—more than double the England average—and the complete lack of rural space mean that beds and community packages turn over quickly. Any small rise in demand can slow the whole system. Greater deprivation than the national norm may add to the risk, as people with lower income often need extra support at the point of leaving hospital.
Only 62.1 per cent of survey respondents say they are satisfied with their care and support, while the England mean is 64.7 per cent. A separate NatCen source shows 57 per cent dissatisfaction. Although the two figures are not directly comparable, both hint at a gap between service quality and public feeling. Finding information is also harder in Hounslow; 63.9 per cent of people say it is easy, below the national level of 68.2 per cent. In a borough where many residents speak a first language other than English, clear and timely communication is vital. Failing to meet this need is likely to lower satisfaction.
In 2024 the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 9.47 complaints per 100,000 residents and decided on 6.76. Both rates are about twice the national averages. A dense urban area of almost 296,000 people can produce more complaints simply through scale, yet the numbers are still high once population size is taken into account. This may point to unmet need, or to a public that is confident in challenging the council. Either way, each complaint absorbs staff time and money, so a fall in this measure would free resources for direct care.
Hounslow performs well in overall quality but some pressure points remain. High acceptance of discharge destinations shows good joint working, yet actual delays hint at bottlenecks in community provision, housing, or transport. Lower satisfaction and high complaint rates suggest that residents do not always see the same quality that regulators record. Communication, cultural competence, and timely access to services look like key areas for improvement.
The borough should keep up the strong strategic oversight that earned the “Good” rating, but shift more effort to the user’s day-to-day journey. Better discharge planning, more homecare capacity, and clearer public information in multiple languages could reduce delays and raise satisfaction. Targeted investment in deprived neighbourhoods may also ease pressure, as those areas are likely to have the highest need. With population numbers rising again after a small dip in 2021, acting now will help Hounslow stay ahead of demand and continue to improve quality.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Hounslow is spending about £35,200 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care. With a population close to 296,000, that equals roughly £104 million in gross terms. After income from clients and the NHS is taken off, net spending falls to about £93 million, or £31,300 per 100,000 people.
Nationally councils spend around £47,800 per 100,000 people, so Hounslow’s gross spend per head is a little over one-quarter lower. The same pattern appears for net spend (about £40,500 nationally). Client contributions are also modest: £3,900 per 100,000, almost half of the England figure. NHS transfers into care budgets sit at £5,100 per 100,000, again well below the average of £7,900.
Hounslow is an entirely urban borough with 5,148 people per square kilometre, more than double the national density. Shorter travel times between users may cut some costs compared with large rural shires. At the same time London staffing and property costs are high, so a simple “urban efficiency” story is unlikely to explain the full gap.
Demand factors may also play a part. The borough is slightly younger than England overall; fewer very old residents can mean fewer high-intensity care packages. Reliable age-band data are not shown here, yet the low level of client charges suggests that fewer people are reaching the means-tested threshold or that packages are smaller in scope. A further hint comes from deprivation. Hounslow sits in decile 4.8 on the Index of Multiple Deprivation, somewhat poorer than the England midpoint. Lower incomes restrict the fees that residents can pay, pushing more cost back to the council; nonetheless the authority still records lower gross spending, pointing to tight budgets and possible unmet need.
Only around £11 million of the gross total comes from client charges and about £15 million from the NHS. Together these external sources cover less than one-quarter of total spend, compared with roughly one-third nationally. The council therefore carries a heavier share of the bill from its own resources. Without larger contributions, either from service users or health partners, maintaining service levels will remain challenging.
The combination of modest per-capita spending, high density and notable deprivation raises several risks. Lower funding can lead to smaller care packages, longer waiting times for assessments and greater pressure on unpaid carers. Urban communities often rely on a mobile care workforce; if wages do not keep pace with London living costs, recruiting and retaining staff will be hard, widening any service gaps. The borough may wish to review its charging policy, strengthen joint planning with local NHS bodies and press for fair funding that reflects both cost of living and underlying need.
Population growth since 2019 has been slow but steady, adding about 6,000 residents. Even a modest rise in the number of older people could stretch current budgets, given that spending per head already lags behind the national norm. In the absence of clearer government plans on social care finance, Hounslow will need to balance efficiency improvements with fresh investment if it is to meet future demand.
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