This page provides an overview of social care in Kensington and Chelsea, 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.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Kensington and Chelsea
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.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Kensington and Chelsea
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 Kensington and Chelsea. 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 age-standardised share of disabled residents is 13.7 per cent, well below the England figure of 17.6 per cent. Kensington and Chelsea has only about 147,000 people and an extremely high density of 11,800 residents per square kilometre. Rents and house prices are among the highest in the country. These factors tend to draw in younger, economically active adults and to push people with long-term conditions towards cheaper areas. The lower recorded disability rate therefore seems linked to the local population structure rather than to unusually good health alone.
In 2024 there were 1,110 requests for adult social care from people aged 18–64. This equals 753 requests per 100,000 working-age residents, a third below the national rate of 1,143. Fewer requests may again reflect the relatively small pool of disabled residents, but it can also mean that some need is hidden. Kensington and Chelsea shows a wide spread of deprivation scores, from very affluent streets to severe poverty. Residents in poorer wards may hesitate to approach the council, especially where English is not the first language. Targeted outreach in these pockets could uncover unmet demand.
Six hundred and fifty-five working-age adults received council-funded care during 2024, equal to 444 per 100,000 people. The national average is 533, so uptake is modest. The pattern of support is distinctive. Community services paid wholly by direct payments (122 per 100,000) sit almost exactly on the England norm, while part-direct-payment packages (54 per 100,000) are slightly above average. By contrast, care that is wholly commissioned by the council without a personal budget is unusually rare at just 7 per 100,000 against 58 nationally. This suggests a culture of personal choice, where disabled people prefer to employ assistants or buy services themselves rather than rely on traditional, block-contracted provision. The council’s role is therefore shifting from provider to broker, and commissioning skills need to keep pace.
Institutional care is used sparingly. Nursing placements stand at 7 per 100,000 and residential placements at 51 per 100,000, each around a fifth lower than national norms. Given the borough’s land values, local bed supply is limited and expensive. Where possible, people are supported at home. Maintaining suitable housing stock and accessible public transport will remain critical because the option to move to a cheaper care home nearby hardly exists.
Small numbers asked for help with charging (4 cases), information (2 cases) or safeguarding (1 case) in 2025. All three rates are roughly half the national averages. Low volumes may mean fewer problems, but they can also mean that residents do not know how to raise concerns. Continuous publicity in community languages and stronger links with voluntary groups could lift awareness, especially for safeguarding.
The data point to a borough with fewer disabled residents than average, but those who do need help favour personalised, community-based solutions. Future budgets should keep direct payment systems simple and responsive, invest in brokerage and peer support, and ensure that information on rights and safeguarding is easy to find. Because population growth has been flat over the last five years, demand is unlikely to surge, yet inequality within the borough remains wide. Allocating resources to the most deprived neighbourhoods can reduce hidden need and keep Kensington and Chelsea on a par with national standards for disability support.
✨ ✅ ❌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
The borough holds about 147 000 residents, far smaller than the average English authority but packed into only 12 km², giving one of the highest densities in the country. Between 2019 and 2023 the share of residents aged 65 or over edged up from 14.2 % to 14.8 %. The rise is slow yet steady, while the national share stayed near 18.8 %. Kensington and Chelsea is therefore still a mainly working-age borough, but the gap with England is closing bit by bit.
The local deprivation score sits just below the England mean, yet the standard deviation is higher. This shows areas of wealth next to areas of need. Such contrast can mask pockets where older people may struggle to pay for help even in a generally affluent place.
In 2024 there were 2 390 new requests for care from residents aged 65 +. This equals 1 621 requests per 100 000 older people, about one-third lower than the national rate of 2 438. The lower figure reflects both the smaller older population and possibly better general health linked to high incomes. It may also hint at barriers to coming forward: people who own valuable homes may be wary of care costs, while very dense housing can make it hard for services to spot need early.
Early signs for 2025 show very few recorded calls for help with charging, information or safeguarding. The numbers are too small to judge a trend but do underline that formal contact with the council is limited.
In 2024, 1 305 residents aged 65 + were in receipt of council-funded long-term support. This is 885 per 100 000, again below the England figure of 1 003. The picture changes when the type of care is explored.
Only 108 residents per 100 000 are in residential homes, less than half the national rate of 250. Nursing home use is also lower at 105 versus 122. Very high property costs, little available land and strong personal preference to stay in familiar neighbourhoods all push against care-home placement.
Community services paint a different story. Direct payments alone stand at 105 per 100 000, nearly twice the national benchmark. Part direct payments and council-managed personal budgets are also slightly above average. These figures suggest an active policy of helping people remain at home, backed by personal budget flexibility. Commissioned community support without a personal budget, at 14 per 100 000, is well below the England mean, showing a move away from more traditional, council-arranged home-care packages.
The borough’s approach appears to match its unique context. A slowly ageing, diverse population, tight housing market and mixed wealth create strong pressure to keep older people living independently. Lower use of care homes limits demand for scarce local places but shifts responsibility onto home-care staff, unpaid carers and the built environment. Rising age proportions, though modest, will add to this pressure.
Future planning should keep promoting flexible, home-based support while monitoring hidden need in poorer wards. Close watching of safeguarding and information requests is key, as low contact numbers can mask unmet need. Investment in outreach, accessible advice and culturally sensitive services may prevent later crisis demand and expensive out-of-area placements.
In short, Kensington and Chelsea currently serve fewer older residents per head than the average council, chiefly through strong community care and limited residential provision. As the local population ages, sustaining this model will require careful resource allocation, continued innovation and an eye on those who may not yet be visible to services.
✨ ✅ ❌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 the borough had about 9,300 unpaid carers. This equals 6,473 carers for every 100,000 residents, well below the England rate of 8,204 per 100,000. Kensington and Chelsea has a small population of 144,000 people and the highest population density in the country. Fewer carers per head may reflect a younger age profile, the high cost of housing that draws working-age adults, and the use of paid care bought on the private market by some better-off families. At the same time, the borough still holds pockets of deprivation, so the need for free family care has not gone away.
Only 28.1% of local carers say they have as much social contact as they want, just under the England figure of 29.3%. Living in a dense city area does not guarantee friendship or free time; heavy traffic, paid work and cramped homes can all limit social life. The slight gap may also show that high housing costs force some carers to combine long working hours with caring duties, leaving little spare time.
Sixty-four per cent of carers feel it is easy to find information about services, higher than the national 59.3%. The Council and many charities run visible advice hubs in community centres, libraries and online. Good transport links make it simpler to reach these points, which may explain the above-average score even though social contact is low.
The mix of formal support is unusual. Roughly 750 carers receive a direct payment to arrange help in their own way. This is over three times the national rate (522 versus 150 per 100,000). By contrast, the borough gives far less support through respite for the cared-for person (about 5 cases, 3.4 per 100,000 against 70 nationally) and far fewer carers get only information or signposting (73 cases, 51 per 100,000 against 339 nationally). Very small numbers are recorded for council-managed personal budgets and commissioned support, possibly because these services are bought privately or classified differently.
The high use of direct payments fits a population that values choice and has the skills to manage a budget. Low respite figures may point to tight local space: finding short-stay beds is hard when land is scarce and costly. The shortfall could also mean hidden unmet need if carers do not know how to ask for breaks.
Carers in Kensington and Chelsea cope in a complex setting: very dense streets, mixed wealth, and uneven access to space. Most can locate information, yet many still feel lonely. The Council may wish to:
• Increase group activities and peer support in affordable venues to tackle social isolation.
• Review respite options, perhaps by buying beds in nearby boroughs or funding home-based sitting services.
• Keep promoting direct payments while ensuring that carers in deprived wards get equal access and help with paperwork.
Monitoring future surveys will show if wider contact and better breaks lift quality of life for the borough’s 9,000 unpaid carers.
✨ ✅ ❌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
The Royal Borough has 16 community-based adult social care services and 11 residential care homes. With a mid-2023 population of about 147,000, this equals roughly 10.9 community services and 7.5 residential homes per 100,000 residents. Across England the average is near 16.9 and 24.1 per 100,000. In other words, local people have a smaller pool of providers to choose from than most areas. The very high population density – more than four times the national level – means travel time between addresses and services is short. Fewer, larger providers can therefore cover the borough without leaving large gaps. At the same time, land and property prices are among the highest in the country, making it hard for new residential homes to open. This may explain why the residential offer is especially limited.
Only 3.7 % of inspected providers in Kensington and Chelsea are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8 % nationally. This strong performance suggests that, while the market is small, oversight and investment in quality are effective. Relatively affluent parts of the borough can support higher fee levels, giving providers scope to fund staff training, refurbishments and clinical support. The mixed pattern of deprivation (pockets of high need alongside very wealthy neighbourhoods) makes it important that good quality is spread evenly, yet the headline figure indicates a solid base.
The adult social care workforce shows a turnover rate of 19.0 %, matching the England figure. Vacancy levels are also very close to the national average (8.4 % locally, 8.4 % nationally). Despite this, employers report slightly less difficulty than elsewhere in keeping or finding staff: 56 % describe retention as “more” or “much more” challenging versus 68 % across England, and 68 % report recruitment challenges versus 80 % nationally. Proximity to good public transport and a large local labour pool may soften the pressures that are felt more keenly in rural or suburban councils. However, housing costs remain a barrier, and the vacancy rate shows that the labour market is still tight.
Kensington and Chelsea’s small number of providers appears to meet quality standards, but limited choice could leave the system fragile if even one service closes. High land values discourage new residential homes, so growth is likely to come from community-based services. Maintaining the current high quality will depend on continued support for the workforce and on helping providers to manage property costs, for example through shared buildings or flexible use of space.
Population projections show only modest growth, so demand may not rise sharply. Yet the borough’s older residents often live alone in high-rise housing, a factor that can increase home-care hours per client. Ensuring enough community providers are in place is therefore essential. Policymakers may wish to explore incentives for home-care agencies to enter the market, while keeping a close watch on quality so that the present low rate of inadequate services is maintained.
In summary, Kensington and Chelsea offers high-quality care with staffing pressures that mirror the national picture, but its constrained and costly urban environment keeps provider numbers low. Strategic action to widen supply, especially in the community sector, will help secure resilience for the future.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Almost every hospital discharge for residents of Kensington and Chelsea goes to a care setting judged acceptable by the Care Quality Commission. The local figure of 98.3 % is well above the England average of 89 %. This suggests that the council and its NHS partners have built strong links with better-rated trusts, a useful asset for an inner-city area where patients may be sent to many different hospitals.
Yet 14.9 % of discharges are still delayed, more than the national rate of 12.3 %. The average delay per person is 0.76 days, just above the England mean of 0.7. Slightly slower flow may come from the borough’s very high population density – 11,817 residents per km², nearly five times the national figure. Coordinating transport, family meetings and home adaptations in crowded streets can take time. Higher housing costs may also slow the search for step-down beds or home care staff.
In the 2024 adult social care survey 66.4 % of respondents said they were satisfied with their care and support, a little above the England average of 64.7 %. Local people are also more likely to say that information about services is easy to find (71.9 % versus 68.2 %). Both findings point to generally good front-line practice and communication.
A second national study by NatCen gives a less positive view, with 57 % of Kensington and Chelsea respondents reporting some dissatisfaction. The gap between the two surveys may reflect the borough’s marked inequalities. Deprivation ranges from some of the richest streets in the country to estates that sit in the bottom national deciles. Residents in more deprived wards may feel services do not match their needs even though average satisfaction looks healthy.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman recorded fewer than five complaints about adult social care in 2024, so a rate per 100,000 people is not published. The England mean is 4.45 per 100,000. Very low numbers can mean good local resolution, but they can also suggest that some groups, for example new migrants or private renters, are less likely to complain.
Kensington and Chelsea starts from a strong base: safe discharge destinations, high reported satisfaction and good access to information. The main quality challenge is timeliness. Even small delays add pressure to acute beds and reduce independence for older people. Given the borough’s small population of about 147,000, a handful of extra home-care packages or more flexible transport could cut the delay rate markedly.
Inequality remains a cross-cutting issue. Larger variation in deprivation scores than the national norm hints that quality gains may not reach every street. Future improvement plans should track results by ward, making sure that people in the north of the borough, where deprivation is higher, feel the same benefits as those in the south.
Quality in Kensington and Chelsea is broadly good, but quicker, more consistent hospital discharge and a sharper focus on deprived neighbourhoods will help the borough move from good to excellent.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Kensington and Chelsea is a small and very dense London borough. About 147,000 people live inside only 12 km², so there are more than 11,000 residents per square kilometre. This is four times the average density in England. The borough looks wealthy, yet the deprivation figures show a mixed picture: the mean deprivation decile is 5.2, a little below the national value of 5.9, and the spread of scores is wider than normal. In other words, rich streets sit close to areas of real poverty. Such contrasts affect who asks the council for help and who pays privately.
In 2024 the gross cost of adult social care came to about £65.6 million. This equals £44,488 for every 100,000 residents, 7% below the England average of £47,758. Lower gross spend can point to several things. First, many older or disabled people in Kensington and Chelsea may arrange and fund their own care. They do not appear in council budgets, so the headline spend looks light. Second, high population density can reduce some service costs; workers travel shorter distances and day centres can serve more people from one site.
After taking income into account, the net bill for the council is about £60.1 million, or £40,740 per 100,000 people. This is slightly above the national net figure of £40,472. The reason lies in the very low income the council recovers:
• Client contributions add up to only £5.5 million (£3,747 per 100,000). The English average is almost double at £7,286. A likely explanation is that better-off residents choose to bypass council services, while people who do come forward have little money to contribute. A generous local charging policy could also play a part.
• NHS contributions, at about £11.5 million (£7,786 per 100,000), sit just below the national level of £7,878. The small gap hints that joint work with local health partners gives no special extra funding, even though local hospitals face very high operating costs.
Because income from clients and the NHS is low, the council pays a larger share of each care package than most authorities. This leaves the borough exposed if government grants fall or costs rise. The mixed pattern of deprivation also poses a risk: demand from poorer neighbourhoods can grow quickly in a financial downturn, while wealthier residents who pay privately may not offset that pressure.
The lower gross spend does not by itself prove that services are lean or over-stretched, but it does raise questions about unmet need. High housing costs make it hard to recruit care workers, and any hidden shortage of staff would limit the number of care hours the council can buy. Close monitoring of waiting lists, carer stress and hospital delays will be important. Better joint planning with the NHS could unlock extra funds, while a review of charging rules might bring client income closer to the national norm without harming those on low incomes.
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