This page provides an overview of social care in Kingston upon Hull, 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: Kingston upon Hull, City of
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: Kingston upon Hull, City of
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 Kingston upon Hull. 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 residents who report a disability is 21.7 %. The England figure is 17.6 %. Hull therefore has about one extra disabled person for every twenty adults when compared with the country as a whole. High deprivation (average decile 2.95 out of 10) and very dense housing (3,730 people per km²) can both add to poor health, so the large proportion is not unexpected.
Working-age adults made 2,795 requests for care in 2024. This is roughly 1,028 requests per 100,000 residents, lower than the national mean of 1,143. The gap sits oddly beside the higher disability rate. One possible reason is unmet need: people may find it hard to ask for help, or they may turn to family, community or voluntary groups first. Another factor could be local eligibility rules that discourage early contact.
Once an assessment is agreed, Hull tends to provide more long-term help than the average council. A total of 1,690 adults aged 18–64 were in receipt of services in 2024, equal to about 622 per 100,000 people. The England mean is 533 per 100,000. This suggests that, when access is gained, support is comparatively generous.
The pattern of that support shows local choices:
• Only 20 people were in nursing care (7 per 100,000, below the national 13.8). This may reflect a shortage of nursing beds or a wish to avoid very high-cost placements.
• Residential care is used much more: 325 people, or roughly 120 per 100,000, almost double the national average of 60.6. Residential homes are often cheaper than nursing and can be easier to source in a deprived city with many older buildings converted for care.
• Community services dominate. Direct payments only (138 per 100,000) and council-managed personal budgets (322 per 100,000) are both above national levels, showing that the authority invests in keeping people at home. Part-direct payments are lower than average, so residents tend to choose either full control or full council management, with fewer mixed packages.
In 2025 few people asked the council for help with assessments, charging, information, or legal issues. Rates for these four categories sit between one-quarter and one-half of the national averages. Again, this hints at low take-up of early advice. In contrast, safeguarding enquiries stand at 1.47 per 100,000, slightly above the England mean of 1.21. A higher level of harm alerts may follow from dense housing, poverty and a population in poor health.
Hull has a large disabled population but relatively low recorded demand at the first point of contact. When residents do reach services, the council provides substantial community and residential support, limiting nursing placements. To close possible gaps the authority could:
• Improve outreach in deprived wards so that disabled adults know how to seek help early.
• Expand information services, using voluntary groups and online tools, to raise the currently low advice rates.
• Continue investment in community packages, while reviewing high residential use to ensure it reflects choice rather than limited alternatives.
Because population has risen since 2021 and deprivation remains high, pressure on budgets is unlikely to ease. Early, light-touch interventions may prevent costlier care later and align service levels with the true scale of disability in the city.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Kingston upon Hull is a dense, mainly urban city with about 272,000 residents in 2023, well below the average English local authority. Its mean deprivation score is in the lowest three deciles, showing high social need. These background facts help to explain how the city supports its older citizens.
The proportion of residents aged 65 and over rose gently from 15.0 % in 2019 to 15.6 % in 2023. England as a whole started higher, at 18.4 %, and peaked at 18.9 % before easing to 18.5 %. Hull therefore has a younger age profile, though the gap has narrowed by about half a percentage point over the five years.
This steady upward line matters for planning. Even a small annual rise means several hundred extra older residents each year. In a city already facing disadvantage, more older citizens can increase pressure on housing that is easy to heat, public transport that is step-free, and social care staff who understand complex need.
Data on people who asked the council for specific kinds of help give a first look at demand. Figures are shown as raw counts for Hull and as rates per 100,000 people so that we can compare fairly with the rest of England.
Only one request was recorded for assessments, equal to 0.37 per 100,000, far below the national rate of 1.72. Charging enquiries (nine cases, 3.31 per 100,000) and information seeking (three cases, 1.10 per 100,000) are also well under national norms. Legal issues and complaints sit slightly below average. The one area that stands out is safeguarding: four cases translate to 1.47 per 100,000, higher than the national 1.21.
Low counts can be read in more than one way. They may show that needs are met early by other services, or that some residents do not know how, or are not able, to ask for help. The higher safeguarding rate hints that when older people do come forward, concerns are serious. This fits with higher deprivation, where neglect, financial abuse or unsafe housing can be more common.
Hull’s density, at 3,730 residents per square kilometre, is one of the highest outside London and almost half again the England average. High density can ease travel for care workers, yet it can also create hidden loneliness if housing is in tall blocks. The city’s deprivation profile means many older people may have lower incomes, long-term illness, or poor housing quality years earlier than in richer areas. So while the city has a lower share of older people, those who do reach old age can need more help, sooner.
The slow but clear rise in the proportion of older residents tells leaders they cannot wait to expand age-friendly services. A priority is to understand why requests for help on basic issues such as assessments and information remain low. Outreach in GP surgeries, libraries or faith groups could uncover unmet need early, before it turns into a safeguarding alert. At the same time, the city must keep its safeguarding team strong, as the higher rate suggests continued risk.
Because Hull’s population is smaller than average yet more deprived, funding formulas based only on head-count may miss real costs. Planners should press for adjustments that recognise deprivation and density when allocating social care budgets. Investment in warm, accessible housing and community transport can also reduce future demand for formal care, easing pressure as the older population continues to grow.
✨ ✅ ❌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 council has no recorded rate for unpaid carers in 2021, but the England average is 8,204 carers for every 100,000 people. If Kingston upon Hull followed that pattern, a population of 266,516 would give about 21,900 unpaid carers. Local need may in fact be higher. The city is one of the most deprived in England, with an average deprivation decile of 3 compared with the national 6. Deprivation is linked to long-term illness and disability, so more residents may rely on family and friends for daily care. High population density (3,730 people per km², well above the England mean of 2,469) also means carers live close to one another and to the people they support, making informal care more common.
Thirty-six point eight per cent of carers said in 2024 that they had as much social contact as they would like. This is above the England figure of 29.3 per cent and suggests that many carers in Hull feel less lonely than carers elsewhere. Dense neighbourhoods can help; shops, GP surgeries and community centres are within walking distance, and neighbours are near by. Local voluntary groups have long been active in the city and may provide cafés, craft sessions or short breaks that let carers meet one another. Even so, almost two out of three carers still want more contact, so isolation remains a concern.
Fifty-eight point nine per cent of carers said it is easy to find information about support, only a little below the national score of 59.3. The near-average result hints at a service offer that is visible but not yet simple for everyone to navigate. Digital guides and council web pages may suit many carers, yet older or less confident internet users could struggle. In a city with high deprivation, limited digital access is more common, so printed leaflets, outreach in libraries and advice lines are still important.
The dataset holds national rates for different kinds of formal help but no local counts for Kingston upon Hull. Across England, most carers receive information, advice or signposting, with far smaller numbers getting direct payments or respite care. If Hull follows the same pattern, many carers here rely mainly on light-touch advice rather than hands-on help. Given the city’s high health need and low incomes, the council may wish to check whether enough carers are being offered personal budgets, breaks or night-sitting services.
Better than average social contact shows that community networks are a strength worth protecting. Small grants to voluntary groups, low-cost transport schemes and continued use of neighbourhood centres could keep carers connected. The near-average score on finding information, however, signals room for clearer signposting and more face-to-face advice, especially for residents with low digital skills. Finally, without robust local data on direct support, service planning is working partly in the dark. A fresh data sweep—possibly through GP registers, benefit claims and carers’ assessments—would give a clearer picture of unmet need and help the council direct funds where they will make most difference.
✨ ✅ ❌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
In 2024, about 19 per cent of local care providers were rated as “needs improvement” or “inadequate”. The England average is nearer 17 per cent. This gap of two percentage points means that roughly one in five services in Hull do not yet meet the expected standard, while nationally the figure is closer to one in six. Hull’s high population density of 3,730 people per square kilometre, well above the England average of 2,469, can place extra pressure on each provider. Greater demand, together with high deprivation – the city sits in the third most deprived decile – often leads to more complex care needs. These factors can make it harder for managers to keep quality high.
The 2023/24 turnover rate was just over 25 per cent, almost identical to the national figure. This means one in four workers changed job within the year. Managers also report that keeping staff has become “more challenging” or “much more challenging” in 70 per cent of cases, a little higher than the 68 per cent seen across England. Recruitment feels even tougher: more than 82 per cent say that hiring is now harder, compared with 80 per cent nationally. Such perceptions matter because they shape how confidently providers can plan services.
Yet the recorded vacancy rate stands at 5.7 per cent, well below the national average of 8.4 per cent. On the surface this looks positive, as fewer posts are empty at any one time. In practice it may hide a fast “revolving door”, where posts are filled quickly but staff leave soon after. The combination of normal vacancy levels and high turnover often results in repeated induction and training costs, diverting time away from direct care.
The slightly poorer inspection results line up with the mixed workforce picture. High deprivation can increase care complexity, so workers may face heavier workloads and quicker burnout. When many staff feel uncertain about staying, consistent, relationship-based care becomes harder to deliver. In turn, services risk falling short of regulatory standards.
Hull’s population is smaller than the national average but is growing again after a brief dip in 2020–21. Local leaders may wish to focus on three areas. First, support for workforce wellbeing and progression could slow turnover and build experience. Second, targeted quality-improvement funding for the one in five weaker providers could lift overall standards. Third, neighbourhoods with the greatest deprivation might benefit from extra outreach services, reducing pressure on care homes and domiciliary teams.
By addressing staffing and quality together, Kingston upon Hull can move closer to national performance even while serving a dense, deprived, and increasingly ageing population.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Kingston upon Hull has about 272,000 people, a little smaller than the average English local authority. The city is very dense, with 3,730 usual residents per square kilometre, and it is more deprived than most areas (mean deprivation decile 2.95 compared with the England mean of 5.9). These factors often lead to high demand for health and care services and can make service delivery harder.
Almost all discharges from Hull hospitals go to an acceptable provider (99.6 % against a national rate of 89 %). This shows strong links between hospitals, community teams and care homes, and good use of quality checks. Yet 15 % of discharges are delayed, above the England figure of 12.3 %, and the average delay is 0.87 days compared with 0.7 days nationally. The gap suggests that once a problem occurs, it takes longer to sort out. High population density and deprivation can slow the search for suitable housing, home-care workers or family support, keeping people in beds for longer. Extra step-down beds, faster equipment supply and shared digital records could shorten waits.
Resident experience is strong. In 2024, 71.7 % of survey respondents said they were satisfied with their care and support, well above the England average of 64.7 %. Three-quarters (74 %) found it easy to obtain information about services, again higher than the national rate of 68.2 %. These results point to effective communication, visible advice lines and helpful frontline staff. They also show that deprivation does not always lead to poor perceived quality when services are well designed for local need.
A second source (NatCen) records social care dissatisfaction at 57 %. Although not directly comparable with national data, it hints at a group of residents whose expectations are not met. This mixed picture may arise from uneven service coverage: people who receive care rate it highly, while those still waiting or ineligible feel left out.
Hull had 3.31 complaints received and 3.68 complaints decided per 100,000 people in 2024, both lower than the England averages of 4.45 and 4.12. Fewer formal cases suggest that most issues are solved locally or that users feel listened to before escalation. Lower complaint rates also support the positive satisfaction findings, though continued monitoring is wise because under-reporting can mask problems.
The city shows real strengths in quality assurance at discharge, clear information and overall user satisfaction. These gains are notable given high deprivation and dense housing, which normally add pressure. The main weakness is the length and frequency of discharge delays. With demand likely to rise as the population slowly grows, further improvement should centre on:
• Increasing community capacity so home-care packages and equipment are ready when patients leave hospital.
• Strengthening multi-agency planning to match the current high standard of discharge choice with quicker timing.
• Maintaining strong communication channels that have already boosted satisfaction and kept complaint rates low.
Addressing delays will free hospital beds, cut costs and protect the hard-won positive experience ratings.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Official 2024 per-capita figures for Kingston upon Hull have not yet been released, but the national picture offers a useful yard-stick. Across England gross social-care expenditure averages £47,758 for every 100,000 residents, while net expenditure, once income is removed, stands at £40,472. Client fees bring in about £7,286 per 100,000 people and NHS transfers add a further £7,878.
Hull’s mid-2023 population was 271,942. If local spending matched the national rate the city would commit roughly £130 million in gross terms and £110 million net. Around £20 million would come from client contributions and NHS partners. These notional sums give a starting point for thinking about adequacy rather than an exact budget line.
Kingston upon Hull is smaller than the average English local authority yet its social-care pressures can be higher for three main reasons. First, the city is densely populated (3,730 residents per square kilometre against an England average of 2,469). Dense urban areas tend to support more care homes and deliver more home-care visits in short travel times, but they also experience heavier demand for safeguarding, re-ablement and emergency cover.
Second, deprivation is deep and widespread. Hull’s mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile is 2.95, far below the national midpoint of 5.9. Low incomes raise the likelihood that older adults rely entirely on council funding rather than topping up through private fees. Deprivation is also linked with poorer health and earlier onset of long-term conditions, both of which drive demand and prolong care episodes.
Third, the city’s population has been broadly stable for a decade, but small year-on-year rises since 2021 suggest more older residents aging in place. Even a modest increase of 5,400 people between 2021 and 2023 equates to an extra 140 potential clients if national prevalence rates apply. Without real-terms budget growth, unit costs have to fall or unmet need rises.
If Hull’s spending does mirror national averages, the combination of high need and limited local wealth means every pound must stretch further than in many authorities. The council may feel pressure to:
• Negotiate higher NHS contributions to reflect hospital discharge activity.
• Increase client fees where possible, though ability to pay is restricted.
• Target preventative work in the most deprived wards to slow the flow of new cases.
Should expenditure sit below the notional £130 million level, gaps are likely to appear in home-care availability, day services and carer respite. That, in turn, risks higher hospital admissions and delayed discharges, raising overall system costs.
The absence of transparent local data makes public scrutiny difficult and weakens the city’s case for fair national funding. Publishing the full budget, alongside performance and satisfaction indicators, would allow residents and partners to judge whether spend aligns with need. Given persistent deprivation, Hull could also benefit from targeted grants or a revised national funding formula that weights resources more heavily towards authorities with high poverty and poor health outcomes.
In short, while headline national figures suggest a sizeable social-care budget should be flowing into Kingston upon Hull, local demographic and economic factors mean the city probably requires even more, not less, to deliver safe and dignified care.
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