This page provides an overview of social care in Kirklees, 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 Kirklees. 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 say they are disabled is 18.2 %. The England figure is 17.6 %. This small gap means that, after allowing for age, a few more adults in Kirklees live with disability than we would expect. Higher deprivation (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 4.7 compared with the national 5.9) and an industrial past may explain some of the extra need. In simple terms, almost one in every five adults in the district has a condition that limits day-to-day life.
During 2024 the council recorded 4,080 requests for support from working-age adults. This equals 923 requests for every 100,000 residents, lower than the England rate of 1,143 per 100,000. The lower figure sits oddly alongside the higher disability level. It could point to:
• good informal or voluntary help that reduces formal referrals;
• tighter eligibility rules or people not knowing how to ask for help;
• a slightly younger age mix – Kirklees has grown steadily to 442,000 residents in 2023, and its working-age share is a little larger than the national one.
In 2024, 2,175 working-age adults were getting ongoing care. That is 492 per 100,000 residents, again below the England mean of 533. The pattern of support, however, is different from the national picture.
• Nursing care: 17 per 100,000 (England 14) – a sign that people with very complex needs are largely cared for in local beds.
• Residential care: 81 per 100,000 (England 61) – reliance on traditional placements is still high.
• Community care paid wholly by a Direct Payment: 182 per 100,000 (England 122) – Kirklees encourages people to manage their own package, which can increase choice.
• Community care through a council-managed personal budget: 90 per 100,000 (England 267) – far below average, showing a clear shift away from council-held budgets.
• Commissioned community support only: 75 per 100,000 (England 58) – slightly higher, perhaps reflecting stronger in-house or contracted services.
The council appears to favour two very different routes: traditional residential options for those with the highest needs, and direct payments for those who can plan their own support. The mid-range offer – a council-managed personal budget – is relatively scarce. Some residents may find full self-management hard, so the authority may need to expand advice, payroll and brokerage services to keep Direct Payments safe and sustainable.
Figures for 2025 show small, stable numbers seeking help with assessments, finances or legal issues. Rates are close to national levels, but requests for information (2.0 per 100,000 versus 2.6 nationally) are lower. Good online guidance could explain this. Equally, it may signal gaps in outreach to people who are not confident with digital tools.
Disability is slightly more common in Kirklees, yet formal demand is lighter than average. With population growth of 9,000 since 2019 and continuing deprivation in parts of the district, latent need is likely to surface. The council may wish to:
• test whether eligibility thresholds or awareness affect referral rates;
• invest in community options to ease the high use of residential beds;
• strengthen support around Direct Payments to stop breakdowns in care;
• target advice in high-deprivation neighbourhoods, where disability and poverty often overlap.
Addressing these points now will help Kirklees match rising need with the right mix of flexible, person-centred services.
✨ ✅ ❌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 share of residents aged 65 plus in Kirklees has risen every year, from 17.6 % in 2019 to 18.0 % in 2023. England started higher (18.4 % in 2019) and has edged up to 18.5 %, so the gap is closing. Kirklees therefore remains a little younger than the country, yet with 442,000 residents its absolute older population is large and growing. The district is also more deprived (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 4.7 versus 5.9) and more urban (13 % rural land versus 35 % nationally). These factors often bring poorer health at earlier ages, meaning need for care can still be high even where the over-65 proportion is modest.
In 2024 there were 8,965 requests for care from people aged 65 plus. This equals 2,028 requests per 100,000 residents, below the national rate of 2,438. Lower per-capita demand is consistent with a slightly younger age profile, yet the raw count is substantial because the district’s population is larger than average. If ageing continues, volume pressure on front-door services is likely to rise.
Newer data on advice requests show that older residents most often ask about charging rules (5.2 per 100,000), close to the England norm of 5.7. Enquiries about assessments, legal issues or safeguarding align with national patterns. This suggests that information provision is broadly meeting need, though continuing concern about costs may require clearer communication.
During 2024, 3,630 older people were in receipt of long-term adult social care, equal to 821 per 100,000 residents. The England figure is higher at 1,003 per 100,000. Lower overall coverage echoes the modest demand rate but also points to possible unmet need if frailty is brought forward by deprivation.
The balance of care shows distinct local features:
Nursing home use is markedly low: 59 per 100,000 compared with 122 nationally. This could reflect limited nursing bed supply, a strategic preference for community management of complex health needs, or success in keeping people out of higher-cost settings.
Residential care is slightly above average at 260 per 100,000 versus 250. Reliance on residential rather than nursing provision may indicate that facilities without on-site nursing are filling the gap, which can place extra pressure on district nursing and primary care.
Community support arranged and funded by the council is well below national rates, particularly where the council commissions services directly (66 per 100,000 versus 137). Direct payments, both sole and part, are on a par with England, suggesting that Kirklees promotes personal budget options but has less capacity or demand for council-managed home support. Expanding the commissioned community sector could allow more people to stay at home and relieve residential demand.
Kirklees is ageing steadily and, given its size, the absolute number of older residents needing help will keep growing. Lower per-capita use of services may not last if deprivation drives earlier onset of disability. Planning therefore needs to focus on boosting community-based provision, ensuring adequate nursing capacity, and targeting the most deprived neighbourhoods where need may be hidden. Continued monitoring of requests for help with charging can inform financial advice services, helping residents to navigate care costs confidently.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Unpaid carers play a vital part in health and social care. In 2021 Kirklees had about 37,000 unpaid carers, equal to 8,544 carers for every 100,000 residents. The national rate was 8,204 per 100,000. Kirklees therefore carries a slightly heavier caring load than the country as a whole.
The local population is larger than the English average (433,000 people in 2021 against 370,000). Density is moderate at 1,060 residents per km², well below the national urban norm, yet only one in eight people live in rural areas. A mixed urban setting, together with higher deprivation (mean decile 4.7 compared with 5.9), often brings earlier onset of illness and disability. This can raise the need for informal care, helping to explain the above-average carer rate.
In 2024, 31.8 % of Kirklees carers said they had as much social contact as they wanted, a little better than the national figure of 29.3 %. Even so, more than two thirds feel lonely or cut off. On a more positive note, 62.8 % felt it was easy to find information about services, above the English average of 59.3 %. Good signposting may soften some of the stresses that isolation brings, yet the data suggest that practical help does not always follow.
Direct payments, which give carers flexible control, were provided to only 21.5 people per 100,000, barely one seventh of the national rate of 149.9. Support arranged and paid for by the council, and part-direct payments, were reported as “not available” or too small to publish. Universal information and advice reached 227.4 carers per 100,000, but the countrywide figure is higher at 338.7. Most striking is the group receiving no direct support: 477.3 per 100,000 in Kirklees, versus 129.6 nationally. Respite or other help delivered to the cared-for person stood at 24.9 per 100,000, again well below the English norm of 70.0. Finally, a statutory return for 2025 records just one case (0.23 per 100,000) under the heading “Carers”, compared with 0.75 nationally; numbers are small but suggest low formal engagement.
A high number of carers, combined with low use of funded support, points to unmet need rather than lower demand. Cultural factors, such as strong family networks in some communities, may lead people to rely on relatives rather than approach the council. Deprivation may also limit awareness of entitlements, and a dispersed population can hamper outreach despite overall urban density.
Kirklees already performs well on information access, yet information alone is not converting into tangible help. Increasing the take-up of direct payments and respite should be a priority, especially in neighbourhoods with higher deprivation scores. Targeted campaigns through GPs, community centres and faith groups could raise awareness among hidden carers. Monitoring social contact rates will show whether extra support reduces isolation. Given the large carer population, even a modest rise in funded support could ease pressure on acute and residential services, aligning with preventive care goals and making better use of limited resources.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Kirklees has about 442,000 people, a little more than the England average local authority. The area is urban and fairly crowded, yet its density is still below the national figure. Many neighbourhoods are more deprived than in England as a whole, and the gap between rich and poor streets is wide. These facts shape both the need for care and the way care can be delivered.
The area has 66 community-based adult social care services. This number looks healthy at first glance, because it sits just above the England mean of 63.8. When population is taken into account the picture changes. Kirklees offers roughly 15 community services for every 100,000 residents, while the average authority offers about 17. The borough therefore relies a little more on each individual service to meet demand.
Residential care shows the opposite pattern. With 118 homes, Kirklees stands well above the national mean of 91. Per 100,000 residents, this equals 26.7 homes, compared with 24.1 nationally. The greater weight on residential care may reflect long-standing investment in care homes and the fact that dense urban land makes small community services harder to open.
Almost one in four local providers are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate” (24.3 %). Nationally the share is one in six (16.8 %). The large stock of residential homes, some of which are older buildings, could hold back quality. Higher deprivation can also affect standards, as providers struggle to balance fees with rising costs.
The staff turnover rate is 25.2 %, almost identical to the England figure. On paper this suggests the local labour market is not losing staff more quickly than elsewhere. The vacancy rate, at 5.2 %, is lower than the national 8.4 %. Even so, seven in ten managers say it is harder to keep staff, and more than eight in ten say it is harder to recruit. This apparent puzzle may be explained by longer recruitment times, overtime work or greater use of agency shifts, all of which can keep formal vacancies low yet leave teams feeling stretched.
Provider numbers are strong, but the balance leans towards residential care. A dense, largely urban area with higher deprivation may push commissioners to favour block residential beds that are easier to secure than a patchwork of community services. Lower per-capita community provision can limit choice for people who want to stay at home and may raise costs for the council when residential placements become the default.
Quality concerns should be a priority. Targeted support for under-performing homes, coupled with investment in modern community services, could lift standards. Workforce sentiment shows that pay, career paths and training must stay high on the agenda, even while headline vacancy data looks acceptable.
Kirklees may wish to rebalance its market by growing high-quality community care, freeing up residential beds for those with the most complex needs. Deprivation and population size mean demand is unlikely to fall, so helping providers improve, and helping workers feel valued, will be key to sustainable care over the coming years.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Kirklees is home to about 442,000 people, well above the England average of 377,000. The area is mostly urban, with only 13 % classed as rural, yet it is less densely built-up than many large towns (1,060 residents per km² against an England figure of 2,469). Deprivation is a clear challenge. On the ten-point national scale, Kirklees scores 4.7, below the England mean of 5.9, and the wide spread of scores inside the district shows marked inequalities. These factors usually raise demand for health and care, put stress on beds, and make smooth hand-offs between services harder.
Almost nine in ten hospital discharges (88.5 %) are to providers judged suitable for local people. This is only half a point below the national figure, so the choice of destination is broadly sound. The main issue lies in speed. A delay is logged for 15.3 % of discharges, compared with 12.3 % across England, and the average wait is 1.24 days, nearly double the national 0.7 days. In a large, moderately deprived population even small time slips can block beds quickly. The figures suggest that the local system needs better capacity in community care, faster assessments, or more home-care packages to keep flow moving.
In 2024, 63.9 % of adult social-care users in Kirklees said they were satisfied with their support, a shade under the England rate of 64.7 %. Dissatisfaction, as measured by NatCen, is 57 %, but no direct national yardstick is given. While overall satisfaction sits close to average, a sharper drop could follow if delays on leaving hospital spill over into community services. One encouraging sign is information access. Three quarters of service users (74.8 %) say it is easy to find out about services, well above the national 68.2 %. Clear information often lowers anxiety, reduces unmet need, and can soften the effect of limited resources.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 3.85 cases per 100,000 residents and made decisions on 3.17 per 100,000. Both rates are below the England means (4.45 and 4.12). In a setting with higher deprivation, fewer formal complaints may point to effective early resolution, but it can also signal limited awareness or lower expectations among residents. Given the mixed picture on satisfaction, the council may wish to test whether all groups feel confident to raise concerns.
The headline for Kirklees is a stable, near-average quality of care against a backdrop of high demand and socio-economic pressure. The key brake on progress is delayed transfer of care. Tackling it—through stronger home-care capacity, closer joint working with acute trusts, and targeted support for the most deprived wards—would free beds, lift satisfaction, and prevent avoidable complaints. At the same time, the authority should build on its strong performance in providing information, making sure that every community, especially those in deprived neighbourhoods, knows how to navigate the system and voice concerns. By joining up discharge planning, community capacity, and user engagement, Kirklees can move its overall quality from “steady” to “improving” in the next assessment cycle.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
✨ ✅ ❌?
In 2024 the council spent about £215 million on adult social care before income and grants. This equals £48,729 for every 100,000 residents, a little above the England mean of £47,758. After taking off income the net bill is close to £183 million, or £41,418 per 100,000 people, again slightly higher than the national figure of £40,472. These sums sit on top of a local population of 442,000, which has grown by around 2 percent since 2019. Rising head-count alone adds cost pressure year by year.
Paying a few percent more than the national norm may look modest, yet it is notable because Kirklees is, on average, more deprived than England as a whole. The borough’s mean deprivation decile is 4.7 compared with 5.9 nationally, and inequality between neighbourhoods is also wider. Areas with higher deprivation tend to see greater need for care at an earlier age, more long-term illness and fewer unpaid carers able to help. Spending that sits above the national mean therefore appears to match local need rather than signal inefficiency. Service delivery is helped by a mostly urban geography – only 13 percent of residents live in rural zones – so travel costs and staff time per visit are lower than in many shire areas, allowing resources to reach more clients.
NHS contributions to care in Kirklees stand out. At £11,360 per 100,000 people, they are roughly 44 percent higher than the national rate of £7,878. In cash terms this is about £50 million. Strong joint-working arrangements, such as pooled Better Care Fund budgets or active continuing healthcare panels, are the most likely reasons. Extra NHS cash can ease pressure on the council’s purse but may also reflect high levels of complex need that qualify for health funding. Client contributions are broadly in line with England – £7,312 per 100,000 people, or roughly £32 million in total – suggesting that local charging policies are neither more lenient nor harsher than average.
The population is growing and ageing. Even if spending per person stays flat, total costs will rise each year. Deprivation adds further demand, while the cost of care packages continues to climb because of wage inflation and tighter staffing ratios. The current level of spend therefore looks necessary to keep pace rather than generous. Any future cuts, about which no data are yet available, could quickly translate into longer waiting times, unmet need or extra pressure on hospitals.
Maintaining close links with the NHS appears to bring real financial benefit, so protecting joint arrangements should be a priority. Targeting resources towards the most deprived neighbourhoods may also deliver better value, as these areas hold the greatest level of unmet or complex need. Finally, modestly higher spend per capita today may avoid larger costs tomorrow by preventing crisis admissions and keeping people independent for longer.
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