This page provides an overview of social care in Knowsley, 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 Knowsley. 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
Almost one in four Knowsley residents is disabled after age-standardisation (23.6 %), well above the England rate of 17.6 %. The borough’s long-standing high deprivation, with an average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile of 2.6, helps to explain this gap. Poorer housing, lower incomes and higher exposure to manual work all raise the risk of ill-health and disability. Knowsley’s population has also grown by about 5 % since 2019, adding to the absolute number of disabled adults who may need support.
In 2024, 1 240 working-age adults (18–64) asked the council for care and support. This equates to 779 requests per 100 000 residents, noticeably lower than the national figure of 1 143. The contrast is striking: disability is common, yet formal approaches for help are relatively few. Possible reasons include limited awareness of entitlement, strong informal family networks, or barriers created by cost, transport or digital access. Given the local deprivation profile, hidden need is a real possibility and may warrant proactive outreach.
Despite fewer recorded requests, 1 310 working-age adults were actually receiving support in 2024, or 823 per 100 000 people. This is more than half again the England mean of 533 per 100 000. The pattern suggests that once residents enter the system they are more likely to meet the eligibility threshold, perhaps because everyday needs are already advanced by the time they come forward.
Service mix points to a strong home-first model. Only 65 people are in residential accommodation (41 per 100 000, below the England benchmark of 61), while community-based packages dominate. Direct payments used on their own serve 385 people (242 per 100 000, double the national rate), and a further 240 clients mix a direct payment with commissioned support. High uptake of personal budgets indicates a culture of self-directed care and may reflect local policy to maximise choice, but it also places greater administrative and safeguarding responsibilities on both residents and practitioners.
Nursing placements (50 people, 31 per 100 000) sit slightly above the England average, signalling a cohort with complex health needs. By contrast, standard council-commissioned community support without personalisation is relatively low (25 per 100 000 versus 58 nationally). This divergence reinforces the impression of an authority steering away from traditional block contracts toward flexible, individual arrangements.
The 2025 figures for specialist advice requests are very small: for example, only 13 enquiries about charging and four about care planning. Rates are close to or just above national means but remain tiny in absolute terms. Given the borough’s population of roughly 159 000, such low numbers suggest that many disabled residents either do not know about these channels or resolve issues informally. Improving publicity of advocacy services could empower people to manage personal budgets confidently and challenge decisions when necessary.
High disability prevalence combined with comparatively modest initial demand hints at unmet or delayed need. When residents do present, they are more likely to receive substantial, often personalised, support. Continuing to expand community-based options fits both user preference and the council’s apparent strategic direction, yet it will require sustained investment in the local care workforce and effective monitoring of direct payments. Targeted outreach in deprived neighbourhoods could surface hidden demand early, reducing crisis interventions and long-term costs.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Knowsley is growing. The population rose from 151,793 in 2019 to 159,243 in 2023. The share of residents aged 65 and over moved from 17.0 % to 17.3 % in the same years. England stayed higher, around 18.5 – 18.9 %. Knowsley therefore has a slightly younger mix, yet the local older group is rising faster than the total. In 2019 the borough had about 25,800 older people; by 2023 it had roughly 27,600. Every year this number adds new demand for care, housing and health support.
The context matters. Knowsley is one of the most deprived places in England (average deprivation decile 2.6 compared with 5.9 nationally) and is almost fully urban. High deprivation often links to poorer health at earlier ages. This can push care needs up even when the share of older people is below average.
In 2024, 3,540 residents aged 65 + asked the council for formal care. This equals 2,223 requests per 100,000 older people, a little below the England rate of 2,438. A lower request rate may look positive, yet in a deprived area it can also hint that some people are not coming forward or do not know how to ask. The small 2025 figures for information and advice point the same way: only 4 older people sought help with a care plan and 2 asked for general information, but the per-head rate for queries about charging is higher than average. Older residents may be unsure about costs and may avoid the system until needs become critical.
Once someone does enter the system, support is generous. In 2024, 2,390 older people received long-term services, equal to 1,501 per 100,000, far above the England figure of 1,003. The pattern is clear across settings.
Nursing home use is 173 per 100,000 against 122 nationally, and residential home use is 305 against 250. Most striking is community support through personal budgets: 857 per 100,000 compared with 508 for England. Direct payments, where the person controls the money, are also higher than average, while care that is fully commissioned by the council is almost absent. Knowsley seems to favour giving people control over their own support, which can suit an urban area with many nearby providers. It may also reflect a policy choice to keep older residents at home where possible.
Knowsley has fewer requests but many more people in receipt of care. This mix could mean that professionals actively identify need and convert almost every request into a service. It might also show that residents delay asking until they are certain they will qualify, so the acceptance rate is high.
The rising number of older people, coupled with high levels of poverty, points to growing pressure on adult social care budgets. The council may wish to strengthen early advice services so that residents seek support sooner and before needs peak. Promoting healthy ageing, tackling poor housing, and improving income advice around care charges could reduce later-life demand. Clear, easy guidance is especially important in an area where many people are already managing personal budgets.
Overall, Knowsley provides extensive help to its older citizens, yet the underlying drivers—deprivation and a fast-growing older population—suggest that demand will keep increasing. Forward planning and preventive action will be essential to keep services sustainable.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Knowsley had about 10,616 unpaid carers for every 100,000 residents. With a population of 154,978 that year, this equals roughly 16,500 local people giving care without pay. The England rate was nearer 8,204 per 100,000. The gap is large and may reflect the borough’s high illness and disability levels that often sit alongside deep deprivation. Knowsley’s mean deprivation decile is 2.6, far below the national average of 5.9, so families may rely more on informal care when formal options feel limited or costly.
Knowsley stands out for how it funds support. In 2024 there were about 446 direct payments to carers per 100,000 people, three times the England rate of 150. Direct payments let carers choose help that suits their own lives; the high figure suggests the council promotes flexible support. Information, advice and sign-posting services were also common, at 1,155 contacts per 100,000 against 339 nationally. At the same time, only 60 carers per 100,000 received no direct support, compared with 130 in England. Taken together, these numbers imply that most carers in Knowsley do have some contact with services and that the local offer is designed to be quick and practical.
Respite delivered to the cared-for person reached 82 per 100,000, slightly above the England rate of 70. This may ease pressure on families but the figure is modest beside the very high use of information services, hinting that many carers still manage day-to-day care themselves.
While service reach is wide, social connection is still a concern. Only 26.7 per cent of Knowsley carers in 2024 felt they had as much social contact as they would like, below the national figure of 29.3 per cent. Social isolation can grow when carers have little time or money for leisure. The borough’s relatively low population density of 1,787 people per square kilometre, when set beside large urban centres, may also limit easy access to peer groups or community activities.
Finding help, however, seems easier in Knowsley than elsewhere. Sixty-two per cent of carers said it is easy to obtain information about services, compared with 59 per cent in England. This suggests that local sign-posting and advice lines work well, matching the high rate of information contacts shown earlier. Yet good information alone has not lifted social contact, indicating that respite hours, transport or replacement care may still feel out of reach.
The already high and possibly growing number of unpaid carers, set against a background of rising population and entrenched deprivation, will keep pressure on adult social care budgets. Knowsley’s strong use of direct payments and advice shows an agile response, but the low level of felt social contact warns that emotional and social needs remain unmet.
Service planners may wish to expand group-based respite, carer cafés, and low-cost leisure passes so that carers can meet others and maintain wellbeing. Continued investment in clear information is worthwhile, yet it should be paired with offers that free up real time away from caring duties. As the borough is small, targeted community projects can reach a large share of carers quickly, helping to ease isolation and sustain this vital unpaid workforce.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Knowsley has 22 community-based adult social care services and 23 residential care services. The borough’s population is about 159,000, while the “average” English local authority has around 377,000 residents. After adjusting for population, Knowsley has close to 14 community services and 14 residential homes per 100,000 people. The national picture is roughly 17 community services and 24 residential homes per 100,000. In other words, local people have a smaller choice of providers, especially for residential care. This is important because Knowsley is one of the most deprived areas in England. Higher deprivation often brings greater and more complex care needs, so the limited supply may place extra pressure on the existing market.
Only 11.1 % of Knowsley’s regulated services are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8 % nationally. Despite the small market, quality appears stronger than average. A possible reason is that a compact provider base lets commissioners and inspectors work closely with each service, offering support before problems grow. Good quality also suggests that, so far, the lower number of services has not forced people to accept poorer standards.
The adult social care workforce in the North West shows a turnover rate of 25.4 %, almost identical to the England figure. The vacancy rate is 8.2 %, just below the national 8.4 %. Staff movement, therefore, mirrors the national pattern. However, 69.5 % of managers say retaining staff is now “more” or “much more” difficult, and 81.3 % report the same for recruitment; both are slightly above the national percentages. This means that, while vacancies are not yet higher, employers feel growing strain. In a borough with low wages and high deprivation, care roles compete with retail, warehousing, and gig-economy jobs. If these pressures continue, turnover and vacancies could rise, risking the good quality currently seen.
Knowsley’s population has grown by about 5 % since 2019. Provider numbers have not increased at the same pace, so the ratio of services to residents is slowly falling. Demand is likely to rise further because deprivation is linked to poorer health and earlier need for care. A smaller, stretched workforce may struggle to absorb this demand, especially if recruitment remains hard.
Commissioners may wish to stimulate the market, particularly for residential care, to widen choice and prepare for future growth in need. Continuing to support quality improvement will be vital, as a small provider base means any service failure would affect many people. Workforce programmes that promote local careers, offer training, and improve pay could ease recruitment worries before vacancies climb. Given Knowsley’s dense, urban setting, expanding community-based support may also help people stay at home and reduce pressure on scarce residential beds.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Knowsley has made clear progress in moving people out of hospital. In November 2024, 97 per cent of local residents left an “acceptable” trust when they were discharged. The England average was 89 per cent. Only 7.1 per cent of local discharges were delayed, against 12.3 per cent nationally, and the average delay was 0.57 days rather than 0.7. These results suggest strong joint working between the council, the NHS and community providers. A compact population of about 159,000 means the partners know each other, and decision-making can be quick. High deprivation, however, often brings extra need. Achieving such low delay in a very deprived borough (mean deprivation decile 2.6) points to efficient planning rather than low demand.
Public views are more mixed. In the 2024 survey 62.4 per cent of respondents were satisfied with their care and support, slightly below the England figure of 64.7. A separate NatCen question found 57 per cent were dissatisfied with social care. Deprivation might explain part of this gap. People living with multiple disadvantages may expect, and need, more intensive help, so their bar for satisfaction is higher. At the same time, the borough’s rising population – up 5 per cent since 2019 – puts fresh pressure on stretched staff and budgets.
Finding information appears easier in Knowsley than elsewhere. Three-quarters (74.3 per cent) of service users said it is easy to locate advice, well above the national rate of 68.2. Good digital signposting and local voluntary groups probably contribute. Clear information often prevents delays, so this result fits with the strong discharge performance noted above.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 4.40 cases per 100,000 residents in 2024, almost identical to the England rate of 4.45. However, the Ombudsman decided 5.02 cases per 100,000, above the national 4.12. A higher decision rate can mean that the council encourages early escalation rather than local dispute, or that historic backlogs are being cleared. Either way, the number is small in absolute terms—around eight decisions in a year—so it should be watched but not over-interpreted.
The data show that Knowsley is succeeding in operational areas that depend on good coordination, such as hospital discharge and public information. These strengths are important in a borough with very high deprivation, almost no rural areas, and slightly lower than average population density. The modest shortfall in reported satisfaction hints at deeper, long-term challenges: complex need, workforce strain and cost pressures. Further improvement work could focus on personalised care planning and consistent follow-up at home, helping to turn efficient processes into higher personal satisfaction.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Knowsley spends much more on social care than the average English area. In 2024 the council’s gross spend is about £66,490 for every 100,000 residents, while the national figure is £47,758. When we look at the net figure, after all income is removed, Knowsley still spends about £55,190 per 100,000 people, against a national £40,472. If we turn these per-head sums into one total, a local budget of roughly £106 million is serving a population of 159,000. That gives a clear sign that social care is a major part of the council’s work.
Need in Knowsley is likely to be heavier than in many places. The borough sits in the second most deprived decile in England, well below the national mid-point. Low income, poorer housing and worse health often mean that more adults need help with daily life at an earlier age. Population density is urban, and less than two per cent of land is rural, so services must cover several close-knit communities with long-standing social needs. In addition, the number of residents has risen by about five per cent since 2019. More people, especially in deprived areas, will place extra demand on care teams and on the council budget.
Knowsley collects more money from clients than the average council: £11,300 per 100,000 people compared with £7,286 for England. This suggests that a high share of service users pay a contribution, perhaps because they receive more hours of care or more high-cost packages. NHS contributions are also a little above average, at £9,069 per 100,000 people versus £7,878 nationally, showing some joint funding with health partners. Even so, only about one pound in six of gross cost is met by outside income, so the local tax base still carries most of the load.
The figures point to a council that invests strongly in social care but also faces heavy pressure. Higher spending is not waste; it is likely a response to real need driven by deep deprivation and a growing population. Because Knowsley is a small, urban borough, economies of scale are limited, and fixed costs per person stay high. The data hint that the council is making use of client fees and NHS support, yet these sources cover only part of the bill. Sustained demand could stretch budgets unless new funding streams or efficiency gains are found.
Keeping people independent for longer may help slow future cost rises. Preventive action—better housing, local employment and early health checks—could cut later care needs. Closer work with the NHS could also bring more pooled funds. Finally, because Knowsley starts from a low tax base, national grants will stay critical. Without them, the council may struggle to maintain today’s high level of care for its residents.
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