This page provides an overview of social care in Leicestershire, 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: Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire, Oadby and Wigston
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: Blaby, Charnwood, Harborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, Melton, North West Leicestershire, Oadby and Wigston
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 Leicestershire. 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 are disabled is 16.2 per cent, lower than the England figure of 17.6 per cent. This fits with local conditions. Leicestershire is one of the least deprived shire counties (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile about 7), and many communities are rural or semi-rural. Both factors often go with better health and fewer limiting illnesses. Even so, the county’s fast-growing population—up from 701,000 in 2019 to 734,000 in 2023—means the absolute number of disabled people is still large and rising.
In 2024 the council recorded 6,430 requests for support from adults aged 18–64. This is 876 requests per 100,000 residents, well below the national rate of 1,143. A lower request rate can mean people are coping for longer, helped by family, work and good health. It might also mean hidden need if some residents—especially those in small villages—find it hard to ask for help or are not aware of what is on offer. Because Leicestershire’s population is almost double the average English council, frontline services still handle a high absolute workload.
3,110 working-age adults were receiving ongoing care in 2024. The local rate of 424 per 100,000 is below the England rate of 533. Placement patterns tell a clear story. Very few people are in nursing homes (2 per 100,000 versus 14 nationally), and residential home use is also low. Most help is delivered in the community. Direct-payment-only packages are more common than average (149 versus 122 per 100,000) and mixed direct payments are also a little higher. Council-managed or fully commissioned community services are markedly lower. This mix suggests that the authority promotes self-directed support and that residents are willing to manage their own care—in line with rural settings where flexible, personalised arrangements work better than block contracts.
For 2025 the council logged only a handful of formal enquiries about assessments, care plans, charging, information or safeguarding—around 0.14–0.95 per 100,000, several times lower than national levels. The small numbers may show that most queries are answered informally or online before they are recorded, or that the counting system is still bedding in. Trend data for 2026 will clarify whether the low rate is real or a data artefact.
Leicestershire shows a lighter per-capita demand for disability support than England as a whole, probably linked to relative affluence and good health. Yet steady population growth guarantees rising absolute demand. Sustaining current performance will require continued focus on prevention, early help and clear information, particularly for residents in outlying settlements. The strong use of direct payments should be backed with market-shaping so that personal assistants and micro-providers are available county-wide. Very low nursing and residential rates need regular review to be sure they reflect genuine preference rather than barriers such as distance to suitable homes or price.
The data highlights the value of personalised, community-based care in Leicestershire. To keep disability prevalence low and quality of life high, the council should maintain public-health work, support people into employment, and target the small pockets of deprivation. At the same time it should watch for hidden need, especially among isolated or newly arrived residents, and plan to grow the community care workforce so that services keep pace with a growing population.
✨ ✅ ❌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
In 2019 one person in five in Leicestershire was aged 65 plus. By 2023 the share had edged up to 21 per cent, while the England average stayed near 19 per cent. Population has grown steadily from 701 k to 734 k over the same years, so the actual number of older residents has risen faster than the percentage change suggests. The county is relatively affluent (Index of Multiple Deprivation mean decile around 7) and far less crowded than many places (342 usual residents per km², England 2 469). A pleasant, moderately rural setting often attracts retirees and helps explain the high and rising proportion of older people.
In 2024 the council recorded 20 845 requests for adult social care from people aged 65 plus. That equals 2 840 requests per 100 000 residents, around 400 per 100 000 higher than the national figure. The gap is larger than the difference in population age-structure alone, suggesting that older residents are either more willing to seek help or face needs that they cannot meet informally. Low deprivation may play a part: households with some resources often feel able to ask for formal assessment rather than rely solely on family care.
7 485 older people were receiving council-supported long-term care in 2024, equal to 1 020 per 100 000 population. This is only slightly above the England rate (1 003). The balance of provision, however, looks distinctive.
• Residential care is used a great deal: 313 placements per 100 000, roughly one quarter more than the national figure. Residential homes can be attractive in a spread-out county where daily home-care visits involve long travel times.
• Nursing home use is very low: 34 per 100 000, barely a third of the national rate. This could point to relatively good health among frail elders, to shortages of nursing beds, or to a policy preference for community health support that delays entry to nursing settings.
• Community-based support sits close to the England norm, but direct payments are slightly higher (67 vs 55 per 100 000). Older people and their families appear willing to organise their own care when given the budget, a pattern that fits an affluent, owner-occupied area.
Very few requests were logged in 2025 under the separate “help with information seeking” categories (0.95 per 100 000 compared with 2.6 nationally). This may mean that earlier sign-posting works well, or that demand is being captured in the wider request figures instead of the new sub-codes. Monitoring will show whether the low count persists.
The steady ageing of Leicestershire, combined with higher than average care requests, will keep pressure on social care budgets. Travel distances and workforce supply in rural districts will continue to shape the balance between residential and home-based care. The shortage of nursing placements merits a closer look: if it reflects limited capacity rather than low need, hospital discharge and end-of-life pathways could be at risk.
Councillors may wish to:
• expand extra-care housing and other mid-level options that sit between home care and residential care;
• strengthen the community nursing offer to delay or avoid high-cost institutional stays;
• support the direct-payment market with brokerage and quality advice, ensuring that less affluent households can benefit as much as wealthier ones;
• invest in digital and face-to-face information services so that future data on advice seeking is more complete.
With timely planning the county can turn its favourable economic base into a sustainable care system for a quickly growing older population.
✨ ✅ ❌When government support falls short, unpaid carers step in to provide care. However, many struggle with burnout, financial pressure, lack of social contact, and a lack of support. This section explores the number of unpaid carers, their increasing workload, and what forms of support are available.
Carers play a vital role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. The percentage of carers receiving direct payments highlights financial empowerment, the number of carers accessing services reflects local authority outreach, and the number turning to charities underscores unmet needs. Together, these data points reveal systemic strengths and weaknesses: low direct payment uptake may push carers toward charities, while effective services can reduce dependence on charitable support. Understanding these metrics enables targeted interventions to ensure carers receive the recognition and resources they deserve.
Unpaid carers play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. Understanding the number of unpaid carers in a local authority can be complicated. On the one hand, a relatively high proportion might be indicative of not enough being done by the local authority, and/or a strong community. On the other hand, a relatively lower number can mean good service provision, lower need, lower availability to look after family, or a problem with reporting.
Still, understanding the number of unpaid carers is a baseline number that must be considered.
NOMIS NM_2213_1
These values are widely considered to be an underestimate. See this report from Carers UK for more information.
August 2021 - Patient with dementia who lives in a shared lives setting. Carer had been requesting respite from the council since September 2020. Croydon Social Prescriber helped with a referral to the local authority in March 2021. Assessment conducted, with the promise they would come back with support, which did not happen. 25 August, social prescriber used the chatbot to find the right legal wording for the situation. The email was sent at 4.52pm that day. At 5.12pm the council contacted the carer to discuss the respite. This was the impact of one letter, addressed to a senior team.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
Social contact is important for carers’ well-being, as it can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Understanding the level of social contact that carers have can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of social contact may indicate a need for more social activities or support groups for carers, while a high level of social contact may suggest that carers have a strong support network.
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 11
The type of support available to carers can vary significantly, impacting their ability to provide care effectively. Understanding the types of support available can help identify areas where additional resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers receiving respite care may indicate a need for more support with caregiving responsibilities, while a low number of carers receiving financial support may suggest a need for additional financial assistance.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T47
Access to information is crucial for carers to navigate the social care system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for carers to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of carers finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 17
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
Access Social Care and other Helplines help people with information, advice, and support related to social care. Understanding the types of calls received by carers can highlight areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to financial support may indicate a need for more financial assistance for carers, while a high number of calls related to respite care may suggest a need for additional support with caregiving responsibilities.
It is important to note that, just as in the previous section, low numbers of requests might indicate that people don’t know where to get help, don’t feel they can get (or deserve) help, or other outreach problems. This is particularly important because we often work with people where the role of a carer is not recognised, or where the carer themselves does not recognise their role.
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
In 2021 about 61,000 people in Leicestershire were unpaid carers. This equals 8,603 carers for every 100,000 residents, higher than the England average of 8,204. The county’s population is large (712,632 in 2021) but spread out, with only 342 usual residents per km², far below the national density. In rural places formal services can be harder to reach, so family members often step in. The county is also less deprived than most of England, which may let households absorb more caring duties without paid help. Together, geography and relative affluence help explain why the share of unpaid care is above average.
Only 25.4 % of surveyed carers in 2024 said they had as much social contact as they wanted. The national figure is 29.3 %. Isolation is therefore a larger issue locally. Living in scattered communities means longer journeys to friends, groups or day centres; caring tasks and travel time can leave little room for social life. Feeling cut off may also stem from limited local transport, something often raised in rural counties.
The 2024 activity data show a clear pattern. Direct payments to carers stand at 370 per 100,000 people, more than twice the England rate of 150. By contrast, council-managed personal budgets are almost absent (0.7 per 100,000 versus 66 nationally) and commissioned support that is arranged only by the council is not recorded. The county also gives fewer people simple information or signposting alone (87 per 100,000 compared with 339). Finally, respite delivered to the cared-for person is higher than average (93 versus 70).
This mix suggests that Leicestershire favours giving carers cash so they can buy or arrange help themselves, rather than offering standard in-house packages. For many rural carers, flexible money can be easier to use than services run from distant centres. However, the low rate of basic information offers hints that some carers may not even reach the point of knowing what is available.
Only 56.1 % of carers said it was easy to find information about support, slightly below the England result of 59.3 %. When combined with the small number receiving signposting, this points to a communication gap. Carers are expected to act as informed consumers of direct payments, yet a sizeable group cannot locate guidance easily. This tension may feed the low social contact score: carers who lack knowledge of what is on offer may stay at home more.
In 2025 a single instance (0.14 per 100,000) of the UT1 outcome for carers was recorded, well below the national average of 0.75. Although numbers are tiny, the result continues the theme of few formal interventions by the council.
Leicestershire’s carers carry a heavier share of care than the typical county, yet feel slightly more isolated and a bit less informed. The current policy of high direct payments fits a rural, relatively well-off area, but it works best when backed by strong information services and local peer networks. Strengthening outreach – for example through mobile advice sessions, community transport and digital guides – could raise awareness and help carers use their payments to build social contact. Given the large and growing population, investing in such low-cost, high-reach measures may prevent demand for more expensive formal services later on.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Leicestershire has 111 community-based adult social care services and 154 residential homes. These raw numbers are well above the average counts for an English local area (64 and 91). The county, however, is also much larger than the “average” place. With about 734,000 people in 2023, it holds almost double the usual local authority population.
After adjusting for size, Leicestershire shows roughly 15 community services and 21 residential homes for every 100,000 residents. Across England the typical rates are close to 17 and 24. This means people in Leicestershire have slightly fewer providers within easy reach than residents elsewhere. The picture may feel even thinner on the ground because the county is quite spread out, with a density of 342 people per square kilometre versus the national urban figure of 2,469. In a largely rural setting, travel time to a provider can matter as much as the headline count.
About 18.5 % of inspected services in Leicestershire are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8 % nationally. The difference is small but suggests that one in five local services still struggles to meet standards. This is notable because the area is, on average, more affluent than England as a whole: its mean deprivation decile is around 7–8, where 10 is least deprived. Good quality usually tracks with lower deprivation, so the slightly weaker ratings hint at pressures not linked to socio-economic need alone.
Staffing is a key part of the story. The annual turnover rate in 2023/24 is 25.5 %, almost identical to the regional norm. Vacancies sit at 7.3 %, below the national 8.4 %. At first sight this looks positive, yet employers still say recruitment is “more” or “much more” challenging in 81 % of cases, a shade higher than the 80 % national picture. Retention feels harder for 70 % of providers. These views match the idea that the county can fill posts today, but only with growing effort and cost.
Slightly low provider density, large rural areas and a workforce that turns over every four years on average can combine to affect quality. When a home or community team loses experienced staff, maintaining good practice becomes harder. Repeated recruitment drives also pull managers away from service improvement work. In a county where people may already travel farther for care, any dip in quality is felt keenly by families.
Leicestershire’s raw provider numbers look healthy, yet the per-capita shortfall and the spread of settlements call for careful commissioning. Supporting smaller, community-based options in rural parishes could narrow the distance gap. Extra help for staff skills and career development may improve inspection outcomes without needing to add large new facilities. Because the county is relatively affluent, partners might test incentive schemes that link quality gains to faster contract uplifts, encouraging investment in workforce stability. Aligning these steps with local transport planning would further ease access and raise the real value of each care place in the county.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Leicestershire serves about 734,000 residents, almost double the average English local authority. Population density is only 342 people per square kilometre, far below the national figure, so services are spread across a wide rural-urban mix. The county is also relatively affluent: its average deprivation decile sits around 7–8, well above the England mean of six. These structural facts help to explain where the authority performs strongly and where pressures remain.
A very high share of people (99.8 per cent) are discharged from an NHS trust judged acceptable by the Care Quality Commission, nine percentage points above the England rate. This points to good joint working between the council and nearby acute providers when deciding where to place patients. However, 15.5 per cent of discharges are still delayed, three points above the national figure. The average delay is 0.66 days, slightly shorter than the England mean of 0.7 days. In practice, delays appear more frequent in Leicestershire, yet each delay tends to be resolved a little faster. Low density may be a factor: arranging transport or community support in rural areas can add start-up friction, while strong system co-ordination once plans are in place keeps the length of each delay down.
Sixty-four and a half per cent of adult social care survey respondents say they are satisfied with the care and support they receive, almost identical to the England average. In an affluent county this parity might look disappointing, suggesting that expectations are high and not always met. Separate polling by NatCen finds 57 per cent of residents report dissatisfaction, indicating a sizeable minority who feel needs are not covered. The tension between adequate overall satisfaction and notable dissatisfaction hints at uneven experiences between different localities or client groups.
Only 59.3 per cent of service users feel it is easy to find information about support, nine points below the national figure. For a large, partly rural county this gap is significant. Travel distances, digital connectivity and the multiplicity of voluntary providers can all make the local offer harder to navigate. Improving visibility of what is available is therefore a key quality-improvement lever.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 3.54 cases per 100,000 people in 2024, compared with 4.45 nationally. Decisions issued stand at 3.00 per 100,000, again lower than the England rate of 4.12. Because these figures are population-adjusted they suggest genuine strength in first-line resolution and possibly higher baseline satisfaction. Lower deprivation may play a part: people with greater personal resources often resolve issues directly with providers rather than escalate them.
Overall, Leicestershire shows solid performance on safe discharges and complaint handling, but two issues limit quality improvement. First, the frequency of delayed transfers threatens hospital flow, even if each delay is short. Second, difficulty finding information dampens user confidence and may feed the reported dissatisfaction. Addressing rural logistics in discharge planning and expanding clear, multi-channel advice about available services would match the county’s demographic realities and support further gains in 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.
✨ ✅ ❌?
In 2024 Leicestershire spends about £39,538 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care in gross terms. With a population close to 734,000, this equals roughly £290 million a year. After taking away income from clients and other partners, net spending stands near £239 million, or £32,580 per 100,000 people. Residents themselves supply about £51 million through fees and charges, while the local NHS adds a further £53 million.
Leicestershire’s gross spend per head is about 17 percent lower than the England average of £47,758 per 100,000. The gap narrows only slightly for net spend, which is 19 percent below the national figure. Client contributions are almost on a par with the country as a whole, and NHS contributions follow a similar pattern. In other words, the council makes up the difference mainly by committing less of its own money, not by asking markedly more from service users or the health service.
The county is relatively affluent. Most neighbourhoods sit in deprivation decile seven or eight, well above the England mean of six. Better income and housing tend to lessen demand for intensive social care, particularly in working-age adults with long-term illness. Population density is only 342 people per square kilometre, far below the national average. Lower density can raise travel costs for home care, yet the council still spends less overall, suggesting that need rather than delivery cost is the stronger influence here.
Rural living brings another effect. Informal support from family or community networks is often stronger outside large cities, reducing calls on formal services. This may partly explain why client contributions, though sizeable in cash terms, do not push Leicestershire above the national average per head.
Leicestershire’s population has grown steadily, adding about 33,000 people since 2019. More older residents are likely to follow, given local age trends, and rural areas can face hidden isolation. If spending continues to lag behind the national norm while demand rises, the council could struggle to meet care Act duties or to keep people out of hospital. The current reliance on private fees and shared NHS budgets also leaves the system exposed if either source weakens.
The figures point to a need for careful forward planning. A relatively healthy, affluent profile allows lower spending today, yet sustained population growth and rural travel distances may push costs higher tomorrow. Strengthening joint work with the NHS and investing early in prevention can help protect residents and finances alike, especially while the outlook for central grants and any post-2024 reform of adult social care funding remains unclear.
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