This page provides an overview of social care in Lincolnshire, 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: Boston, East Lindsey, Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Holland, South Kesteven, West Lindsey
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: Boston, East Lindsey, Lincoln, North Kesteven, South Holland, South Kesteven, West Lindsey
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 Lincolnshire. 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 proportion of residents who identify as disabled stands at 19.0 %. This sits above the England figure of 17.6 %, even after adjusting for age, so the difference cannot be explained by Lincolnshire’s older-than-average population alone. The finding points to a heavier burden of long-term health conditions, possibly linked to pockets of deprivation, a largely rural setting that limits access to preventive care, and the area’s sizeable agricultural workforce, where musculoskeletal and accident-related disabilities are more common.
Working-age adults (18–64) made 12,935 requests for support in 2024, equal to 1,652 requests per 100,000 residents. The national rate is 1,143, so demand is about 45 % higher. The gap suggests that disabled people in Lincolnshire are more likely to approach the council for help, which may reflect limited informal networks in dispersed rural communities or difficulties in travelling to mainstream health services. It could also indicate better awareness of entitlement, as the county has invested in early contact teams.
Only 3,535 working-age adults actually received long-term care, a rate of 452 per 100,000 compared with an England average of 533. In other words, although demand is higher, the proportion getting ongoing support is lower. The data hint at unmet need or a deliberate policy to divert people away from formal services.
The mix of provision differs from the national picture. Nursing (15.3 per 100,000) and residential placements (74.1) both exceed the averages of 13.8 and 60.6. Community support delivered solely through direct payments is markedly higher (170.5 vs 122.2), yet services managed by the council – especially “commissioned support only” – are extremely low (1.3 vs 58.3). Lincolnshire therefore seems to favour two ends of the spectrum: high-cost institutional care and highly personalised direct payments, while offering relatively little mid-level, council-brokered community support. Rurality may be a factor: scattered settlements make it harder for the authority to organise traditional domiciliary packages, so people either rely on family-arranged personal assistants (funded by direct payments) or enter residential settings.
In 2025 the county recorded very small numbers of people seeking help with assessments, care plans or safeguarding, all below national rates. This could be positive—fewer concerns—or it could mean that disabled residents struggle to find or use advisory services, especially if they lack reliable internet or transport.
Lincolnshire’s population has grown steadily from 761,000 in 2019 to nearly 783,000 in 2023, yet density remains low at 129 residents per km², a twentieth of the national figure. Average deprivation is worse than in England as a whole (mean decile ≈ 4.5 vs 5.9), and variance is high, so some communities face deep social and economic disadvantage. These structural factors often correlate with poorer health, higher disability rates and increased reliance on publicly funded care.
The county is dealing with above-average disability prevalence and markedly higher demand for support, but fewer residents receive long-term services. Expanding flexible, community-based provision—particularly council-managed personal budgets and commissioned home care—could reduce costly residential admissions and address unmet need. Given the dispersed population, investment in outreach teams, digital inclusion and transport schemes may also help disabled people stay independent. Finally, tackling underlying deprivation through employment and housing initiatives should form part of a whole-system response to disability in Lincolnshire.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Lincolnshire is an ageing county. In 2019 about 23.3 % of residents were aged 65 or over. By 2023 this rose to 23.9 %. The England average stayed near 18.5 %. The rise is steady and comes on top of overall population growth from 761 000 to 783 000. More older people live here both in relative and in absolute terms. The county is also very rural, with only 129 people per square kilometre compared with the national figure of 247. Rural living often means longer travel times and fewer local services. This mix of many older residents and low density shapes demand and supply of care.
In 2024 there were 31 635 requests for care from people aged 65 +. This is 4 041 requests for every 100 000 residents, far above the national rate of 2 438. High demand fits the age profile, but it can also hint at hidden issues. Older people in scattered villages may need formal help sooner because family or community support is harder to reach. Parts of the county sit in lower-than-average deprivation deciles, yet large distances and limited transport can still create social isolation. Combined, these factors push more people to ask the council for help.
Only 7 065 older residents actually received long-term care during 2024, equal to 903 per 100 000. The England mean is 1 003 per 100 000. Lincolnshire therefore meets a smaller share of need than most areas even though requests are high. The mix of services is also unusual. Residential care is used a lot (375 per 100 000 versus a national 250), while nursing home use is low (79 versus 122). Community support paid for and managed by the council is well below average (353 versus 508), yet direct payment use is slightly higher. One reading is that community services are harder to deliver over large rural areas, so the authority leans more on care homes or encourages people to arrange their own support.
Small 2025 figures on people seeking help with assessments, charging, or safeguarding are below national norms. They may show early uptake of a new recording system rather than real low demand, but they still suggest that residents are not always clear about their rights and options. In a county where many older people live far from council offices, clear information and easy routes to advice are crucial.
The gap between very high requests and lower care receipt points to possible unmet need. Travel costs, workforce shortages and shorter operating hours for home-care providers may limit supply. If more residential beds are used in place of community care, total spend could rise without matching people’s wishes to stay at home. Strategies that bring services closer to villages, expand digital support and widen personal assistant networks could ease pressure. The data also underline the value of prevention. Helping older residents stay healthy and connected may slow the upward trend in requests. Finally, funding formulas that reflect both age structure and rurality will be important, as Lincolnshire’s challenges differ from a denser, younger area.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Lincolnshire had about 91 unpaid carers for every 1,000 residents. With a population close to 770,000, this equals a little over 70,000 people. The national rate is nearer 82 carers per 1,000. A high local figure is not surprising. Lincolnshire is older than many parts of England and is mainly rural. Families often live far from formal services, so relatives step in more often.
Only three in ten local carers said in 2024 that they have as much social contact as they would like. This is low in absolute terms, yet it is still a little better than the national picture. Strong village ties may help, but long travel times and limited public transport still leave many carers isolated. More than half of carers (56 %) feel it is easy to find information about services; this is slightly below the England average of 59 %. The gap hints that information exists but is not always reaching the right people or is hard to use when digital links or broadband are weak in rural areas.
Council data for 2024 show a heavy reliance on universal help such as advice lines and signposting: almost 10 carers per 1,000 receive this type of support, nearly three times the national rate. In contrast, only one per 1,000 get a direct payment, well below the England figure. Take-up of respite arranged for the cared-for person is also slightly lower than average. A small number of carers receive no support at all, which is positive, yet the very low count may reflect under-recording rather than full coverage. The picture suggests a service that offers information quickly but is slower to move on to personalised or cash-based help.
Rural geography shapes both demand and supply. Many carers live far from day centres or residential respite beds, so a direct payment could let them buy flexible help near home. The present under-use of payments points to either limited awareness or complex processes. The county’s higher level of deprivation compared with the England average means some carers may also struggle to add their own money to care packages.
The slightly higher score on social contact shows the value of community networks. However, six carers in ten still lack enough contact, which can lead to stress, ill-health and earlier breakdown of caring arrangements. When carers cannot carry on, the council often has to commission urgent care at higher cost.
Improving the reach and clarity of information will help, but it is unlikely to close the gap on its own. Expanding direct payments and local respite options could give carers real breaks and choice, especially where travel is hard. Working with voluntary groups that already connect people could raise awareness, reduce isolation and keep caring sustainable. Given the county’s ageing population, investing now may prevent larger costs and service pressures in future years.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Lincolnshire has a large population of about 783,000 people, more than twice the average local authority in England. In 2024 the county recorded ninety community-based adult social care services and two hundred and sixty-one residential care services. The raw totals are higher than the national means of 63.8 and 91, yet the picture changes when population size is considered.
After adjusting for population, there are roughly twelve community providers for every 100,000 residents, compared with about seventeen per 100,000 across England. For residential care the county offers about thirty-three services per 100,000 people, while the national rate is close to twenty-four. In simple terms Lincolnshire relies more on residential beds and a little less on home- and community-based support than the country as a whole.
The county is mainly rural, with low density of 129 people per square kilometre. Long travel distances make it hard to deliver short home-care visits efficiently, especially in small villages. This may explain the relatively small pool of community providers and the stronger presence of residential homes, which can offer care in one place and reduce travel time.
Lincolnshire also shows mixed deprivation. Some districts sit in lower deciles, others in higher ones, giving a broad spread of need. Rural poverty, hidden from the main towns, can increase dependence on council funded places in care homes, again adding pressure on residential supply.
One in five local providers (20.1 %) is rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, slightly above the national figure of 16.8 %. The gap is small yet important. Lower community coverage, staffing strain and the cost of serving dispersed populations may all make it harder for services to keep up with regulatory standards.
Staff turnover in 2023/24 stood at 25.5 %, almost the same as the England average. Vacancy rate is 8.2 %, again close to the norm. However, seven in ten providers describe staff retention as “more” or “much more” challenging and more than eight in ten report similar difficulty in recruiting. The perception of struggle is slightly higher than national, even though headline numbers match the average. Travel time, fuel cost and limited public transport in rural areas can deter workers, raising the sense of pressure on teams.
High residential capacity gives choice, but heavy reliance on beds can lead to earlier admission and longer stays. Building a larger, well-spread community care offer would help people remain at home, cut hospital delays and hold down costs. To do this the market needs a stable workforce. Measures that pay for mileage, use digital monitoring, or support local training may reduce turnover and improve quality ratings.
In short, Lincolnshire has many care providers, yet service mix, geography and workforce stress shape how well those services meet need. Focused support for community care and for staff who work across long rural distances will be central to future improvement.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
The Care Quality Commission has not yet published an overall local authority rating for Lincolnshire, so headline assurance is still pending. We must therefore look at operational measures of quality and user experience to judge progress.
Almost every Lincolnshire resident sent to hospital is treated in a trust that the county regards as “acceptable”. The November 2024 figure is 97.3 per cent, well above the England mean of 89 per cent. This suggests that commissioning arrangements are strong and that distance or rurality has not forced people into out-of-area care.
Yet the same dataset shows strain further along the pathway. Nineteen per cent of discharges were delayed, compared with 12.3 per cent nationally, and the average delay per patient episode was 0.81 days against 0.7 days. With a population of 783 k spread thinly across 2 500 km², transport, community nursing cover and domiciliary care will be harder to co-ordinate than in denser counties. A relatively deprived profile (mean IMD decile about 4.5 versus the England average of 5.9) may add to complexity because people have fewer informal resources to bridge care gaps.
The 2024 adult social care survey shows 64.8 per cent of respondents satisfied with the support they receive, almost identical to the England mean of 64.7 per cent. However, a separate NatCen study reports that 57 per cent express dissatisfaction. This apparent contradiction may reflect sampling differences, but it also hints at polarised views: many residents are content, yet a sizeable minority feel needs are not met. In rural areas, limited provider choice and longer travel times can amplify frustration even when formal service quality is sound.
Information access is another mild pressure point. Two-thirds (67.7 per cent) of service users say it is easy to find help, just under the national benchmark of 68.2 per cent. For a county with 80 per cent rural coverage, maintaining parity with the national figure is respectable, but it still leaves one in three people uncertain about where to turn. Digital and outreach initiatives may close this gap.
In 2024 the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 2.0 complaints per 100 000 residents and decided 1.7 per 100 000. Both rates are less than half the England means (4.45 and 4.12 respectively). Low complaint volumes may signify good frontline resolution or, conversely, limited awareness of escalation routes. Given Lincolnshire’s scattered settlements and higher deprivation, the council should ensure that under-represented groups can voice concerns.
Overall, Lincolnshire achieves high quality in the care that is delivered, but the county struggles with moving people efficiently through the system and with making services visible to all. Continued investment in reablement teams, rural home-care capacity and digital information portals could shorten delays and raise confidence. Monitoring complaint patterns and promoting advocacy will help verify whether low Ombudsman activity truly reflects satisfied residents. When the CQC issues its formal assessment, these operational strengths and weaknesses will likely shape the final judgement.
✨ ✅ ❌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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In 2024 Lincolnshire is spending about £34,800 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care before any income is taken off. This gives a gross bill of roughly £273 million for the whole county. After client fees and NHS money are removed the net cost falls to about £28,200 per 100,000 people, or close to £221 million in cash terms.
Both gross and net spending per head are well below the England averages, which stand at £47,800 and £40,500 per 100,000 people. Client contributions in Lincolnshire are £6,600 per 100,000, again lower than the national figure of £7,300, and NHS transfers are £4,900 per 100,000 compared with £7,900 across England.
Lincolnshire is large, rural and slightly more deprived than the country as a whole. The county has 129 people per square kilometre, far below the England norm, so care workers often travel long distances. Rural delivery normally pushes costs up, yet spending here sits far below the national level. One possible reading is that services are running with tight budgets and high efficiency. A second, less positive, reading is that demand is not fully met, especially in scattered villages where reaching clients is hard and staffing is thin.
The gap in NHS contributions hints at the same issue. Lower joint funding can suggest fewer continuing-health-care packages or weaker integration with local health trusts. If health money is not flowing into social care, the council must cover a larger share from its own funds or scale activity back. Client contributions are also a little lower than average, which may reflect lower local incomes and a higher share of users who pay only part of the cost. Together these factors widen the space between need and spending power.
The resident count has risen from 761,000 in 2019 to nearly 783,000 in 2023, a growth of about three per cent. Even modest growth stretches home-care rounds, day services and reablement teams, because extra workers must be found in a labour market that is already tight. The county’s mean deprivation rank also sits below the England mean, pointing to pockets of poorer health and housing that tend to drive higher care use at an earlier age.
Keeping spending so far below the national norm while serving a dispersed and growing population is challenging. Without clearer information on recent budget cuts it is hard to judge whether the present level is sustainable. The low NHS contribution suggests an opportunity: deeper partnership with the health sector could unlock funds for joint rehabilitation, step-down beds and community nursing. The council may also wish to examine fee policies, because raising client income even slightly could support extra hours of domiciliary care in hard-to-reach areas.
Overall, Lincolnshire delivers social care on a lean budget. To maintain quality, future plans will need to balance rising demand, rural costs and the limits of local taxation. Transparent funding decisions and stronger integration with the NHS would help residents understand how much money is truly required and where further investment should be directed.
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