This page provides an overview of social care in Luton, 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 Luton. 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 disabled residents in Luton is 16.6 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. The small gap suggests that disability is almost as common in the town as elsewhere, but not higher. Luton has a young population profile, so a slightly lower rate is expected because disability rises with age.
In 2024, 1,230 working-age adults (18–64) asked the council for social-care support. This is 532 per 100,000 people, less than half of the national rate of 1,143 per 100,000. The low figure may mean that informal and community support are strong, or that some residents are unaware of, or choose not to contact, formal services. It could also reflect service-access thresholds that are higher than elsewhere.
Despite the lower number of requests, 1,255 working-age adults actually receive long-term care. The rate, 543 per 100,000, is slightly above the England mean of 533 per 100,000. This tells us that once people do reach services, they are quite likely to be judged eligible. Luton's care system therefore appears to focus on sustained packages rather than short advice or sign-posting.
The mix of services differs from the national pattern. Nursing placements are fewer than average (11 vs 14 per 100,000), pointing to limited local supply or a policy to support people elsewhere. Residential care is higher (69 vs 61 per 100,000), indicating reliance on traditional settings for those with complex needs. Direct payments only are slightly lower than average, so personal choice is available but not taken up as widely. Part direct payments and community personal budgets sit just above and just below national levels, showing a balanced but cautious use of personalised options. Council-commissioned community support is well below average, which may suggest budget pressure or a shortage of providers.
Latest 2025 figures show very small numbers of people seeking help with assessments, charging or legal issues. Rates range between 0.4 and 2.6 per 100,000, all close to or below national norms. The totals are small, yet they give a hint that residents may still struggle to navigate the system and need independent advice.
Luton has 231,000 residents, packed into a dense urban area of 5,196 people per square kilometre. It is more deprived than the national average, with a mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile of 4.3. High density and deprivation normally raise demand for disability services. The current figures therefore look low rather than high. Cultural diversity and strong family networks may partly offset formal demand, but there is a risk that hidden need exists, especially among groups who find it hard to engage with the council.
The council should test whether low request rates hide unmet need. Outreach in poorer neighbourhoods, clearer online pathways and work with voluntary groups could help more disabled people come forward earlier. Given the above-average share of residential care, investment in community-based options could offer better independence and manage costs. Monitoring future data will show whether efforts to widen access lead to a rise in requests without overwhelming existing budgets.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Luton has a young age profile. Only about 12 % of residents were aged 65 or over in 2023, while the England average was close to 19 %. The share has stayed almost flat since 2019, even though the total population rose by 8 000 in the same time. In real terms there are roughly 27 000 older people living in the town. The limited growth suggests that many local services are still dealing with the same numbers as five years ago, but they must work within a faster-growing, densely packed city (5 196 people per km², more than double the national figure).
In 2024, 2 140 people aged 65+ asked the council for social care. This equals 926 requests per 100 000 residents, far below the England rate of 2 438. Part of the gap is due to the smaller pool of older citizens. When we look at the rough ratio of requests to older residents (one request for every 12 older people) the difference with England is much narrower, yet Luton still seems to generate slightly fewer calls for help than expected. Reasons may include stronger family support in a tight urban setting, different cultural expectations, or low awareness of services in more deprived groups.
1 875 older people received long-term care in 2024 (812 per 100 000 residents, compared with 1 003 nationally). Once again usage is lower across all main service types. Nursing home use is less than half the national level, and residential placements are 40 % lower. Community-based options, especially personal budgets, make up the largest share. This pattern fits a council that aims to help people stay at home, but it may also point to limited capacity in care homes or cost concerns in a low-income area.
Very small numbers of older citizens asked for help with legal, charging, or safeguarding issues in 2025. The rates are below national norms. The figures may signal good early support, yet they might also mask hidden problems if residents do not know how to complain or fear extra costs.
Luton is more deprived than most places in England. Early ill-health often comes with poverty, so the town could see extra demand for care at a younger-than-average age. The present low service use may therefore hide unmet need. A watchful eye on referral sources, language access, and outreach is vital.
Today’s younger profile gives Luton a short breathing space, but population growth means the absolute number of older residents will keep rising. The council should strengthen home-based care, invest in culturally aware information drives, and make sure there is enough nursing and residential capacity for the future. Close tracking of safeguarding contacts will help to confirm whether the low figures reflect true safety or under-reporting.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Luton had about 16,000 unpaid carers, or 7,156 carers for every 100,000 residents. The England rate was 8,204 per 100,000. The lower rate fits Luton's young age profile and high birth rate: fewer older people means fewer adults who give day-to-day care to frail partners or parents. A second factor may be that some residents who help family members do not call themselves “carers”, so they are not counted.
Only 20.8 per cent of Luton's carers said they had as much social contact as they would like, well below the national figure of 29.3 per cent. The picture is worrying because Luton is a dense urban area, where services and neighbours are close by. High deprivation and the cost of transport or paid activities may limit carers’ ability to meet friends, even when everything is geographically near. The squeeze on time is another barrier: many carers juggle work, childcare and caring duties, leaving little space for social life.
Despite low social contact, 68.9 per cent of carers said it is easy to find information about services, nine percentage points above the England average. Luton's compact geography and good digital reach may make signposting more visible. It suggests that the main gap is not knowledge but the opportunity to act on that knowledge.
Carer support data for 2024 show mixed patterns. Direct payments are used more than average: about 220 payments per 100,000 residents, or roughly 500 carers, compared with 150 per 100,000 nationally. Direct payments allow carers to buy flexible help that fits cultural and family needs, an approach that can work well in a diverse town like Luton.
Support given to the cared-for person to give the carer a break (for example, respite) is also above average at 100 per 100,000 residents, around 225 cases. In contrast, universal information and advice services reach only about 28 per 100,000 residents, one-twelfth of the national rate. This gap may explain why some carers still rely on informal networks even though formal information is easy to locate when they look for it.
Luton’s carers are fewer in number than in many places, yet they experience more isolation. High use of direct payments shows an appetite for personalised support. However, the low reach of universal services hints at unmet need among carers who do not meet eligibility rules for a personal budget. The town’s higher deprivation level means that unpaid care often replaces paid home care; without enough social contact, carers risk burnout, which in turn can increase pressure on NHS and council services.
Short term, the council could widen low-cost social opportunities linked to the direct payment offer, helping carers turn knowledge into tangible support. Longer term, strengthening neighbourhood networks in high-density estates, and working with employers on flexible hours, would tackle the structural causes of isolation. Monitoring should continue, as even a small rise in the older population could lift the absolute number of carers sharply in the next decade.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Luton has 49 community-based adult social care services and 32 residential care services. With about 231,000 people in 2023, this equals roughly 21 community services and 14 residential homes for every 100,000 residents. National averages are about 17 and 24 per 100,000. In simple terms, the town offers a good amount of home-care style support but a much smaller stock of care-home places.
The pattern fits Luton's setting. The borough is very dense, holding 5,196 residents per square kilometre against an England figure of 2,469. In tight urban space it is harder to find land for new care homes, while staff can travel quickly between people’s houses, making community services more practical. However, a limited residential market may leave fewer choices for older or disabled people who need 24-hour care. This can push families to look outside the area or keep people in hospital for longer.
Almost one in three local providers (31 %) are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, nearly double the England rate of 17 %. The gap suggests a real quality challenge, not just normal inspection variation. Fewer providers also means that poor performance in even a small number of services affects many clients.
Staff turnover in 2023/24 stood at 23.9 %, close to the national level. Yet the vacancy rate is higher (11.2 % in Luton, 8.4 % in England). Eighty-three per cent of local managers say recruiting staff is now “more” or “much more” difficult, and 71 % say the same about keeping staff; both figures are a little above regional norms. High vacancies leave remaining staff under strain, which can lower care quality and explain the inspection results noted above.
Luton’s population has grown by 3.5 % since 2019 and is younger than many areas, but high deprivation (average decile 4.3 versus 5.9 for England) means complex health and care needs can still rise fast. Demand growth, mixed with limited residential capacity and stretched staffing, risks a squeeze on the whole system.
Commissioners may wish to:
• Support quality improvement in existing providers through targeted advice and peer support.
• Expand community services further while exploring creative options for small, space-efficient residential units.
• Back workforce initiatives, such as local career pathways and affordable housing schemes, to cut vacancies.
• Plan jointly with the NHS to avoid delayed hospital discharge when residential beds are scarce.
Without action, Luton's growing and often deprived population could face rising unmet care needs, longer waits and poorer outcomes. A balanced focus on supply, quality and workforce will be essential to keep people safe and well supported close to home.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Luton now moves people out of hospital more quickly than most areas. Only 6.9 % of discharges are delayed, against an England average of 12.3 %. The average length of each delay is 0.15 days, while the national figure is 0.7 days. This suggests that the council, the local NHS trust, and community teams work well together. In a dense town, beds turn over fast, so short delays protect both patients and hospitals. The small number of discharges recorded as coming from “acceptable” rated trusts (12.3 per month compared with 89 nationally) may simply show that Luton has one main acute provider and sends few people elsewhere.
Even with speedy discharge, public opinion is mixed. In 2024, 58.1 % of surveyed users said they were satisfied with their care and support, below the England mean of 64.7 %. A separate NatCen question found 57 % outright dissatisfaction. Only 63.3 % felt that it is easy to find information about services, again under the national level of 68.2 %. Lower satisfaction may reflect Luton's younger, diverse and relatively deprived population. The average deprivation decile is 4.3, well below the England mean of 5.9. People in more deprived places often rely more on publicly funded care, have higher expectations of support, and may report lower satisfaction when those expectations are unmet.
In 2024 the Ombudsman received 5.6 complaints per 100,000 residents and made 6.9 decisions per 100,000. Using Luton's mid-2023 population of 231,028, this is about 13 complaints received and 16 cases decided. Both rates sit above the national averages of 4.5 and 4.1. A higher complaint rate can point to service quality issues, but it can also show that residents know how to use formal routes, possibly because information is widely shared through community networks in a compact urban area.
The picture is therefore mixed. Operational processes, such as hospital discharge, look strong: delays are rare and short. Yet user-reported experience and formal complaints show room for improvement. High population density (5,196 people per km², double the England mean) puts extra pressure on housing, home-care rounds and GP lists. Deprivation compounds this pressure, as more residents have complex needs but less ability to buy private support. These factors may explain why, despite efficient flow out of hospital, day-to-day care feels less satisfactory.
Maintaining quick discharge is essential, but the council now needs to turn to quality at home and in care settings. Clear, simple information in multiple languages could lift the “ease of finding information” score. More proactive engagement with residents in deprived wards may cut complaint volumes by solving issues earlier. Finally, because Luton has only one main hospital, the council should keep a close watch on its performance ratings: any dip there could quickly affect discharge quality and undo recent gains.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Luton’s gross spend on adult social care for 2024 stands at about £87 million. This figure is reached by applying the recorded £37,703 per 100,000 residents to the town’s estimated population of 231,000. Net spend, after income and partner funding are removed, is roughly £76 million. On both measures the council is spending around one fifth less per resident than the England average. At national levels the gross figure is £47,758 per 100,000 and the net figure is £40,472.
Lower spend does not automatically signal inefficiency; Luton is a compact, fully urban area with no rural travel costs, and this can reduce expenditure on home-care mileage, transport and day-service buildings. However, the town’s high population density (5,196 people per km², more than double the national mean) and above-average deprivation score (decile 4.3 compared with England’s 5.9) usually point to heavier, not lighter, demand for support. Urban poverty often goes hand in hand with complex mental-health needs, higher disability rates and a lack of informal care. Spending that lags behind the national norm therefore risks leaving some needs unmet or shifting pressure to the NHS.
Client contributions add a further clue. Luton raises about £11 million in fees from service users, equating to £4,835 per 100,000 residents. The England average is £7,286. A lower contribution rate is typical in more deprived areas because fewer older adults have savings or housing wealth. The gap reduces the local authority’s ability to recycle income back into services and widens the shortfall against national spending patterns.
NHS contributions tell a similar story. Joint funding from local health partners is £4,983 per 100,000 in Luton, or roughly £11.5 million in cash terms, while nationally the rate is nearer £7,878. Less health money flowing into care packages may reflect limited use of integrated discharge teams or fewer continuing-health-care cases, but it also reduces the pool of resources available for complex clients who move between hospital and home.
Historic budget limits are the most obvious factor. Luton’s tax base is constrained by relatively low property values and a younger age profile, yet demand is rising as the population grows year on year. The data hint at political tension too: notes in the return say that information on budget cuts “is not available” and that “the government appears to know how much money is required…and yet they are not making that known.” This points to uncertainty about future grant settlements, which may encourage cautious spending plans.
The present funding level appears finely balanced. If housing, poverty and demographic pressures keep climbing, the council will struggle to close gaps without either extra government grant, higher council tax or a stronger partnership with the local NHS. Lower client contributions cannot easily be reversed in a deprived borough, so service efficiency and better integration look like the main levers. A clear medium-term plan, shared with residents and health partners, would help avoid sudden rationing and give providers confidence to invest in staffing and quality.
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