This page provides an overview of social care in Manchester, 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: Manchester
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: Manchester
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 Manchester. 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 disabled residents is 22.3 %, compared with 17.6 % for England. With about 580,000 people in 2023, this equals roughly 130,000 disabled adults. Manchester is large, very dense (4,773 people per km²) and highly deprived (mean deprivation decile 2.5). Poor housing, low wages and long-term health problems linked to deprivation can all raise disability rates, so the high figure fits the local context.
In 2024 there were 23,935 requests for adult social care from people aged 18–64. This is 4,127 per 100,000 adults, almost four times the England mean of 1,143. The gap is wider than the difference in disability prevalence, suggesting that disabled residents are more likely to turn to the council for help. Contributing factors may include limited family support in a young, mobile city, and fewer private resources to buy care.
Only 3,120 working-age adults moved into long-term care in the same year, a rate of 538 per 100,000, almost identical to the national norm of 533. In other words, only about one in six requests ends with a long-term package. Many people may receive short-term re-ablement, be sign-posted elsewhere, or fail to meet strict eligibility rules. This pattern hints at unmet need or pressure on assessment teams.
Manchester relies strongly on council-commissioned community support. The rate is 330 per 100,000, more than five times the national average of 58. Personal budgets are far less common: direct payments alone run at 66 per 100,000 versus 122 nationally, and part direct payments at 16 versus 48. Low use of personal budgets may reflect low confidence with paperwork, limited informal support to manage funds, or simply preference for the council to arrange care.
Nursing placements stand at 28 per 100,000, twice the England figure, while residential placements are slightly lower than average. This suggests that when people do enter institutional care they often have higher medical needs, yet the city still avoids some traditional care-home use, possibly through strong community services.
Logged requests for advice in 2025—covering areas such as charging, safeguarding and legal issues—are small, mostly at or below national rates. Given the high volume of care requests, this may mean residents skip early advice stages, or that frontline staff give informal guidance that is not recorded. Improving data capture here could help spot emerging issues sooner.
Manchester faces very high demand from disabled adults, shaped by deprivation and urban living. Supply has not risen at the same pace, so the council may wish to expand assessment teams and review eligibility to limit unmet need. The heavy use of council-arranged community care keeps many people at home, but low take-up of personal budgets limits choice. Extra coaching and peer support could help residents manage their own packages. Better recording of early advice contacts would give a fuller picture of local need and help plan future services.
✨ ✅ ❌Older People
Just like with Working Age people, knowing how many older people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of the population is 65+ helps understand need and social care provision at a top level.
Jamaican female, blind and in her 40s. She was in an emergency Bed & Breakfast with her Niece, who acts as her unofficial carer, she is unable to work but would like to go to University. She is receiving PIP but not the Daily Living Allowance which she applied for in June 2021. She is vulnerable and has a history of self harm so was assigned a rehab Support Worker. Vanessa supported her using the Chatbot to chase up her PIP Daily Living allowance application, after waiting for several months and they received a reply within a week but was awarded the lower rate.
Another Chatbot letter was sent to request an urgent assessment due to her vulnerability and this was action quickly by the LA. Vanessa also supported her to use the chatbot and ask the Social worker to be moved to a place that supports her needs and rights. As she was having to use a shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen in a place with drug/alcohol abusers and being blind with no carer, this left her vulnerable. The Chatbot was used again to raise this issue and after a few weeks she was successfully moved to a private property in another area.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
As above, it is important to see what type of care older people are being provided because it can help explain where additional work is needed.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
Between 2019 and 2023 Manchester grew from 545,947 to 579,917 residents while remaining one of the most densely populated and deprived places in England. Density at the 2021 Census stood at 4,772.7 usual residents per square kilometre, almost double the national figure. The average deprivation decile is 2.5, far below the England mean of 5.9, showing deep and widespread disadvantage.
Despite rapid population growth, the share of residents aged 65 and over has stayed almost flat, slipping from 9.43 per cent in 2019 to 9.34 per cent in 2023. England as a whole moved from 18.4 to 18.5 per cent over the same period. Manchester therefore has only about half the national proportion of older people. This youthful age structure shapes both demand for and delivery of adult social care.
In 2024 there were 10,405 requests for care from people aged 65 and above. This equals 1,794 requests per 100,000 older residents, well below the England rate of 2,438. A lower rate is expected when the city contains fewer older people, yet the scale of the gap suggests other factors. High deprivation might be expected to increase need, but barriers such as poor awareness of services, digital exclusion or reluctance to engage with formal care may be holding requests down.
Manchester supported 4,195 older people in long-term care during 2024, or 723 per 100,000. Again, this is lower than the national benchmark of 1,003 per 100,000. Within this total, patterns differ from England:
Nursing and residential placements are both below average (89 and 159 per 100,000 against 122 and 250). Community services tell a mixed story. Only 38 per 100,000 receive a council-managed personal budget, compared with 508 nationally, and direct payments are also less common. By contrast, 402 per 100,000 receive council-commissioned community support only, almost triple the England figure of 137. This suggests that the council favours directly arranged home-based care rather than promoting individual budget management. Such an approach can offer speed and consistency in a densely populated urban area, yet it may limit personal choice and control.
Data for 2025 on advice-seeking shows very small numbers, typically one to four contacts per 100,000 older residents across topics such as assessments, charging or safeguarding. The Manchester rates broadly mirror national ones, so there is no sign of exceptional pressure on information services. Nevertheless, the modest scale reinforces the possibility of unmet or hidden demand.
Manchester’s youthful demographic profile naturally suppresses crude volumes of older-people activity, but low per-capita figures point to other issues. High deprivation could mean older residents have poorer health and fewer informal support networks, yet this is not flowing through to higher request or care rates. Service planners may therefore need to invest in outreach, community engagement and self-directed support to uncover and meet latent need.
The reliance on council-commissioned community support reflects an operational choice that suits a compact, urban setting where providers are nearby and travel times short. However, national policy places growing emphasis on personal budgets. Encouraging and supporting older residents to take up direct payments could improve autonomy and satisfaction, provided market capacity exists.
Looking ahead, Manchester’s total population is rising quickly. Even if the proportion of older people stays low, absolute numbers will climb, and the city will feel the weight of demand. Early action to broaden access, diversify provision and tackle deprivation-related health risks will help the system stay ahead of that curve.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Manchester had about 38,000 unpaid carers. This equals 6,940 carers for every 100,000 residents, below the England rate of 8,204 per 100,000. Manchester’s population is young and fast-growing, and many neighbourhoods are very deprived. Fewer older residents and a high share of working-age adults may partly explain the lower carer rate. It may also point to unmet need: some people who help family or friends might not see themselves as carers and therefore are not counted.
Only 31.2 % of Manchester carers said they have as much social contact as they want. This is slightly better than the national figure of 29.3 %, yet it still means that more than two in three carers feel cut off. High population density (4,773 residents per km²) does not guarantee close social ties, especially in areas with high deprivation. Busy streets can sit next to social isolation when money and free time are short.
Just 58.5 % of carers felt it is easy to get information about support, a touch under the England average of 59.3 %. In a city where many services exist, choice can become confusing. Lower health literacy in poorer wards may add another barrier. Improving clear, single-point guidance could lift this figure.
Manchester leans strongly towards direct payments. About 316 carers per 100,000 receive a direct payment, more than double the national rate of 150. Using the 2023 population, this is roughly 1,800 people. Direct payments give carers control but also place more admin on them. Other forms of support are far less common:
• 6 carers per 100,000 get council-managed personal budgets, versus 102 nationally.
• Only 43 per 100,000 receive information or advice alone, compared with 339 across England. This gap suggests either good early signposting outside the statutory system, or a missed chance to reach carers who are not yet ready for formal help.
• Respite arranged for the cared-for person stands at 14 per 100,000, five times lower than the national figure of 70. Limited respite can lead to carer burnout, especially where social contact is already low.
Manchester also records fewer carers who get no direct support at all: 29 per 100,000 against 130 nationally. This hints that once carers enter the system they usually get some form of help. The challenge is to reach those who never step forward.
One safeguarding case that involved a carer was logged in 2025, equal to 0.17 cases per 100,000 people, below the England rate of 0.75. Numbers are very small, so year-on-year swings are common, yet it shows little evidence of wide-scale risk.
Manchester’s carers benefit from higher access to direct payments but have limited respite and advice offers. In a city with high deprivation, giving money without wrap-around guidance may not be enough. Services may wish to:
• expand low-cost social groups to cut isolation;
• build simpler, multi-language information hubs;
• grow respite options so carers can rest.
Doing so could protect carer health and help them stay in their role, easing later demand on formal services.
✨ ✅ ❌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
In 2024 Manchester has 68 community-based adult social care services and 75 residential care homes. These numbers look reasonable at first glance because they sit close to the average local authority. Yet they serve a very large city. Manchester now has about 580,000 people, while the average English authority has around 377,000. When the figures are adjusted for population, Manchester offers roughly 12 community services and 13 residential homes for every 100,000 residents. The average authority offers about 17 and 24. In a dense urban area with almost 4,800 residents per square kilometre, this lower supply may mean longer journeys for care, fewer spare beds and slower response times, especially for families living in the most deprived wards.
Just over 16 percent of local services are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”. This is slightly better than the national share of 16.8 percent. Keeping quality at this level is positive because people in Manchester face high deprivation: the mean deprivation decile is 2.5, well below the England average of 5.9. Residents therefore depend heavily on reliable public care. If quality were to fall, those with the least choice would feel the impact first.
The regional staff turnover rate is 25.4 percent, almost the same as the national average. However, the vacancy rate is much higher at 11.1 percent versus 8.4 percent. Nearly 70 percent of employers say that keeping staff has become harder, and more than 80 percent report similar difficulty in recruiting. These signs point to a labour market that is under strain. A dense city with high living costs and many other entry-level jobs can pull workers away from care. High deprivation also brings more complex cases, adding pressure and speeding up burnout. If vacancies stay high, remaining staff must cover extra shifts, which can weaken morale and risk a slide in service quality.
The combination of low provider density, high vacancies and a growing population suggests a clear need for action. Manchester has gained over 34,000 residents since 2021, and many will require support as they age or live with disability. Commissioners may look to attract new residential providers, especially those able to care for people with dementia and high nursing needs. Helping existing community providers to expand could keep more residents living safely at home, easing pressure on care homes. Workforce plans that offer better pay progression, flexible hours and affordable travel would help fill posts and cut turnover. Finally, the city should keep a close eye on inspection results. Quality is stable for now, but staff gaps and strong demand could change that quickly. Targeted support in the most deprived neighbourhoods will be key to making sure every resident can access safe, timely and person-centred care.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Manchester looks after a large and growing city. The population rose from about 546,000 in 2019 to almost 580,000 in 2023, and people live at twice the national density. At the same time the area is one of the most deprived in England. These facts shape both pressure on services and the way residents experience care.
Ninety-five per cent of people leave hospital into providers judged acceptable by the CQC, six percentage points above the England figure. This suggests strong joint work between the council, NHS trusts and care homes to protect safety at the transfer of care stage. However 12.5 per cent of all discharges are delayed, a touch higher than the 12.3 per cent national rate, and the average delay is 0.81 days against 0.7 days. In a city with high bed demand these small overruns matter. They may reflect the tight local housing market and limited availability of reablement or domiciliary care in a dense urban area. Further work on rapid start home-care packages could reduce the tail of delays without losing the good match between patients and suitable providers.
Sixty-four per cent of adult social care users say they are satisfied with the help they receive, almost identical to the England mean. Given Manchester’s higher deprivation, this parity is encouraging: the council appears to shield service quality despite tougher operating conditions. A separate survey shows 57 per cent of residents feel dissatisfied. Because the national comparator is not available, it is hard to grade performance, yet the figure hints at a split view: direct service users feel broadly content, while the wider community—who may face unmet need—expresses concern. This gap could stem from strict eligibility in a low-income population, leaving some residents outside the formal system.
Almost 70 per cent of people who use services say it is easy to find information about support, slightly above the England average. Good digital sign-posting and the strong network of voluntary groups in the city may be helping. For residents whose first language is not English, clear routes to advice are vital; maintaining simplified, multi-language material would sustain this score.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 3.1 complaints per 100,000 population, well below the national rate of 4.45. Only 1.9 cases per 100,000 reached a decision, against 4.12 nationally. Fewer complaints can point to good frontline resolution and clear information about rights; yet it can also indicate that some communities do not know how to escalate concerns. Manchester’s high deprivation and diverse population mean the council should keep checking that complaints routes are visible and trusted. The relatively low numbers give an opportunity to analyse each case in depth and spread learning quickly.
Manchester shows several strengths: safe placement on discharge, average or better satisfaction, above-average access to information and a modest complaint rate. Small delays in hospital discharge and signs of wider public dissatisfaction signal areas for continued improvement. In a dense, deprived and fast-growing city, sustaining these results will require steady investment in community services, rapid response home care and inclusive communication, so that quality gains reach every neighbourhood.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Manchester spends about £49,900 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care. The average council in England spends about £47,800. When we adjust for the city’s large population of nearly 580,000 people, total gross spending is close to £290 million. A council of average size would spend around £180 million. Manchester therefore directs a much bigger cash sum to social care than most places. Net spending, after income is removed, is also higher than the national rate (about £44,300 per 100,000 people compared with £40,500). This shows that the city puts significant local money into the service.
The pattern of income looks different from the national picture. Client contributions supply only about £5,500 per 100,000 people; the average is £7,300. NHS contributions are lower too, roughly £5,400 per 100,000 compared with £7,900. Because these two external streams are smaller, Manchester Council has to fund a larger share itself. Lower client payments are likely to reflect the city’s high deprivation. More residents have low incomes, so fewer can pay full charges. The smaller NHS share may point to limited joint packages with health partners, or simply show that the council records funding in a different way. Either way, it places extra strain on the local budget.
The city’s need for care is shaped by rapid growth, density, and poverty. The population has risen by about six per cent since 2019, much faster than the England average. At 4,773 residents per square kilometre, Manchester is almost twice as crowded as the country as a whole. The average deprivation decile is 2.5, far below the national score of 5.9, meaning many neighbourhoods face deep poverty. High deprivation is linked to poorer health, earlier onset of disability, and fewer informal carers. All of this pushes up demand for council-funded care.
Spending that is above average, even after population is considered, indicates that the council recognises this higher need and is trying to meet it. Yet the lower flow of income from clients and the NHS shows that Manchester carries a heavier burden than many areas. Rising demand and limited external funding could make future budgets hard to balance, especially if national support does not grow at the same pace.
Maintaining current service levels may require stronger joint planning with the NHS, so that more health-related costs are shared. The council could also review charging policies to ensure that people who can pay are contributing fairly, while still protecting those on low incomes. Continued investment is vital: if spending falls, unmet need is likely to rise quickly given the city’s young but deprived population and its fast growth. Clear long-term funding plans from central government would help the council manage these pressures and give residents confidence that support will remain in place.
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