This page provides an overview of social care in Milton Keynes, 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: Milton Keynes
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: Milton Keynes
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 Milton Keynes. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The age-standardised share of residents who say they are disabled is 16.8 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. Milton Keynes has a young and fast-growing population, rising from 281,400 in 2019 to about 298,300 in 2023. A younger age profile normally brings fewer long-term conditions, so the slightly lower disability rate is expected.
In 2024, 3,455 working-age adults asked the council for social care. This equals 1,158 requests for every 100,000 residents, a little above the national figure of 1,143 per 100,000. Demand is therefore higher than average even though prevalence is lower. Rapid population growth and good urban transport may make it easier for residents to approach the council when needs arise.
Only 1,340 working-age adults were actually getting long-term support. That is 449 per 100,000 people, well below the England rate of 533 per 100,000. In raw terms, roughly four in ten people who asked for help moved on to a care package. The gap between demand and supply hints at tight eligibility rules, limited capacity or a push towards informal help.
Use of institutional care is modest. Nursing home support stands at 6.7 per 100,000, around half the national norm, and residential care at 33.5 per 100,000, also below average. Community-based care dominates. The largest group, 855 people, receive a council-managed personal budget at home, giving a rate of 287 per 100,000, slightly above the national mean of 267. Direct payment arrangements, either full or part, are lower than average, and very few residents rely only on council-commissioned support. The local model therefore favours personalised budgets but still keeps overall service numbers low.
Figures for 2025 show small but telling volumes. Requests for help with assessments are 3.4 per 100,000, double the national figure. This suggests that residents may find the assessment process hard to navigate. Other enquiry types—care plans, charging, safeguarding and legal issues—track the England averages closely, so there is no widespread dissatisfaction with ongoing services.
Milton Keynes is less deprived than most areas, with an average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile of 6.1 compared with 5.9 nationally, yet variation between neighbourhoods is large. Only 11 per cent of residents live in rural settings versus a national 35 per cent, so services must cover a mainly urban territory spread over 930 residents per km². This density should help a community-care approach but also drives up absolute demand as the population grows.
The data point to rising requests from disabled people but relatively low take-up of formal care. With population growth set to continue, the council may need to review assessment thresholds, expand community support and increase outreach in more deprived pockets. Strengthening advice services could reduce repeat assessment queries, while a balanced mix of direct payments and managed budgets would give residents genuine choice.
Milton Keynes has fewer disabled residents than average, yet demand for help is already above the national rate and climbing. Ensuring that requests translate into appropriate, timely support is the main challenge for the years ahead.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Milton Keynes is a fast-growing and mainly urban area. The total population increased from 281,434 in 2019 to 298,270 in 2023. At the same time the share of residents aged 65 and over rose gently from 13.5 per cent to 14.1 per cent. This is still well below the England average, which stayed close to 18–19 per cent. In real terms Milton Keynes now has about 42,000 older residents, around 4,000 more than five years ago. The data show an ageing trend, but the city remains younger than most places, helped by inward migration of working-age families and a slightly lower level of deprivation.
In 2024 the council recorded 4,945 requests for care or support from people aged 65 plus. This equals 1,658 requests per 100,000 residents, one-third below the national rate of 2,438. A smaller older population explains part of the gap, yet the difference is larger than age alone would predict. Lower demand can mean greater independence, stronger informal care, or more self-funding outside the council system. It can also point to unmet need if people find it hard to approach services. Monitoring future contact rates will be important as the older cohort grows.
A total of 2,020 older people were in long-term social care during 2024, giving a rate of 677 per 100,000. The England average is 1,003, so Milton Keynes supports about one-third fewer older residents through publicly funded packages.
The pattern is consistent across settings. Nursing care stands at 84 per 100,000 (England 122), residential care at 149 (250), and community support arranged by the council at 402 (508). Direct payment use is also lower than average. Together these figures suggest that formal services are used less often, not simply shifted between care types.
Requests for specific types of help in 2025 were low in absolute terms: for example 10 people sought assistance with assessments, 16 with charging, and only single-figure numbers for legal or mental-capacity issues. On a population basis help with assessments (3.4 per 100,000) was above the national benchmark (1.7), while most other categories were close to or below the average. The small volumes make year-to-year change hard to judge, yet they hint that older residents turn to the council mainly when financial questions arise, and less often for information or carer-related matters.
The city’s moderate density (930 residents per km²) aids community delivery, but rising numbers of older people will still stretch capacity. Lower current take-up offers headroom, yet demand is likely to climb as the post-war “baby-boomer” generation ages into higher care needs. The council therefore faces a timing challenge: planning extra nursing, residential and community provision before need accelerates, while continuing to promote prevention and independent living.
Relative affluence means that some residents are able to pay privately, so partnership with self-funding markets and good sign-posting will be important to avoid hidden unmet need. Maintaining strong early-help channels, especially for carers and information seekers, may also ease future pressure on long-term budgets.
Milton Keynes is younger than England but is ageing steadily. Current demand for older people’s social care is low in both absolute and per-capita terms, yet the rapid population growth means the number of older residents is rising by roughly 1,000 each year. Early investment in flexible, community-based support, coupled with clear advice routes, 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 around 7,147 unpaid carers were recorded for every 100,000 residents in Milton Keynes, compared with an England average of 8,204. Because the local population is growing fast – up from 281,000 in 2019 to 298,000 in 2023 – the lower rate is unlikely to reflect a shortage of caring need. It is more likely to mirror the city’s younger age profile and rapid inward migration, which both tend to suppress the proportion of older, long-term carers. Another possibility is that some carers are not yet known to services, especially in new housing areas where community links are still forming.
Only 26.4 % of Milton Keynes carers said they had as much social contact as they would like, slightly below the national figure of 29.3 %. Given the city’s relatively low deprivation and good employment prospects, this finding hints at time pressure rather than material hardship: many carers are of working age, juggling jobs, family life and caring responsibilities in a largely urban setting where neighbours can change quickly. The modest shortfall therefore suggests a need for more peer-support groups and flexible respite that fit around work.
On a more positive note, 61.6 % of carers felt it was easy to find information about services, two percentage points above the England average. This implies that signposting through the council website, local charities and digital channels is broadly effective. It also suggests that the city’s relatively high household internet use is benefitting carers who have little time to visit drop-in centres.
Milton Keynes shows a distinctive support profile. Direct payments are offered to 277 carers per 100,000 people, nearly double the national rate of 150. This emphasis on personal budgets fits an area that is less deprived and digitally confident, where carers may prefer to purchase support that suits their own timetable. By contrast, only 60 carers per 100,000 receive purely information and advice packages, far below the national rate of 339. The city also records very few cases where no direct support is provided: 23 per 100,000 against 130 nationally. Together these figures indicate a policy choice to give carers concrete, flexible help rather than signposting alone.
Support delivered to the cared-for person, such as respite at home or in residential units, stands at 60 per 100,000, slightly under the England level of 70. As the local population ages this gap may widen, so early planning for more respite beds will be important.
Only one safeguarding or service quality issue involving a carer (0.34 per 100,000) was logged in 2025, compared with 0.75 nationally. While the small number should be viewed with caution, it does add weight to the picture of carers receiving relatively proactive support.
Milton Keynes is affluent overall, densely built and still expanding. Carers are fewer in number but often pressed for time and feeling socially isolated. The council’s strong use of direct payments and accessible online information is well suited to this context, yet the lower rate of social contact shows that money alone does not create community. Extending evening support groups, workplace-based carer networks and hybrid (online and in-person) drop-ins could lift social connectedness without large new budgets.
Finally, the city is ageing: even a modest rise in the proportion of older residents will increase caring demand sharply against a background of continued population growth. Maintaining the current high level of personalised support while scaling up respite options will be key to preventing carer burnout and subsequent higher costs to health and social care.
✨ ✅ ❌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
The latest figures show that Milton Keynes supports 87 community-based adult social care services, well above the national average of 63.8 for an area of similar size. In contrast, there are only 47 residential care services, about half of the norm of 91. This balance suggests that the city places more weight on helping people stay at home rather than moving into a care home. With a growing population that has risen by almost 17,000 since 2019 and a density far below the England mean, many residents live in suburbs where home-care workers can reach them quickly by road. The slightly lower level of deprivation also means more older adults may be able to top-up home packages, making community provision commercially attractive.
Quality appears strong. Only 9 percent of local providers are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, just over half the national proportion of 17 percent. Good ratings may come from a combination of smaller caseloads, newer housing stock that is easier to adapt, and competitive fee rates linked to the city’s above-average affluence. However, a high standard raises expectations and can make any future decline more visible, so maintaining quality assurance visits and peer support is important.
Staff turnover stands at 26.7 percent nationally; Milton Keynes mirrors this at 26.6 percent. The vacancy rate is a little lower than average, 7.7 percent against 8.4 percent, which fits with the relatively good supply of community services. Yet 83 percent of providers report growing difficulty in recruiting staff and 72 percent see retention as harder, both higher than in the wider South East. This apparent contradiction can be explained by the local labour market. Milton Keynes enjoys high employment in logistics, technology, and retail, offering roles with similar pay but less emotional demand. Providers therefore fill posts eventually but must invest more time and incentives to do so, pushing up costs and management workload.
Rising population also fuels demand. Between 2019 and 2023 the city added about 6 percent more residents, double the national growth rate. Even if the older age share remains steady, simple head-count growth means more potential clients. Without action, the current vacancy buffer could disappear quickly, so proactive workforce planning is wise. Transport links, tuition-fee support for nursing associates, and affordable housing schemes could make social care posts more attractive than warehouse or call-centre jobs.
The mix of many community services and fewer care homes aligns with policy goals of independence, but commissioners should ensure there are enough residential beds for people with complex needs who cannot stay at home. High provider quality offers a solid foundation; contracts could now emphasise prevention, digital monitoring, and flexible night-time cover. To tackle recruitment strain, joint campaigns with health partners and local colleges may widen the talent pool, while retention grants linked to training and career progression can stabilise teams.
Overall, Milton Keynes sits in a favourable position: ample community capacity and strong quality scores. The main risks lie in workforce supply and meeting future demand from a fast-growing city. Focused investment in staff and a watchful eye on residential capacity will help sustain current success.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Council is performing well on safe discharge. In November 2024, 96.6 per cent of people left hospital from trusts that the Care Quality Commission judges as acceptable. England as a whole managed 89 per cent. People in Milton Keynes therefore start their recovery in a better-rated setting than most of the country.
The picture on delay is mixed. Only 11.7 per cent of discharges were delayed, a little below the national rate of 12.3 per cent. Yet when a delay does happen it lasts longer: the average wait is 1.13 days, compared with 0.7 days across England. This suggests that the system usually works, but it struggles with a small group of more complex cases. Rapid population growth – up by about 6 per cent since 2019 – may be adding pressure on beds, social care packages, or community therapy services, making it harder to move people who need several agencies to work together.
In the 2024 survey 62.8 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with their care and support, a little below the England figure of 64.7 per cent. A separate NatCen question found that 57 per cent were dissatisfied; without a national benchmark, the absolute number still hints at notable concern.
Access to information is a relative strength. Just under 69 per cent of service users felt it was easy to find out about support, slightly higher than the national average of 68.2 per cent. Good digital links in an urban area with only 11 per cent rural population may explain this result. Clear information can moderate dissatisfaction, yet the lower overall satisfaction shows that communication alone is not enough.
Milton Keynes had 5.0 complaints received by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman per 100,000 residents in 2024, above the England rate of 4.45. The number of decisions made, 4.0 per 100,000, is close to the national figure of 4.12. Higher receipt but average decision activity could mean residents are more willing to raise concerns, perhaps because literacy and awareness are good in a relatively less deprived area (mean deprivation decile = 6.1). It may also reflect genuine service issues hinted at by the satisfaction score.
Milton Keynes is growing fast, but population density, at 930 people per square kilometre, remains lower than many English urban authorities. The city is slightly less deprived than average, though pockets of need are wide-ranging, shown by a higher spread of deprivation scores. These factors matter for planning. More residents will bring extra demand, yet relative affluence and good transport links can aid self-help and community support.
To improve quality further, leaders may wish to focus on the small group who face long discharge delays. Joining up hospital, housing, and home-care teams could shorten waits and free beds. Addressing the drivers of complaints and the gap in satisfaction – for example staffing levels or continuity of care – would round out the progress already made on safe discharge and accessible information.
Milton Keynes shows solid foundations in hospital discharge quality and service information. The main challenges lie in reducing the length of each delay and lifting user satisfaction to match the high standards set for safety. Targeted, cross-agency action should help the city keep pace with its growing population while driving continuous quality improvement.
✨ ✅ ❌We need to understand how much money is being spent on social care, and what this provides. First, let’s look at values reported by local authorities.
Gross Current Expenditure (2023-24) captures the total operational cost of services, indicating overall demand and financial commitment. This includes spending on residential and non-residential care, direct payments, and other social care services. Understanding gross expenditure helps assess the scale of social care provision and financial pressures on local authorities.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
This figure reflects the net cost of social care provision to the local authority, indicating the extent of financial support required to meet service demands. Understanding net expenditure helps assess the financial sustainability of social care services and the commitment level of the local authority.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Client Contributions, otherwise known as “Charging”, show the extent to which service users offset costs. Understanding client contributions helps assess the financial burden on individuals and the local authority, highlighting the need for fair and equitable funding mechanisms.
It is important to note that not all local authorities charge for social care services, and that charging can be a barrier to accessing care for some individuals.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Income from NHS reflects external funding and collaboration with the health sector. Understanding NHS contributions helps understand the level of integration between health and social care.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Budget Cuts indicate financial constraints and potential service reductions. Sometimes, budget cuts are explicit, but other times, they aren’t mentioned directly, making tracking this information difficult to access.
As such, this data is not consistently available for all local authorities.
Access Social Care have made a series of Freedom of Information requests about the government’s own assessment of sufficiency of social care funding. The social care sector is in crisis, yet the government refuses to disclose how it determines funding sufficiency. Without transparency, there is little accountability, no independent scrutiny to improve decision-making, and government trust heavily impacted. Evidence from across the sector indicates a severe funding gap, but without open data, meaningful reform remains impossible. True solutions require honesty about the scale of the problem to then work towards a fair and equitable funding model.
The government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known.
✨ ✅ ❌?
In the 2024 financial year Milton Keynes spent close to £120 million on adult social care. This figure is obtained by applying the published gross total expenditure of £40,084 per 100,000 people to the mid-2023 population estimate of 298,270 residents. The local spend per head is therefore about £7,700 lower than the England mean of £47,758 per 100,000. In cash terms the city would need a further £23 million to reach the national benchmark.
Demography is one likely explanation. Milton Keynes has grown by around six per cent since 2019, yet its residents remain relatively young and economically active. Population density is 930 people per km², far below the England figure of 2,468, and the average deprivation decile is 6.1, slightly more affluent than the national profile. Areas with fewer very old or highly deprived residents often see lower demand for intensive, high-cost care, which keeps spending down without harming outcomes.
After accounting for income, net expenditure is £33,706 per 100,000, or roughly £101 million in absolute terms. This again sits below the national level of £40,472. Two income streams help explain the gap:
• Client contributions are £6,378 per 100,000, against £7,286 nationally.
• NHS contributions are £5,182 per 100,000, well short of the England figure of £7,878.
Because households and the local NHS provide less funding than elsewhere, the council cannot recycle as much money into services, even if underlying need is similar.
The modest NHS share is noteworthy. Stronger joint funding can support re-ablement, hospital discharge and community nursing. If local partnership working does not improve, the council may face extra pressure as the population ages. The city’s overall headcount is rising by roughly 3,000–5,000 people each year; many of today’s middle-aged newcomers will move into care-intensive age bands within the next decade.
No formal data on recent budget cuts is available, yet the consistently low per-capita spend suggests that the council could be operating at its cost ceiling. Future policy may need to focus on three areas: securing greater NHS investment, reviewing charging policies for those able to pay, and expanding early-help services that delay or prevent high-cost residential care.
Milton Keynes currently spends less on adult social care than the average English authority, both per resident and in total. This position aligns with a comparatively young, less deprived population, but slower growth in external income means the city may struggle to keep pace with rising demand. Proactive planning and stronger cross-sector funding will be essential to maintain service quality and avoid unmet need as the city continues to expand.
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