This page provides an overview of social care in North East Lincolnshire, along with key metrics that could affect social care. Understanding these metrics is important because they help contextualise the challenges with social care provision in each local authority. These statistics are important to keep in mind when reviewing the other pages.
Why are these metrics important? Population size and density can affect the demand for social care services. For example, if a local authority has a high population (relative to other areas), it may need to allocate more resources to meet care needs. Similarly, areas with high population density may require more care services due to the increased number of people living in close proximity. Inversely, areas with a low population density may have fewer care needs, but residents may face challenges accessing services due to the distance between them. Lastly, people in rural areas might live further away from services, which can impact their ability to access care, or make it more expensive to provide.
Understanding these metrics can help local authorities plan and allocate resources effectively.
Deprivation decile is a measure of the level of deprivation in a local authority. It is calculated by ranking areas in England from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived) based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A higher decile indicates lower levels of deprivation, while a lower decile suggests higher levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation levels can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: North East Lincolnshire
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: North East Lincolnshire
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 North East Lincolnshire. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
An age-standardised disability rate of 20.1 per cent means that one in five residents report a long-term condition that limits daily life. The national figure is 17.6 per cent. Although the local population is modest (about 158,000), this higher proportion lifts the absolute number of disabled people to roughly 32,000. The borough therefore faces a bigger disability burden than many areas of similar size.
Working-age adults (18–64) made 1,940 new requests for support in 2024. This equals 1,225 requests per 100,000 residents, 7 per cent above the England mean of 1,143. High demand is consistent with the area’s relatively deep deprivation (mean decile 4.3, below the national 5.9). Lower income, poorer housing and earlier onset of ill-health all tend to raise the need for care at a younger age.
In the same year 885 working-age adults were receiving ongoing services. The rate, 559 per 100,000, again sits above the national average (533). While this gap is modest, it shows that most requests convert into formal support, suggesting limited hidden or unmet demand at the point of assessment. Maintaining this conversion, however, places a steady workload on a council whose overall tax base is small.
Community-based personal budgets dominate local support. Direct payment only (107 per 100,000) and part direct payment (60 per 100,000) together reach 167 per 100,000, somewhat higher than the England rate of 170 per 100,000 but with a heavier weighting towards full direct payments. Cassr-managed personal budgets in the community stand at 322 per 100,000, also above the national benchmark of 267. These figures imply a strategy that emphasises independence and self-directed care, probably reflecting both user preference and the need to contain the cost of more expensive residential options.
Residential placements (63 per 100,000) roughly match the national average, while nursing beds (3 per 100,000) run at only a quarter of the England rate. Low nursing use may signal a healthier working-age cohort, but it could also hint at limited local supply. If the latter is true, some individuals with complex needs may be living further from home or remaining in community settings that stretch provider capacity.
In 2025 the council logged just six working-age requests for help with safeguarding, assessment or information. The per-capita rates (0.6–1.3 per 100,000) lie below the already small national means. Numbers are too low for trend analysis, yet the data suggest that lower-level preventative contacts are either being resolved informally or are not reaching formal recording. Strengthening early-help and information routes could reduce later, more intensive demand.
North East Lincolnshire is less densely populated than the average English area (815 versus 2,469 residents per km²) and has pockets of acute deprivation. Distance between communities and limited transport may push the council towards personalised, home-based packages rather than residential block contracts. The figures confirm that approach: community support is comparatively high, while institutional care is contained.
Looking ahead, a stable yet ageing population, combined with entrenched deprivation, is likely to sustain or even increase the present disability rate. Commissioners will need to balance investment in preventative, community-focused services with ensuring sufficient specialist provision for those whose needs cannot be met at home. Without such balance, the current above-average demand could translate into escalating costs and unmet need.
✨ ✅ ❌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
North East Lincolnshire is home to about 158 000 people and is more urban and more deprived than the average area in England. Only one in eight residents live in a rural place, and the mean deprivation sits in decile 4, below the national mean of decile 6. These background factors shape both the size of the older population and the way local care services are used.
The share of residents aged 65 and over has risen each year, from 20.6 per cent in 2019 to 21.4 per cent in 2023. England as a whole moved from 18.4 per cent to 18.5 per cent in the same period. The local increase is small in each single year, yet the steady climb means that about 1 400 extra older people now live in the area compared with five years ago. Because the total population has remained almost flat, the ageing trend is driven mainly by people living longer rather than by inward migration.
In 2024, 5 680 residents aged 65 plus asked the council for support. This equals 3 588 requests per 100 000 older people, around 47 per cent higher than the national rate of 2 438. A higher need is expected when more residents are over 65, but the gap is larger than the age profile alone can explain. Lower income, poorer health linked to deprivation, and the dense urban setting, where families may live in smaller homes, can all raise the likelihood that formal help is sought rather than care being given informally.
The council supported 1 865 older residents in 2024, or 1 178 per 100 000. This is again above the national figure of 1 003. About one in three people who asked for help finally received a long-term package, slightly below the national conversion rate. The data hint that many requests are met in other ways, for example with information or short-term re-ablement.
The pattern of support shows some local strengths and gaps. Nursing home use is very low at 16 per 100 000, far below the England average of 122. Residential care is higher than average at 436 per 100 000, suggesting that homes without nursing lead the market. Community services managed by the council are high at 688 per 100 000, well above the national figure of 508. Direct payments, both full and part, are close to national norms. Together these figures point to an approach that favours either residential places or council-arranged help at home, with limited nursing capacity and a moderate take-up of personal budgets.
Early 2025 data show only a handful of recorded contacts on cuts, care plans, safeguarding and similar issues. Numbers are too small to draw firm conclusions, yet they sit below national averages. This may reflect effective early resolution or under-reporting; careful monitoring is advised as demand grows.
The combination of an ageing population, high deprivation and above-average care requests suggests that pressure on adult social care will keep rising. Expanding nursing provision could fill an obvious gap and delay expensive hospital stays. Strengthening community re-ablement and promoting direct payments might also reduce future residential demand. Given the area’s urban density, improved housing adaptations and local support networks could help older residents to stay independent longer. Targeted investment now could prevent higher costs later and support older people to live well in North East Lincolnshire.
✨ ✅ ❌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 an estimated 8,941 unpaid carers per 100,000 residents were living in North East Lincolnshire, compared with an England rate of 8,204. When this rate is applied to the local population of 157,188, it points to roughly 14,000 people providing unpaid care. The area therefore relies on unpaid carers more than the country as a whole. High deprivation (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 4.3 against the national 5.9) and relatively low population density (815 residents per km², far below the England average of 2,469) may both contribute. Deprivation is often linked to poorer health, increasing the need for informal care, while a scattered settlement pattern can make formal services harder to reach, again pushing families to rely on each other.
Only 30.1 % of carers said they have as much social contact as they would like. Although this fraction is slightly higher than the England average of 29.3 %, it still means that almost seven out of ten carers feel isolated. Long hours of caring, limited disposable income and the time needed to travel to services are likely factors behind this persistent loneliness. Continuing social isolation risks carer burnout and poorer outcomes for the people they support.
Encouragingly, 69.3 % of local carers feel it is easy to obtain information about help and services, ten percentage points above the national figure. This suggests that the council’s advice and sign-posting offer is visible and user-friendly. Good access to information may also explain why dissatisfaction with social contact is not even higher: when carers know what is available, they can organise respite or community activities more confidently.
The mix of support shows a distinctive profile. Council-managed personal budgets are used at a rate of 167 per 100,000, over twice the England norm (66). Direct payments, whether full (76 per 100,000) or part (3), are far less common than nationally (150 and 45 respectively). Commissioned support provided solely by the council is also rare (6 per 100,000 versus 102). Meanwhile, the rate of “no direct support to the carer” stands at 221 per 100,000, well above the national 130. Together, these figures imply a system that steers carers towards a managed budget if they receive help at all, while many receive information only or nothing formal. The low uptake of direct payments may reflect limited market choice, lack of confidence in managing funds, or administrative barriers.
North East Lincolnshire’s carers shoulder a heavier load than their counterparts elsewhere, and most still lack regular social contact. Yet they value the ease of finding information, and many are willing to accept council-managed personal budgets. Service planners may therefore focus on three priorities: broadening the range of respite options that can be bought with a personal budget; simplifying direct payment processes to give carers more flexibility; and building community networks that reduce isolation. Given the area’s higher deprivation, any new offer must remain affordable and accessible by public transport. Strengthening support in these ways should safeguard the wellbeing of both carers and the people they look after, while helping the local authority manage demand for more costly formal 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
North East Lincolnshire supports 17 community-based adult social care services and 51 residential care homes. The headline totals are below the national averages of 63.8 and 91 providers. However, the local population is less than half the national mean (about 158,000 people compared with 377,000). When adjusted for population, the area offers roughly 10.7 community services and 32.2 residential homes per 100,000 residents. England as a whole offers around 16.9 and 24.1 respectively. This shows a relative shortfall in community-based options and an above-average density of residential places. The pattern suggests that people who need support are more likely to enter a care home than to receive help at home, a tendency often seen in places with long-standing institutional provision and higher deprivation levels.
Only 13.2 % of local providers are rated as “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8 % nationally. This indicates that, despite a heavier reliance on residential care, the quality monitored by the Care Quality Commission is generally sound. Maintaining this advantage matters because areas with greater socioeconomic need (North East Lincolnshire sits in the 4th deprivation decile, below the England average of 5.9) can face persistent pressures on care quality.
The turnover rate stands at 25.2 %, virtually identical to the regional and national figure, suggesting that staff leave the sector at the same pace as elsewhere. Vacancies are lower (6.4 % versus 8.4 %), implying that providers have been slightly more successful at filling posts. Nonetheless, 70.5 % of managers say retaining staff is “more” or “much more” challenging and 82.5 % report similar difficulty in recruitment, both a little higher than regional averages. The apparent contradiction—fewer open vacancies yet high perceived difficulty—often reflects the local labour market: a small, relatively deprived urban area with limited alternative employers can achieve better vacancy rates, but any loss of staff feels acute because the pool of qualified replacements is thin.
Population density is 815 residents per square kilometre, far below the England average of 2,468.5. Lower density raises travel time for home-care staff and may deter providers from expanding community services, helping explain the skew toward residential care. Deprivation adds further complexity: poorer health outcomes drive demand for 24-hour support, while lower household income constrains the market for privately purchased home care. These dynamics reinforce reliance on care homes and make workforce resilience crucial.
The balance of provision suggests a need to stimulate community-based services so that older and disabled people can remain at home when clinically appropriate. Commissioning teams might explore block contracts covering travel costs in outlying wards or invest in technology-enabled care to reach dispersed households. Sustaining current quality levels will require continued support for training and career progression to counteract high turnover sentiment. Finally, the relatively favourable vacancy rate offers a foundation for targeted recruitment campaigns, but without broader economic development the pool may not expand, keeping perceived challenges high.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Almost every hospital stay ends in a hand-over to a provider judged acceptable by the Care Quality Commission: 99.5% of discharges meet this standard, ten percentage points above the England mean of 89%. People who do experience a delay wait for a shorter time; the average delay is 0.32 days, less than half the national figure of 0.7 days. The share of discharges that are delayed at all (12.5%) is close to the England rate (12.3%), so the main strength lies in keeping any delay brief. A compact, mainly urban population of 158,000 means distances between hospital, community teams and a patient’s home are modest, helping staff to co-ordinate transport, equipment and care packages quickly.
Despite the smooth discharge process, overall satisfaction with care and support is only 60.4%, four points below the England average of 64.7%. A second survey source records 57% dissatisfaction, hinting that local residents judge services more critically than people elsewhere. One driver may be deprivation. The area’s mean deprivation decile is 4.3 compared with the national 5.9, and inequality across neighbourhoods is wider. People living with long-term financial strain often require more intensive help yet feel they receive less, which can pull down headline satisfaction scores.
Conversely, 75.4% of service users say it is easy to find information about help – seven points higher than the national figure. Clear sign-posting suggests good front-door services and digital channels. Good information is a known buffer against anxiety during care episodes, so there is an opportunity to convert this strength into higher overall satisfaction by coupling clear advice with more personalised support in the most deprived wards.
The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman received 3.8 complaints per 100,000 residents in 2024, against an England mean of 4.45. With a population of about 158,000 this equates to roughly six complaints. Decisions issued were 3.2 per 100,000 (about five cases), again lower than the national rate of 4.12. Fewer complaints can signal good frontline resolution or, alternatively, limited expectations among residents. Given the lower satisfaction score, the first explanation is more persuasive, but the council should still check whether deprived communities know how to escalate concerns.
North East Lincolnshire performs well on timeliness, discharge quality and information, yet lags on perceived quality of care. Focused investment in neighbourhoods with the highest deprivation ranks could narrow the gap. Maintaining rapid discharge will remain important as the population size is stable but long-term illness linked to deprivation may rise. Regularly publishing learning from the small number of ombudsman cases will also help to show residents that feedback drives change.
✨ ✅ ❌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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The council spent about £72.9 million on adult social care in 2024. This equals £45,990 for every 100,000 residents. The England figure is £47,758. North East Lincolnshire therefore spends around four per cent less per person than the average council. After income from the NHS and from clients is removed, net spend is roughly £60.8 million, or £38,396 per 100,000 people, again about five per cent below the national rate.
People who use services in the area pay a little more than the national norm. Client contributions come to £7,595 per 100,000 people, around four per cent higher than England. In cash terms this is just over £12 million. By contrast, help from the NHS is much lower. NHS contributions stand at £3,555 per 100,000 people, giving a cash sum of about £5.6 million. The national rate is £7,878, more than twice as high. The local budget therefore relies more on fees from service users and less on joint health funding than is usual.
North East Lincolnshire is a small, mainly urban area with 158,000 residents and a density of 815 people per square kilometre. It is more deprived than the country as a whole; its mean deprivation decile is 4.3, while England’s is 5.9, and there is wide spread between neighbourhoods. Deprivation often leads to poorer health and a higher need for care. One might expect spending to be above average, yet it is slightly below. This may point to tight local finances or to limits on the level of care that people can get. The low NHS share suggests that joint packages, such as Continuing Healthcare or pooled budgets, are less common, so the council must carry more cost itself. Higher client charges may be an attempt to close that gap, but in a deprived area they risk putting some residents off asking for help.
Spending that is a little below average does not automatically mean poor services, but it can put pressure on staff and on unpaid carers if need is high. The shortfall in NHS money is striking; closer integration with local health partners could unlock extra funds and support more seamless care. The council could also review its charging rules to check they do not create hardship. Given the area’s compact geography, delivering home care should be cheaper than in rural places; investing savings from travel time into workforce pay or training could help maintain quality within the present budget.
Without multi-year figures it is hard to see trends, and information on planned cuts is missing. Even so, the 2024 snapshot shows a council that spends slightly less than most, asks residents to pay a bit more, and receives far less from the NHS. In an area with high deprivation, that balance may not be sustainable over time. Clear plans for joint funding and for fair charges will be important if the local authority wants to keep meeting the care needs of its population.
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