This page provides an overview of social care in North Northamptonshire, 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.
NULLDeprivation 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.
NULLDeprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
Many people want care, some receive care, but a significant number go without. What types of care are being requested? What care is actually provided? This section explores the gap between need and provision, the types of care available, and how our own data contributes to the understanding of these challenges.
Access Social Care and other Helplines providers are working to bridge this gap by providing free legal support to people who are struggling to access social care services. This first chart illustrates the types of calls we are getting.
The rest of this page distingushes between the different types of care provided to Working Age People and Older People, as we are able to disaggregate at a greater level of granularity.
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
This plot shows a breakdown of the types of requests for assistance received by Access Social Care and other helplines. Understanding the themes of these calls can identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to housing may indicate a need for more affordable housing options, while a high number of calls related to social care assessments may suggest a need for improved access to care services. The request types are:
Assessments: An assessment is a meeting or form to find out what help someone needs with daily tasks.
Care Plan: A care plan is a written agreement that lists the support you’ll get and who to contact if things change.
Carers: Carers are people who help a disabled or ill person with daily tasks.
Charging: Charging refers to checking if you can afford to pay for some of your care based on your savings.
Information Seeking: Information seeking means getting advice about available care options.
Legal Issues and Complaints: Legal issues and complaints involve reporting problems with your care to the council or an ombudsman.
Safeguarding: Safeguarding is protecting people from abuse or neglect.
Of course, high numbers also mean that people know where to call, and this number can be impacted by advocacy efforts. As a counterpoint, areas with low numbers may indicate a lack of awareness of available services or a need for more outreach to connect people with support.
To protect privacy, our minimum bin size is 5, which means that if we field 1-5 queries on a topic, we display 5.
Are you a helpline and would like to combine data resources? Let us know!
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
Working Age People
Knowing how many people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of people are disabled helps understand need and social care provision at a top level. For example, a high number of people requesting care may indicate a need for additional resources or services, while a low number of people receiving care may suggest a gap in service provision. Understanding these metrics can help identify areas where additional support may be needed.
MW was diagnosed with Functional Chronic Pain, she cannot walk without support, she holds on to her furniture to move around the house. She uses a wheelchair, especially when she goes out, with support from friends and family. She lives on second floor with 5 flights because of the way the building is designed and there is no lift. She never goes out because of the difficulties she experiences with the stairs. She needs help with cooking, cleaning, shopping and showering. She relies on friends and her mum who has knee replacement.
She was referred by the Social Prescriber who referred her onto also referred her to Croydon Adult Support, they told her they are short of staff to allocate her a social worker, so she was placed on a long waiting list. MW case still hadn’t progressed until the Social Prescriber, who had been recently trained on the Care Act, referred her to Access Social Care’s free legal Chatbot letter clinic.
The legal clinic volunteer completed a letter to Croydon Council with MW within a week which was sent to Adult Social Services. Access Social Care then called her after two weeks to complete a follow up survey. MW informed them that she had had an assessment and was waiting to hear back from Croydon following the panel meeting. Social Services has now done the assessment after which the panel offered MW 9 hours of social care support.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
This plot shows the types of care provided to working-age people in North Northamptonshire. 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 latest figures say that 17.9 % of people in North Northamptonshire report a disability, a little above the England average of 17.6 %. With about 368,000 residents in 2023, this equals roughly 66,000 disabled people. The share is only slightly higher than the national picture, yet it sits within a fast-growing population – the area has gained more than 13,000 residents since 2019. Growth of this size means even a small gap in disability rate translates into many extra people who may look for help.
During 2024, 2,995 working-age adults (18–64) asked for care or support. This is 814 requests for every 100,000 residents, well below the England rate of 1,143. The low per-capita figure could point to strong informal care, good early-help services, or unmet demand. Population density is 364 people per square kilometre, far lower than the England average shown here, so travel distances and awareness of services may also limit formal enquiries.
The detail behind the requests suggests most people want information or an assessment rather than urgent action. In 2025, only 5 safeguarding queries and 4 legal or complaint issues were logged, each under 1.1 per 100,000. Small numbers are positive for risk management but may hide problems if people do not recognise abuse or do not know how to report it.
In 2024, 1,780 working-age adults received funded long-term care. This equals 484 people per 100,000, again below the England rate of 533. Community settings dominate: 950 users hold a council-managed personal budget and a further 565 use direct payments, part-packages or commissioned support. Nursing beds (40 users) and residential beds (225 users) are used less than national norms when population is taken into account. A community-first model fits a semi-rural area, but it also relies on local workforce and unpaid carers. If either group becomes thin, pressure on residential places could rise quickly.
The combination of a slightly higher disability rate and lower formal support rates raises two possible stories. First, disabled residents may be more independent or have stronger family networks than average, reducing the need for council-funded help. Second, people might face barriers: distance to offices, limited public transport, or lack of knowledge about eligibility. Recent small numbers asking for help with charging or direct payments (9.5 per 100,000 combined) suggest that some residents may not progress from an initial enquiry to a formal package.
As the population grows, even today’s modest service levels will need extra staff and money simply to hold the rate steady. A clear outreach plan, especially in outlying towns and villages, could make sure that residents who want care know how to get it. Strengthening advice channels may keep safeguarding and complaint numbers low while giving people confidence to speak up. Finally, monitoring the balance between community and residential provision will help the council act before local nursing capacity becomes a pressure point.
✨ ✅ ❌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
The local population grew from 354,848 in 2019 to 367,991 in 2023, an increase of almost 4 %. Over the same period the share of residents aged 65 + rose from 18.1 % to 18.4 %. England started a little higher, at 18.4 % in 2019, and now stands at 18.5 %. In other words, North Northamptonshire is only a step behind the national age profile, and is moving in the same upward direction. With a density of about 364 persons per square kilometre, the area is more spacious than many parts of England. Lower density often means longer travel times for staff and family carers, so service planning must allow for this.
In 2024 there were 7,675 requests for support from people aged 65 +. This equals 2,086 per 100,000 older residents, around 14 % below the England rate of 2,438. A smaller number of requests can arise because the older share is still a little lower than the national figure, but it can also signal strong informal help from families or, less positively, unmet need that has not yet reached services. Monitoring changes year by year will show which of these is true.
There are 2,910 older people in long-term care, or 791 per 100,000. The national figure is 1,003, so North Northamptonshire supports about one fifth fewer older residents through formal long-term packages.
The mix of settings gives further clues:
Nursing care is almost identical to the national rate (121 local, 122 national per 100,000). Residential care is higher than average (268 local, 250 national). By contrast, community support is lower in every form: direct payment only (37 local, 55 national), part direct payment (15 vs 22), and council-managed personal budget (346 vs 508). Taken together, this suggests that once an older person’s needs become harder to meet at home, the system moves relatively quickly to a care-home solution rather than extending support in the community. The limited take-up of direct payments points to a culture that is still shifting towards personal choice.
Early contact can keep people independent, yet 2025 figures show very small numbers asking for help with assessments, paying charges, or safeguarding: all sit below the England averages. Low contact may mean that residents find answers elsewhere, but it can also hide demand that surfaces later in more costly forms.
The older share of the population is rising and is likely to match the national profile within a few years. At the same time, the current pattern points to:
• less use of community support,
• a tilt towards residential care,
• limited use of personal budgets or direct payments.
If these trends continue, budget pressure will grow because residential placements are usually more expensive than well-planned home care. Expanding re-ablement services, encouraging direct payments, and improving access to advice could help more people stay at home, even in a low-density area. Acting now, before the older population grows further, will allow the council to spread demand, manage costs, and support older residents in the setting they prefer.
✨ ✅ ❌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 about 28,900 residents gave unpaid care. This is 8,022 carers for every 100,000 people, a little below the England average of 8,204 per 100,000. The gap is small, but it may hint at two things. First, North Northamptonshire has a slightly younger age profile than many areas, so fewer adults may yet need help with long-term illness. Second, some carers may not see themselves as carers and so are not counted. Better identification work could uncover hidden need.
In 2024, 37.3 % of local carers said they had as much social contact as they would like, well above the national figure of 29.3 %. This suggests that friends, family and community groups in North Northamptonshire give strong informal support. The area’s modest population density of 364 residents per square kilometre may encourage close-knit networks, though it can also hide isolated households. Maintaining small local groups and transport links will be important so that this advantage is not lost.
Two thirds of carers (67.6 %) find it easy to get information about services, again better than the England average of 59.3 %. Local sign-posting seems to work. Continued investment in simple, single-point digital and face-to-face advice is likely to keep satisfaction high and may draw out some of the unreported carers noted above.
The pattern of formal help looks uneven. Around 1,325 carers per 100,000 receive information or advice only, slightly higher than the national rate. Yet direct financial help is rare: fewer than 40 carers per 100,000 get a full direct payment, compared with 150 nationally, and only about 95 per 100,000 benefit from respite provided through the cared-for person, against 70 nationally. Personal budgets managed by the council are close to the England norm, so the main shortfall lies in flexible, carer-controlled funds.
These numbers are modest in absolute terms: roughly 40 carers in the whole authority receive a direct payment and about 95 receive respite. For a population of nearly 368,000, this is unlikely to meet demand, especially as caring roles grow more complex with age and disability. The higher share of carers who feel socially connected may be masking hidden stress that could surface if informal support breaks down.
North Northamptonshire already performs well on helping carers feel informed and socially included. The next step is to widen practical help. Increasing the take-up of direct payments and respite would give carers more choice and a real break from caring duties. Outreach should target rural hamlets where distance can limit service use even when advice is easy to find. Finally, better recording of caring roles will give a clearer view of future demand and allow the council to plan for an ageing local population.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Northamptonshire has 86 community-based adult social care providers and 109 residential care homes in 2024. These numbers are high for the size of the area. When set against the local population of about 368,000, there are roughly 23 community services and 30 care homes for every 100,000 residents. For England as a whole the rate is nearer 17 and 24 per 100,000. The area therefore offers wider choice and shorter travel times than many parts of the country. The extra supply may also reflect the geography: population density is low (364 people per km²) so small, local units are often needed to reach villages and market towns.
Only 16.4 % of providers are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, just below the England figure of 16.8 %. Quality is being kept in line with national norms even though there are more providers to monitor. This suggests that council commissioning and CQC oversight are coping well with the larger market. However, with almost one in six services falling below a good standard, there is still room for focused support, especially for smaller homes that may lack clinical leadership.
Staff turnover sits at 25.5 %, almost the same as the England average, while the recorded vacancy rate is lower (6.7 % versus 8.4 %). On paper posts are being filled, yet 70 % of managers say it is now harder to keep staff and 81 % say it is harder to recruit. Providers appear to be holding vacancy levels down through constant hiring activity, but this carries a cost in time, induction and agency fees. If the local economy picks up or retail wages rise, the sector could lose ground quickly. Stability of the workforce is important because good CQC ratings often depend on experienced staff who know residents well. Ongoing churn therefore risks pushing up the proportion of homes that need improvement.
The mix of plentiful providers, average turnover and lower vacancies hints at a market made up of many small employers. Such services are flexible and close to communities, yet they have limited training budgets and tend to compete for the same pool of care workers. This competition explains why managers feel recruitment and retention are hard even when posts are formally filled. Maintaining quality in this setting will rely on joint training schemes, career pathways and shared recruitment campaigns.
North Northamptonshire should continue to support a broad range of community providers, as this suits its spread-out settlements. At the same time the council and Integrated Care Board may need to invest in workforce programmes so that homes can keep skilled staff. Targeted improvement support could bring the 16 % of weaker services up to a good rating and protect residents from avoidable moves or hospital admissions. Finally, regular market checks are advised; a high number of small providers increases choice but also raises the risk that one closure could leave a rural area without cover.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Timely discharge from hospital is a key test of how well health and social care work together. In November 2024, 85.7 per cent of people left an “acceptable” local trust, against an England rate of 89 per cent. At the same time 14.8 per cent of discharges were delayed, higher than the national 12.3 per cent. The average length of a delay was just over one day (1.03), while the England mean was 0.7 days. This suggests that most patients leave hospital safely, yet the system still loses time at the point of transfer. A rising population – up 4 per cent since 2019, faster than the national growth of 2.6 per cent – adds extra pressure. Although North Northamptonshire is less densely settled than the average council, many villages are some distance from hospitals and care agencies; travel time can slow up the hand-over of care packages and reablement staff.
Despite the discharge pressures, people generally report good day-to-day care. In the 2024 survey 66.4 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with the help they receive, slightly above the England figure of 64.7 per cent. The local authority also scores a little better on access to information: 69.7 per cent of service users felt it was easy to find out about support, compared with 68.2 per cent nationally. Clear information often reduces anxiety and can cut requests for unplanned services, so these results are positive. However, an alternative study by NatCen found that 57 per cent of residents expressed some dissatisfaction with social care. This gap between surveys hints at uneven quality – good for many people, yet falling short for a sizeable minority.
In 2024 the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 5.16 complaints per 100,000 residents and made decisions on 5.43 cases per 100,000. With a mid-2023 population of about 368,000 this equals roughly 19 complaints received and 20 decided during the year. Both rates sit above the England means of 4.45 and 4.12 respectively. A higher complaint rate can signal real problems, but it may also show that the council encourages people to speak up and then routes cases to the Ombudsman rather than leaving them unresolved locally. The authority should examine themes emerging from these cases and feed them into service improvement plans.
The data paint a mixed picture. Residents are broadly content with the care they finally receive, and they have slightly better access to advice than the average council area. Yet delays at the front door of social care – the hand-over from hospital – remain a weak point. Faster population growth means demand will keep rising. Investment in community reablement teams, better coordination with acute trusts and the use of digital scheduling tools for rural routes could reduce delays. At the same time, learning from Ombudsman cases and from the minority of dissatisfied users will help the council to lift all services to the level already experienced by the majority.
✨ ✅ ❌We need to understand how much money is being spent on social care, and what this provides. First, let’s look at values reported by local authorities.
Gross Current Expenditure (2023-24) captures the total operational cost of services, indicating overall demand and financial commitment. This includes spending on residential and non-residential care, direct payments, and other social care services. Understanding gross expenditure helps assess the scale of social care provision and financial pressures on local authorities.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
This figure reflects the net cost of social care provision to the local authority, indicating the extent of financial support required to meet service demands. Understanding net expenditure helps assess the financial sustainability of social care services and the commitment level of the local authority.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Client Contributions, otherwise known as “Charging”, show the extent to which service users offset costs. Understanding client contributions helps assess the financial burden on individuals and the local authority, highlighting the need for fair and equitable funding mechanisms.
It is important to note that not all local authorities charge for social care services, and that charging can be a barrier to accessing care for some individuals.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Income from NHS reflects external funding and collaboration with the health sector. Understanding NHS contributions helps understand the level of integration between health and social care.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Budget Cuts indicate financial constraints and potential service reductions. Sometimes, budget cuts are explicit, but other times, they aren’t mentioned directly, making tracking this information difficult to access.
As such, this data is not consistently available for all local authorities.
Access Social Care have made a series of Freedom of Information requests about the government’s own assessment of sufficiency of social care funding. The social care sector is in crisis, yet the government refuses to disclose how it determines funding sufficiency. Without transparency, there is little accountability, no independent scrutiny to improve decision-making, and government trust heavily impacted. Evidence from across the sector indicates a severe funding gap, but without open data, meaningful reform remains impossible. True solutions require honesty about the scale of the problem to then work towards a fair and equitable funding model.
The government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known.
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In 2024 the council spends about £43,700 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care before income is taken off. The England figure is about £47,800. When we turn the local rate into a cash sum, we get roughly £161 million for the whole area. After client and NHS income is removed the net cost is about £37,000 per 100,000 people, or around £136 million in total. Both gross and net spending sit a little under ten per cent below the national average. The gap shows that North Northamptonshire is running social care on a tighter budget than many other councils of a similar size.
People who use services in the area pay around £6,700 per 100,000 residents through fees and charges. This is again slightly lower than the England rate of £7,300. NHS bodies add only £2,900 per 100,000 people, far below the national figure of almost £7,900. In cash terms that is about £11 million from the NHS locally against an expected £29 million if the area matched the national pattern. The small NHS share may point to weaker joint-working, fewer jointly funded care packages, or limited use of schemes such as hospital discharge funds. A heavier load therefore falls on the council budget and on individual clients.
The resident count has risen from 354,800 in 2019 to nearly 368,000 in 2023, a growth of about four per cent. The council must serve more people each year while keeping spending per head below the England norm. North Northamptonshire is also relatively rural, with only 364 people per square kilometre against a national average that is around seven times higher. Delivering home care or reaching small villages can cost more staff time, fuel and travel hours, even though the money available per person is lower.
The combination of rising population, long travel distances and below-average funding can create pressure points. Lower NHS contributions may limit the funding for re-ablement, step-down beds or community health teams, so social care staff carry more risk of delayed hospital discharges and repeat admissions. Fewer client contributions than the national norm might show that users have lower incomes, or that charges are set cautiously to avoid hardship. Either way, the council has less room to draw on private funds when need increases.
Because the overall spend is not keeping pace with the England average, unmet need could grow. Signs might include longer waiting lists for assessments, shorter care packages, or less time for care workers to visit each person. Rural geography can add to this by making it hard to recruit staff who must travel long distances.
Local leaders may wish to press for a fairer share of national or NHS money, as the gap in health contributions is large. Better joint planning with the Integrated Care Board could help bring in discharge or prevention funds. At the same time, clear public information on what the real cost of care is, and where the money comes from, would answer concerns that “the government knows the need but is not sharing it.” Transparent figures could support a stronger case for future grants or for new ways of raising income locally.
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