This page provides an overview of social care in North Tyneside, 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 Tyneside
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 Tyneside
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 Tyneside. 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 disability rate is 19.7 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. Because the figure is age-standardised, it is not driven by an older population. It points instead to higher levels of long-term illness or impairment within every age group. Possible factors are the area’s slightly higher deprivation, its history of heavy industry, and health behaviours linked to dense urban living.
In 2024, 2,035 working-age residents asked the council for care or support. This equals 960.9 requests per 100,000 people, below the national rate of 1,143.5. A lower request rate can mean stronger informal care, better early intervention, or barriers to coming forward. Given that disability prevalence is high, unmet need cannot be ruled out.
The number of 18- to 64-year-olds actually getting support is 1,180, or 557.2 per 100,000. This is slightly above the England average of 532.7. In simple terms, fewer people ask, but a greater share of those who do ask go on to receive a service. This suggests that assessment and eligibility rules in North Tyneside may be applied more generously than elsewhere, or that presenting needs are more severe.
Community-based help dominates. Council-managed personal budgets stand at 356.5 per 100,000, well above the national figure of 266.7. Direct payments used without council commissioning are lower than average, while mixed packages (part direct payment) are slightly higher. Residential care is 47.2 per 100,000, below the England rate of 60.6, and nursing care is close to parity. The pattern shows a clear local preference for keeping disabled residents at home with support that the council organises. This may reflect limited affordable housing for group living, or a strategic aim to promote independence.
For 2025 the council logged very small numbers of requests for help with assessments, care plans, charging issues or legal complaints. All categories sit near the England averages, though enquiries about charging are a little higher at 7.1 versus 5.7 per 100,000. Cost of care may therefore be a growing worry, echoing national concerns about rising living costs.
North Tyneside’s population has risen steadily from 207,294 in 2019 to 211,769 in 2023, adding pressure to services even when per-person rates stay flat. Population density is 2,538.6 people per km², slightly above the England mean, so travel distances for home care are short, favouring community support. Average deprivation sits just below mid-range, yet variation across neighbourhoods is wide. Higher inequality can concentrate demand in pockets of disadvantage, requiring flexible resource allocation.
The council’s strong use of community packages aligns with national policy on independent living. Sustaining this approach will need continued investment in domiciliary care staff and in personal budget support. Given the high disability prevalence, proactive outreach could uncover hidden need, especially in the most deprived wards. Finally, the modest rise in cost-related enquiries signals a need for clear, simple charging information and, where possible, financial advice services.
✨ ✅ ❌Older People
Just like with Working Age people, knowing how many older people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of the population is 65+ helps understand need and social care provision at a top level.
Jamaican female, blind and in her 40s. She was in an emergency Bed & Breakfast with her Niece, who acts as her unofficial carer, she is unable to work but would like to go to University. She is receiving PIP but not the Daily Living Allowance which she applied for in June 2021. She is vulnerable and has a history of self harm so was assigned a rehab Support Worker. Vanessa supported her using the Chatbot to chase up her PIP Daily Living allowance application, after waiting for several months and they received a reply within a week but was awarded the lower rate.
Another Chatbot letter was sent to request an urgent assessment due to her vulnerability and this was action quickly by the LA. Vanessa also supported her to use the chatbot and ask the Social worker to be moved to a place that supports her needs and rights. As she was having to use a shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen in a place with drug/alcohol abusers and being blind with no carer, this left her vulnerable. The Chatbot was used again to raise this issue and after a few weeks she was successfully moved to a private property in another area.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
As above, it is important to see what type of care older people are being provided because it can help explain where additional work is needed.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The share of residents aged 65 + in North Tyneside has risen gently, from 20.2 % in 2019 to 21.1 % in 2023. England as a whole stayed lower, around 18–19 %. The local population also grew, but only from 207,294 to 211,769, so the older group is expanding faster than the borough itself. North Tyneside is urban and compact, with 2,539 usual residents per square kilometre against an England average of 2,469. It is a little more deprived (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 5.45 versus 5.9) and shows wide gaps between neighbourhoods. These factors together point to a borough where many older people live close together, some in areas of notable need.
In 2024, 5,755 people aged 65 + asked the council for care or support, equal to 2,718 requests per 100,000 older residents. The England rate was lower at 2,438. More requests are expected where there are more older people, yet the local rate is still high after adjusting for population, suggesting additional drivers such as ill-health linked to deprivation, limited family carers in a dense urban area, or good public awareness of council services.
Early data for 2025 show many of these requests relate to assessments (1.9 per 100,000) and care plans (1.4 per 100,000), both close to national figures, but a larger gap for help with charging (7.1 per 100,000 locally, 5.7 nationally). Money worries may therefore be pushing some older residents to seek advice sooner.
By 2024, 3,010 older residents were getting support arranged or paid for by the council, equal to 1,421 per 100,000—about 40 % above the England mean of 1,003. Use of nursing (210 per 100,000) and residential beds (465 per 100,000) is notably high, each almost double the national rate. Community options show a mixed picture. Direct-payment-only packages (14 per 100,000) and part direct payments (7 per 100,000) sit below national norms, while council-managed personal budgets in the community are common (725 per 100,000 versus 508 nationally).
This pattern hints at two things. First, limited suitable housing or informal care may push people into care homes sooner. Second, when people do remain at home, they often rely on council-commissioned support rather than managing a direct payment themselves. Urban density can make home-care rounds efficient, yet pockets of deprivation may leave families less willing or able to coordinate their own services.
North Tyneside’s ageing and slightly poorer population is already generating higher demand and higher use of publicly funded social care. If the older share keeps growing by about 0.2 % a year, requests could top 6,000 by 2026 even without changes in health status. The heavy use of nursing and residential care suggests pressure on bed capacity and on the council budget, as these settings are costly.
Shifting more support to well-funded, reliable home-care packages could slow entry to care homes and match many older people’s wish to stay at home. To do this, the borough may need to:
• Strengthen the home-care workforce, possibly drawing on its urban labour pool.
• Offer clearer, simpler direct-payment advice so families feel confident to arrange care themselves.
• Target preventative services—falls prevention, welfare checks—at neighbourhoods with high deprivation scores, where health needs peak earlier.
Without such action, high demand and reliance on institutional care are likely to continue, placing further strain on local finances and on care quality.
✨ ✅ ❌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 North Tyneside had an estimated 19,700 unpaid carers. This equals about 9.4 per cent of all residents, or 9,412 carers for every 100,000 people. The national rate is lower, at 8,204 per 100,000. A higher share of carers is often seen in areas with an ageing population, but North Tyneside’s figure also reflects its very high population density (2,539 residents per km²) and a mix of urban deprivation and older suburban neighbourhoods. Families living close together may feel more pressure to give informal care, while the cost of formal care in a dense area can also push people towards unpaid support.
Only 26 per cent of local carers say they have as much social contact as they would like, well below the England figure of 29.3 per cent. This gap is small in numbers but important in day-to-day life. A carer who lacks social contact is more likely to feel tired, lonely and stressed, which can harm both the carer and the person looked after. North Tyneside’s moderate deprivation score (mean decile 5.45) hides big contrasts between neighbourhoods; carers in poorer wards may have less time or money for leisure and travel, so isolation can be stronger there.
Just 52.9 per cent of carers think it is easy to find information about services, compared with 59.3 per cent nationally. Good information lets carers plan breaks, apply for benefits and stay in work. The local shortfall suggests that contact routes—web pages, helplines, front-line staff—may not reach every group, especially older carers or those with low digital skills. In a borough where deprivation varies widely, service messages may need to be clearer and offered in more places, for example through GPs, community centres and social media.
North Tyneside offers support to many carers, but the pattern is different from the national one.
• Council-commissioned support only: 751 per 100,000 residents (about 1,570 people) get services arranged and paid for by the council, seven times the national rate of 102.
• Council-managed personal budgets: 156 per 100,000 (roughly 330 people) hold a budget that the council controls, more than twice the national rate.
• Direct payments to carers: only 38 per 100,000 (around 80 people) receive money paid straight to them, far below the England rate of 150.
• Simple information or sign-posting: 33 per 100,000 (about 70 people) receive this low-cost help, while nationally 339 do.
• No direct support: 71 per 100,000 (150 people) receive nothing, almost half the national figure of 130.
The data show that the council prefers to arrange services itself rather than give cash or light-touch advice. This may reduce the number of carers left with no support at all, but it can also limit flexibility. Some carers may want a direct payment so they can buy help that fits their lives—such as a trusted neighbour or a culturally suitable day club. The low score for social contact hints that current packages do not always free up time for friends or hobbies.
The carer population is rising slowly as the borough adds about 1,000 residents each year. Demand for care will therefore grow. North Tyneside could help carers by expanding direct payments, increasing quick access to advice, and linking carers to community groups that reduce loneliness. Doing so could raise satisfaction, keep carers healthy for longer, and delay costly residential care for the people they support.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Tyneside has 27 community-based adult social care services and 42 residential care homes. England, on average, shows 63.8 community services and 91 residential homes. The borough’s population is about 212,000, while the mean English local authority has around 377,000 people. Even after allowing for the smaller population, North Tyneside still has fewer services per head. For community care the rate is roughly 13 providers per 100,000 people; the national rate is close to 17. For residential care the borough records about 20 providers per 100,000, compared with 24 nationally. This thinner supply may narrow choice for residents and place more pressure on each provider to meet demand.
Only 5.8 % of local providers are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, far below the England figure of 16.8 %. Fewer poor ratings suggest strong local oversight and good day-to-day practice. A compact urban geography (density 2,538 people per km²) makes it easier for commissioners to visit services and share learning. Good quality can partly offset the limited number of providers, yet continued vigilance is needed, as a single failing home could affect many people.
The workforce picture is mixed. Turnover stands at 24.3 %, almost identical to the national average. The vacancy rate is lower than England (7.2 % versus 8.4 %), hinting that most posts are filled. However, 82.5 % of employers say recruiting staff is now “more” or “much more” challenging, slightly above the England figure of 79.8 %. Retention feels harder too (70.5 % report greater difficulty, against 68.1 % nationally). In short, jobs are being kept filled for now, but managers are working harder to achieve this. If pressures rise, vacancies could grow quickly.
North Tyneside is more deprived than the national average (mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 5.45 versus 5.9) and shows wider variation in deprivation across neighbourhoods. Poverty can increase care needs earlier in life and raise demand for community support. With only 27 community providers, the system may struggle to offer early help in the most deprived wards, risking heavier use of residential care. The borough’s low rural share (9 %) limits travel time, which can lower costs for home-care firms, yet this has not translated into a high count of community services. Extra incentives or new commissioning models may be required to draw more entrants to the market.
North Tyneside delivers good-quality care but with a lean provider base. Choice for citizens is therefore narrower, and any closure would have a large impact. The stable, but fragile, workforce highlights the need to make care roles attractive, for example through training, clear career paths and links with local colleges. Commissioners might also explore targeted support for providers willing to open in deprived neighbourhoods, helping to balance supply with need. Maintaining present quality while growing the market should be the twin goals for the coming years.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
North Tyneside has about 212,000 people. It is slightly smaller than the average English local authority but it is a little more crowded and a little more deprived. Only nine per cent of the land is rural, so most residents live close to services. These facts shape how care is planned and how people judge its quality.
Almost every resident (99.9 %) who leaves hospital is discharged to a trust that regulators call “acceptable”. The England average is 89 %. Delayed discharges are also rare: 5.2 % of stays are delayed against a national rate of 12.3 %, and the mean delay is only 0.33 days compared with 0.7 days. In a compact urban area travel distances are short and community teams can reach people quickly. This may explain the strong figures. Good flow eases pressure on wards and lowers the risk of harm that can follow a long stay.
Despite smooth hospital exits, fewer people are happy with the care that follows. In the 2024 survey 59.6 % of users said they were satisfied, five points below the England average of 64.7 %. Only 57.7 % felt information about services was easy to find, well below the national 68.2 %. The borough has areas of both affluence and high deprivation, and need may be uneven. People in the poorest neighbourhoods often face digital or literacy barriers, so written or online advice may not reach them. Low satisfaction can also signal stretched community teams who must cover a dense population with varied needs.
Residents make more complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman than most places. In 2024 there were 7.1 cases received and 8.0 decided per 100,000 people, compared with national rates of 4.5 and 4.1. A higher complaint rate can mean stronger awareness of rights, but it can also point to gaps in early resolution. The contrast with good discharge performance hints that issues arise after people return home, for example with home-care reliability or communication.
North Tyneside moves people out of hospital safely and on time. This is a clear strength and keeps acute beds free. The next challenge is to match that efficiency with better day-to-day support and clearer advice. Targeted information in plain language, more community contact points and timely responses to minor concerns could reduce formal complaints and lift satisfaction.
Population growth is modest but steady, so future demand will rise. While overall deprivation is close to national levels, the wide spread between best and worst areas (a standard deviation of 3.08 versus 2.3 nationally) suggests that quality improvement plans should focus on the most deprived wards. Keeping the strong hospital interface while investing in neighbourhood services and communication should help the council move from good operational performance to better lived experience.
✨ ✅ ❌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 2024 the council spent about £106 million on adult social care. This equals £50,366 for every 100,000 residents, five per cent above the England figure of £47,758. Net spending, after income from the NHS and from service users, was about £86 million, or £40,966 per 100,000 people. The national figure is £40,472, so North Tyneside still spends a little more even after it collects extra income.
Service users in the borough pay a larger share than elsewhere. Client contributions come to roughly £20 million, or £9,400 per 100,000 people, 29 per cent above the national level. NHS partners also give more support: £22 million, or £10,545 per 100,000, 34 per cent above average. This strong joint-funding picture means the council can keep net costs close to the national norm while still running a larger gross budget.
Several local factors help to explain the higher figures. First, North Tyneside is quite compact. With 2,539 residents per square kilometre and only nine per cent of the land classed as rural, services can reach many people quickly, so caseloads can grow fast. Second, deprivation is mixed. The mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile is 5.45, slightly poorer than the England mean of 5.9, and the spread is wide. Some neighbourhoods face deep poverty, which often raises demand for care and makes independence harder to sustain. Third, the population is growing year on year, from 207,000 in 2019 to almost 212,000 in 2023. Growth in older age groups is likely, as coastal areas often attract retirees, though exact age data are not shown here.
The council’s choice to hold spending above the national rate looks sensible in this context. Higher client payments suggest that more people are receiving chargeable long-term support, rather than lighter touch early help. While this brings income, it can also signal rising need or limited preventive work. Strong NHS contributions hint at active pooled budgets and close working on hospital discharge and re-ablement. This helps, but it also means the social care system is sensitive to any shift in NHS finances.
There is no clear data on budget cuts, yet the comment that “the government appears to know how much money is required” points to uncertainty over national grant levels. If grants fall, North Tyneside might need to raise client charges further or trim services. Given the borough’s pockets of deprivation, such moves could widen health and care inequalities. On the positive side, the compact urban setting offers scope for efficient home-care routes and for technology-enabled care. Continued joint work with the NHS could also protect residents from the worst effects of financial pressure.
North Tyneside spends slightly more than the England average on adult social care, backed by higher income from both service users and the NHS. Higher demand, linked to dense settlement and uneven deprivation, seems to drive this pattern. Sustaining current service levels will depend on stable national funding and on keeping the productive partnership with health services.
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