This page provides an overview of social care in North Yorkshire, 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 Yorkshire. 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
In 2024, 8,825 working-age residents asked the council for adult social care. This equals 1,406 requests for every 100,000 people, well above the England rate of 1,143. A high request rate in a county that is large, rural and sparsely populated (77 residents per km² against the national 2,469) hints at real need rather than simple over-referral. Long travel times, limited public transport and fewer nearby services may push disabled people to turn to the council earlier, because informal networks cannot always bridge the distance.
Only 2,550 working-age adults were actually receiving council-funded care, or 406 per 100,000 residents. This is lower than the national figure of 533 per 100,000. The gap between requests and packages is striking: four people ask for help for every person who ends up with ongoing support. This may mean that the council resolves some needs with short-term help, but it could also signal tight eligibility rules or shortages in the local care market.
The pattern is similar across care types. Nursing care (10 per 100,000) and residential care (60) are slightly below national norms. Community support is well below average in every category, from direct payments to council-commissioned services. A rural workforce shortage can make regular home visits harder to arrange, so even when needs are judged eligible, delivering support may be difficult. The small number using prison-based services is expected given few prisons in the county.
New advice enquiries give extra clues. Requests about charging stand out at 9.7 per 100,000, almost double the national rate. With more people paying for some or all of their care, clarity on costs matters. Enquiries about carers, safeguarding and assessments are also above average, suggesting families want to check that relatives are safe and that care plans meet legal duties. In contrast, queries about direct payments or legal complaints are lower, perhaps because fewer people access complex personal budget arrangements when supply of providers is limited.
No local age-standardised disability prevalence is available, while the England average is 17.6 %. Even so, the high number of requests for help implies that disability and long-term illness remain significant in the working-age group. A full prevalence estimate would help test whether the service gap arises from unusually high demand or from constrained supply.
North Yorkshire sees heavy demand from disabled adults but delivers fewer ongoing packages than most areas. Geography and low population density add cost and complexity, and may limit provider interest in remote communities. The council may need to invest in travel payments, digital support and outreach so that help reaches people where they live. Clearer information on charges is important, given the high number of money-related enquiries. Finally, filling the data gap on local disability prevalence would allow better planning and fairer benchmarking with other counties.
✨ ✅ ❌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 and over has risen each year, from 24.6 per cent in 2019 to 25.7 per cent in 2023. England has stayed near 18–19 per cent. The gap shows that North Yorkshire is already an older county and is ageing faster than the country as a whole. At the same time the total population has grown from 611 000 to 628 000. Because the area is large and very rural, with only 77 people per square kilometre against a national average of about 2 470, many older residents live far from services.
In 2024 there were 17 860 requests for support from people aged 65 plus. This equals 2 846 requests per 100 000 older people, higher than the England figure of 2 438. The high rate fits with the county’s age profile, but it can also point to other factors. Rural districts often have fewer informal carers close by, so formal help is asked for sooner. Long travel distances can also lead professionals to raise a formal request rather than suggest light-touch advice.
North Yorkshire supported 6 255 older people at the year-end, or 997 per 100 000. This is almost the same as the national average of 1 003, but it sits beside the higher request rate. The figures suggest that not every request leads to a long-term service, perhaps because some needs are met by short-term reablement or by family help once advice is given. They may also signal pressure on budgets, with stricter tests for ongoing care.
The mix of services is different from England. Residential care stands at 320 per 100 000, and nursing care at 151, both well above national levels. Community help is lower: direct payments only (33 per 100 000), part direct payments (15) and council-managed personal budgets (466) all sit below the England means, while commissioned community support alone is much lower at 10 per 100 000. Distance and workforce shortages can make daily home visits hard to arrange, so families and councils may choose a care home earlier. High property ownership may also allow people to pay top-up fees, keeping home places open.
Early 2025 data on specific advice lines show some rural concerns. Calls about charging rules reach 9.7 per 100 000, against 5.7 nationally, hinting at anxiety over the cost of care homes. Enquiries about assessments, direct payments and information seeking are also slightly above average, while legal issues, mental capacity and safeguarding stay close to or below England. The picture is of an engaged public who want clear guidance, but not of a service in crisis.
The county’s age profile and geography shape its care market. More older people live alone, drive less, and have to travel far for support. This pushes up the number of requests and raises the share entering residential and nursing care. Community options exist but are thinner than elsewhere, likely because recruiting home-care staff for long rural journeys is costly.
To keep pace with the ageing trend, planners may wish to strengthen home-care networks, use digital monitoring, and back local volunteer schemes. Clear advice on charging is also needed, as many residents seek help with fees. If community services grow, the gap between requests and ongoing support might narrow, and more people could stay at home for longer.
✨ ✅ ❌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 8 684 unpaid carers per 100 000 residents lived in North Yorkshire, above the England figure of 8 204 per 100 000. With a mid-2021 population of about 618 600, this equates to roughly 53 700 local people providing care. The county therefore depends on a slightly larger share of informal carers than is typical nationally. North Yorkshire’s older age profile and very low population density (77 people per km² compared with the national average) mean that formal services are often spread thinly; family, friends, and neighbours are more likely to step in.
Recent survey results are mixed but generally positive. One in three carers (31.4 %) said they have as much social contact as they would like, a little better than the national picture (29.3 %). Two thirds (62.9 %) found it easy to get information about support, again slightly ahead of the England average of 59.3 %. These findings suggest local systems succeed in keeping isolation to a minimum for many carers, despite the rural setting. Nevertheless, most carers still report insufficient contact, so isolation remains a live issue.
Service data for 2024 point to a distinctive pattern of help. Direct payments to carers run at 165 per 100 000 residents, comfortably above the England rate of 150. This may reflect the county’s preference for flexible, self-directed solutions when distances make arranged services harder to deliver. Conversely, only 6 carers per 100 000 receive a part direct payment, and no carers are recorded as holding a council-managed personal budget; the national averages are 45 and 66 respectively. The reliance on one funding route suggests limited choice, or a recording gap, and may not suit every household.
Commissioned support delivered directly to the carer sits close to the national rate (106 versus 102 per 100 000), yet universal offers such as information, advice, and signposting are recorded for just 33 per 100 000, a tenth of the England figure. At the same time, 300 carers per 100 000 receive no direct support at all, more than double the national average. Taken together, the data imply that many carers either decline help, cannot reach it, or fall outside current eligibility rules. Low use of respite provided to the cared-for person (49 per 100 000 against 70 nationally) reinforces the picture of limited break opportunities.
In 2025 North Yorkshire logged seven cases (1.1 per 100 000) under the “UT1 — Carers” safeguarding category, slightly above the England average of 0.75 per 100 000. The small numbers mean trends should be interpreted with caution, but they underline that caring roles can carry risk.
The county’s large, rural geography makes flexible cash support attractive, yet it also appears to leave a sizeable group without any formal help. Enhancing outreach, broadening the mix of budget options, and investing in easily accessible information could close this gap. Because most carers still report limited social contact, community-based solutions that reduce travel—such as digital peer groups or mobile advice sessions—may offer good value. Finally, continued monitoring of safeguarding concerns is essential, as a small rise can signal increasing strain on already stretched carers.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Yorkshire has 136 community-based adult social care services and 192 residential care services in 2024. With a population of 627,629, this equals about 22 community services and 31 residential homes for every 100,000 people. The England-wide picture is nearer 17 and 24 per 100,000. In other words, residents in the county have access to a larger network of care settings than the average person in England.
This wide spread of services is important because North Yorkshire is very rural. Only 77 people live in each square kilometre, compared with 2,469 nationally. Long travel times between villages mean extra sites are needed so that help is close enough to users. The high provider count, therefore, does not signal spare capacity; it reflects the cost of serving a scattered population.
Just under 14 per cent of local providers are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, below the national share of 17 per cent. A bigger provider base can sometimes lead to mixed quality, yet North Yorkshire keeps more services in the good or outstanding band. This may point to effective local inspection support and the advantage of smaller, community-rooted operators that know their clients well.
The picture on staffing is mixed. Staff turnover sits at 25.2 per cent, almost identical to the England average, while vacancy levels are lower at 6.8 per cent against 8.4 per cent. Fewer empty posts should help continuity of care and partly explains the better quality scores.
However, managers still report serious strain. More than 82 per cent find recruiting new staff “more” or “much more” challenging than before, and 70 per cent say the same about keeping existing employees. Both figures are slightly above national sentiment. Rural labour markets can be thin; travel costs and limited public transport make shifts less attractive. Without action, today’s modest vacancy rate could rise quickly.
The county’s population has grown by nearly 3 per cent since 2019, and older age groups are expanding fastest. Extra demand is therefore likely, yet provider numbers are already high. Maintaining quality while filling posts may become harder, especially if younger workers move to nearby cities.
So far, North Yorkshire has balanced these forces: a large, well-rated provider base paired with average staff turnover. The lower vacancy rate hints that current pay, housing or travel schemes may be working, but the high reported difficulty in hiring shows that margins are tight. A sudden rise in demand, or cuts to transport and housing support, could tip the system.
Keeping quality strong will mean ongoing support for rural recruitment—help with travel, affordable housing, and clear career paths. Commissioners may also need to review how many small providers can stay viable as regulation costs rise. Finally, careful monitoring of vacancy and turnover trends is vital; early warning will allow the council to intervene before service gaps appear.
In short, North Yorkshire currently offers many care options and mostly good care, but its scattered geography and an ageing population leave little room for complacency. Focused workforce and transport policies are key to keeping the system stable.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Yorkshire is large and rural. In 2023 it had about 628,000 people, spread thinly at only 77 residents per km², far below the England average. Distance to services and small local hospitals shape how adults use social care and health.
In November 2024, 93.6 per cent of discharges from upper-tier local authority hospitals went to “acceptable” trusts. The national figure was 89 per cent. Good relationships between councils, community teams and acute trusts seem to be helping people leave hospital safely.
Only 11.6 per cent of all discharges were delayed, a little below the national 12.3 per cent. The average delay was 0.68 days, narrowly better than the 0.70-day benchmark. For a scattered county this is notable; travel times and limited home-care capacity often prolong stays in rural areas. The data suggests that joint discharge hubs and rapid re-ablement teams introduced in recent years are working.
Survey data for 2024 shows that 69 per cent of adult social care users were satisfied with the help they received, compared with 64.7 per cent across England. Satisfaction may reflect the county’s emphasis on personal budgets and small, local providers that suit village life.
Another study (NatCen) reports 57 per cent “dissatisfied” responses. The methodology differs, yet the gap warns that some groups—perhaps those living in the most remote dales—still feel support is patchy. Monitoring differences between surveys will be important.
Nearly three-quarters (73.1 per cent) of service users said it is easy to obtain information about services, above the national 68.2 per cent. The council has invested in a single online advice portal and community “Living Well” coordinators; the figures suggest these channels are reaching residents despite poor digital connectivity in parts of the moors and coast.
Complaint volumes are low once population is considered. In 2024 the Ombudsman received about 23 cases (3.66 per 100k) versus an England rate of 4.45 per 100k. Only one of those cases concerned adult social care specifically (0.16 per 100k). Decisions issued were also fewer than average (roughly 20 received decisions and eight upheld), both lower than national per-capita levels. Lower complaint rates may indicate good frontline resolution or, conversely, barriers to complaining for people in isolated areas. Given the county’s ageing population, officers should check that older residents know how to raise concerns.
The combination of high satisfaction, timely discharges and few complaints suggests a generally effective system. Rural geography still poses risks: small changes in staffing or home-care capacity can quickly raise delay figures. Continued investment in community re-ablement teams and reliable transport will protect recent gains.
Better signposting appears to support user confidence, but the mixed picture on dissatisfaction hints at uneven reach. Targeted outreach to very remote parishes and to carers who rely on poor broadband may close this gap.
Overall, North Yorkshire shows steady quality improvement. The council should sustain joint work with NHS trusts, keep refining its information offer, and track whether low complaint numbers truly reflect good performance or hidden unmet need.
✨ ✅ ❌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’s gross spend on adult social care stands at about £51,354 for every 100,000 residents. With a local population close to 628,000, this is roughly £322 million in total. The figure is around seven per cent above the England norm of £47,758 per 100,000. Higher spending is not automatically wasteful; it often signals extra demand or higher delivery costs.
North Yorkshire is large and sparsely populated, with only 76.6 people per square kilometre compared with the national average of 246.8. Care workers, therapists and social workers spend more time travelling between villages, so the council must fund mileage, travel time and smaller care packages spread over a wide area. The county also has an older age profile than many urban authorities, so more residents need help with daily living, home adaptations and residential care. These structural factors make higher gross spending understandable.
Despite the high gross outlay, net spend – after income is taken off – is almost identical to the national picture: £40,462 per 100,000 locally versus £40,472 for England. Two income streams explain the difference. First, client contributions reach £10,892 per 100,000, about half again above the national norm of £7,286. Second, contributions from the NHS sit at £12,530 per 100,000, sixty per cent higher than the England mean of £7,878. When these larger inflows are set against the higher gross cost, North Yorkshire ends up spending no more from core council resources than other areas.
Many residents appear able to pay towards their own care, either because they hold more assets or because they cross the means-test threshold sooner than people in more deprived urban districts. While this eases pressure on the council’s budget, it can mask unmet need among older people with modest savings who delay asking for help until they reach crisis point.
The sizeable NHS contribution implies good joint working between the local authority and the integrated care board. More health funding can speed hospital discharge and fund re-ablement, yet it also signals that demand for medically complex packages is high. Sustaining this partnership will be crucial if national NHS finances tighten.
The county’s population has grown slowly, adding just under three per cent since 2019. Even gentle growth, combined with ageing, will lift demand further. If government grant does not keep pace, the council may need to rely even more on client income, reshape services, or revisit eligibility thresholds. The comment that “the government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known” reflects local concern that long-term funding clarity is still absent.
Maintaining current service levels will require continued joint funding with the NHS and careful monitoring of self-funders to ensure equitable access. Extra investment in digital monitoring, community micro-providers and transport solutions could reduce rural delivery costs over time. Without such measures, higher gross spending is likely to continue, and any future ceiling on client charges or NHS transfers would place fresh strain on the council’s budget.
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