This page provides an overview of social care in Nottingham, 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: Nottingham
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: Nottingham
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 Nottingham. 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
When the figures are adjusted for age, 22 per cent of Nottingham residents are disabled, while the national rate is 17.6 per cent. With a 2023 population of about 329,000 this means roughly 72,000 disabled people live in the city. Nottingham’s high rate fits its wider profile: it is densely populated (4,338 residents per km²) and one of the most deprived local authorities in England, both of which are linked to poorer health and earlier onset of disability.
In 2024 the council received 6,580 requests for social care from people aged 18–64. This equals 1,998 requests per 100,000 residents, almost twice the England average of 1,143. The gap is unlikely to be a counting error; it reflects real need. Nottingham has many young adults who left school with low qualifications, a large rented sector, and relatively few well-paid jobs. Economic insecurity can worsen health and hasten the point at which daily living tasks become hard, driving up demand for assessment and support.
By the same year 2,705 working-age adults were actually receiving services. The rate, 822 per 100,000, is 55 per cent above the national norm (533). In other words, roughly two out of every five people who asked for help moved on to a formal package – a higher conversion rate than is typical elsewhere.
Only 50 people (15 per 100,000) were in nursing homes, close to the national average. The striking differences appear in residential and community settings. Residential care houses 430 people, giving a rate of 131 per 100,000 – more than double the England figure. Community support shows the same pattern: 1,435 users have a council-managed personal budget (436 per 100,000 compared with 267), and 570 buy their own care through a direct payment (173 per 100,000 against 122). These numbers suggest the council is willing to fund intensive help but also encourages independent arrangements when possible.
In 2025, recorded requests for help with assessments, charging, cuts, or safeguarding were all below national norms; for example, only 0.6 safeguarding queries were logged per 100,000 people compared with 1.2 across England. Low volumes could point to efficient case management, but they may equally signal under-reporting or barriers to speaking up, such as limited awareness or confidence among service users.
Nottingham supports a larger share of disabled working-age adults than most councils. High demand arises from a population that is young, urban, and deprived. The data indicate strong take-up of both residential places and personalised community packages, which carry significant costs. Meanwhile the small number of advice and complaint contacts may mask hidden dissatisfaction. Commissioners may wish to focus on prevention – accessible housing, employment programmes, and early health interventions – to slow the flow of new cases. Improving advocacy and information services could also ensure disabled residents feel able to question decisions and seek redress when needed. Without such measures the city’s social care budget will stay under heavy pressure, and the already high disability rate is unlikely to fall.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Nottingham has a young population. In 2023 only 11.8 % of residents were aged 65 or over, while England stood at 18.5 %. The share has changed very little since 2019, moving between 11.7 % and 11.9 %. A large student group, high inward migration and a birth rate above the national average all keep the city young. At the same time Nottingham is one of the most deprived places in England (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 2.96 compared with 5.9 nationally) and is very dense, with 4,338 people per km² and no rural fringe. These factors shape both the health of older citizens and the way services must be delivered.
In 2024 there were 7,880 requests for adult social care from people aged 65 +. This equals 2,393 per 100,000 residents, almost identical to the England rate of 2,438. Because Nottingham has far fewer older people, the figure converts to roughly 203 requests for every 1,000 older residents, against an estimated 132 nationally. Put simply, a smaller older population is asking for help more often. Long-standing poverty, poor housing and limited informal support in a city with a high proportion of working-age renters may explain this heavier use of formal care.
Of those already getting long-term support, 3,325 older people were in touch with services in 2024, or 1,010 per 100,000 residents – again close to the national average of 1,003. Adjusted for age, this means Nottingham supports about 86 in every 1,000 people aged 65 +, well above the England benchmark of 54. Service mix is different, too. Nursing home use (90 per 100,000) and residential care (219 per 100,000) sit below national norms (122 and 250). By contrast community-based help, especially council-managed personal budgets, is higher: 612 per 100,000 versus 508 across England. The data suggest a deliberate shift to “home first” models, helped by the city’s compact geography, good transport and the wish of residents to remain in familiar neighbourhoods.
Newer figures for 2025 show only small numbers of older people seeking formal advice on charging, cuts or safeguarding (for example, 3.0 per 100,000 on charging, compared with 5.7 nationally). Such low rates might signal effective early information or, less positively, low awareness of rights. Monitoring satisfaction surveys and community engagement work will clarify whether this reflects success or unmet need.
Older people are a minority in Nottingham yet carry a heavy burden of ill-health and social need. Services must therefore plan not only for future growth in numbers but also for the higher intensity of support already evident. Community care appears to be meeting much of this need; maintaining staffing, home-care capacity and rehabilitation services will be essential. Lower reliance on residential and nursing beds frees resources but also demands strong home-care quality, rapid equipment delivery and support for unpaid carers. Given high deprivation, preventative work – warm homes, falls prevention, access to primary care – should reduce crisis requests. Close attention to advice pathways is important so that older residents understand charging rules and can raise concerns early. Overall, the data point to a city where smaller size does not mean smaller challenge, and where investment in community-facing, person-centred support is likely to have the greatest impact.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Nottingham is estimated to have about 24,000 unpaid carers (7,609 for every 100,000 residents). This rate is around seven per cent lower than the England average of 8,204 per 100,000. Two factors help explain the gap. First, the city’s population is slightly younger than many parts of the country, so there are fewer older residents who often take on caring roles. Second, Nottingham’s high student and short-stay population can make it harder for surveys and GP registers to identify carers, so some may be “hidden”.
Thirty-two per cent of local carers say they have as much social contact as they would like, compared with 29 per cent nationally. Although this is still only one carer in three, it suggests that many carers in Nottingham manage to keep some connection with friends, family or support groups despite heavy caring duties. Living in a compact, very dense city (4,338 residents per km²) may help: services, shops and public transport are close by, so carers can reach social networks with less travel time than carers in rural areas.
Only 49 per cent of carers feel it is easy to get information about support, well below the 59 per cent England figure. This shortfall is significant because timely information often prevents crisis admissions or breakdown of care. High deprivation in the city (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3) can amplify the problem, as digital access, literacy and confidence are lower in many neighbourhoods. The data imply that information routes—websites, advice lines, GP signposting—are not yet reaching all groups.
The pattern of direct support confirms this picture. Direct payments to carers stand at only 11 per 100,000 people versus 150 per 100,000 across England. Personal budgets managed by the council and commissioned support are recorded as zero or too small to publish. By contrast, 245 residents per 100,000 receive only information, advice or universal signposting, and 275 per 100,000 receive no direct support at all. Compared with national averages, Nottingham is more than twice as likely to give a carer no direct help, and 84 per cent less likely to issue a direct payment.
The data point to a service model that leans heavily on low-cost advice and expects carers to rely on their own networks. While this may partly explain the relatively good social-contact score, it also leaves many carers without practical or financial help. In a city with high deprivation, carers may have limited savings, so the lack of personal budgets is a risk. Strengthening direct payments and short-break options (currently 61 per 100,000, slightly below average) could relieve pressure and prevent future demand on health and social care.
Nottingham’s lower recorded carer rate may mask unmet need. Improving identification in GP practices, widening digital inclusion, and shifting some resources from information-only offers to tangible support would likely raise the proportion of carers who feel informed and reduce the long-term cost of crisis intervention.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
?
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.
?
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
In 2024 Nottingham has 64 community-based adult social care services and 72 residential care services. The city’s population in 2023 was about 329,000, so there are roughly 19 community services and 22 residential homes for every 100,000 people. The national picture, using the average council size of 377,000 residents, gives about 17 community services and 24 residential homes per 100,000. Nottingham therefore offers slightly more community support, yet fewer residential places, for each resident than England as a whole. This mix fits an urban area with very high density (4,338 people per km²) where small, home-visiting teams can reach clients quickly and space for new care homes is limited.
Almost 29 % of inspected providers in Nottingham are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 17 % nationally. The gap suggests that capacity is spread across many small services, but quality control and support are weaker. High deprivation also matters: Nottingham sits in the third most deprived decile on average, so providers serve people with more complex needs and fewer personal resources. This can push up risk factors, raise inspection failures and make improvement harder.
Workforce data paint a challenging picture. Staff turnover in 2023/24 is 25 %, almost identical to the national rate, yet 70 % of employers report greater difficulty keeping staff, and over 81 % find recruiting harder; both figures are a little above Midlands averages. The vacancy rate is 16 %, twice the national 8 %. These shortages are likely to drive down quality scores, as services rely on agency cover, reduce training time or cap admissions. Competition for labour is intense in a compact, low-wage, high-deprivation city, and alternative jobs in retail or hospitality may look more attractive.
The current balance of services supports the policy aim of helping people stay at home, yet it means the residential sector runs close to capacity. If vacancy rates remain high, the risk of “bed blocking” in hospitals will rise. Quality concerns point to the need for stronger provider support, perhaps through shared training hubs or buddying schemes that allow struggling homes to learn from higher-rated neighbours.
Workforce stability is the most urgent lever. Targeted retention bonuses or free local travel could make care roles more competitive. Given the city’s dense geography, investment in public transport discounts or electric bike loans for care staff might cut travel time between visits and improve job satisfaction.
Nottingham offers a good supply of community care but slightly limited residential capacity. However, the high proportion of low-rated services and serious staffing gaps threaten both quality and sustainability. Tackling recruitment and retention, while supporting providers in areas of greatest deprivation, will be essential if the city is to raise standards and meet the growing needs of its ageing population.
✨ ✅ ❌Historically, hospital delays have been due in large part, to the inability to discharge patients into social care. We no longer have DTOC data, but we can still look at the number of hospital delays and the number of facilities requiring improvement.
CQC, as the regulator of health and social care services in England, is beginning to rate Local Authorities on their social care provision. Understanding the CQC rating of a local authority should be used as the most official evaluation of service care provision. For example, a low rating may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high rating may suggest that existing services are effective.
Hospital delays can have a significant impact on patient care and outcomes, and are in large part the result of not having invested sufficiently in social care. Understanding the number of hospital delays in a local authority can be a sympthom of a poorly working social care sector. For example, a high number of hospital delays may indicate a need for improved discharge planning and coordination, not enough places to discharge people to, lack of sufficient staff to assess patients, or a lack of care providers.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
This metric illustrates how long patients are delayed in hospital before being discharged. Higher average delays mean that patients are spending more time in hospital than necessary, which can lead to increased costs, reduced bed availability, and poorer patient outcomes. This also means that the beds are not available for people that might desperately need them for life-saving procedures.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
Delayed Transfer of Care (DTOC) refers to the time between a patient being declared medically fit for discharge and actually leaving the hospital. Understanding the number of DTOCs in a local authority can help identify precisely where the social care system is failing.
Unfortunately, this dataset is no longer being generated.
Reablement is a short-term service that helps people regain independence and confidence after a period of illness or injury. Understanding the number of people receiving reablement services can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving reablement services may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a low number of people receiving reablement services may suggest that existing services are effective.
Coming soon!
Service user satisfaction is a key indicator of the quality of social care services. Understanding service user satisfaction can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of service user satisfaction may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high level of service user satisfaction may suggest that existing services are effective.
It is important to note that the people surveyed are already receiving service care. Notably absent are all the people that are not yet lucky enough to be receiving care.
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 1
Access to information is crucial for people using social care services to navigate the system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for people to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of people finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 13
An ombudsman is a person who has been appointed to look into complaints about companies and organisations. The number of cases received and decided by the Ombudsman is important because it provides insight into the volume of complaints about a local authority’s social care services and how effectively these complaints are being addressed. The number of cases received indicates the level of dissatisfaction or systemic issues within a council’s care provision, while the number of cases decided shows how efficiently the Ombudsman is processing and resolving complaints. A large gap between the two may suggest delays in complaint handling, leaving individuals waiting.
It is important to note that contacting the Ombudsman is widely considered a last resort, often discouraged, and sometimes penalised.
Almost every person who left hospital in November 2024 moved on from a provider that the Care Quality Commission rates as at least “acceptable”. The local figure stands at 99.8 per cent, ten points above the England average. This shows that people in Nottingham are exposed to good-quality inpatient care at the point of discharge. Yet 17 per cent of discharges were delayed, five points above the national rate. The city therefore releases patients from good hospitals, but it does not always do so on time. When a delay does occur, it usually lasts only about half a day (0.52 days) while the national mean is 0.7 days. The pattern suggests a bottleneck at the interface between hospital and community services: beds are safe, but community capacity or transport takes longer to arrange. Nottingham’s high population density (4,338 residents per km²) and high deprivation score may push up demand for re-ablement, housing and family support, all of which slow discharge.
Two-thirds of surveyed adults who use support (67.6 per cent) said they were satisfied with their care, slightly above the England norm. This positive response comes despite the city’s low average deprivation decile (3 on a scale where 10 is least deprived), hinting that local services cope well with complex need. A second survey, run by NatCen, paints a less flattering picture: 57 per cent expressed dissatisfaction. The difference between the two sources may point to varied expectations across groups, or to more critical views among people who are not currently in touch with formal services.
Only 61.7 per cent of users felt it was easy to find information about services, six points below the national benchmark. Information may be harder to share in a city with a fluid, youthful population and many languages. The impact is softened by the low rate of formal complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Nottingham recorded 3.3 complaints received and 2.4 decided per 100,000 residents, both lower than England levels. Fewer complaints can mean better performance, but when combined with poor information it can also signal that residents do not know how to raise concerns or lack confidence that complaints will help.
Nottingham shows strong delivery inside hospital walls and broadly positive satisfaction, yet faces two clear gaps: timely discharge and accessible information. Faster handovers will probably need more intermediate beds, better home-care staffing and closer work with housing providers. Clear, multi-channel advice—especially for deprived neighbourhoods—should reduce uncertainty and may lead to a healthier volume of complaints, giving the council richer feedback for further change. With a population just under 330,000 and no rural buffer, efficient urban pathways are essential; focusing on these two pressure points can convert existing quality into more consistent outcomes.
✨ ✅ ❌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 £155 million on adult social care. This is equal to £47,307 for every 100,000 residents, or roughly £473 per person. The national figure is a little higher at £478 per person. Nottingham therefore spends almost the same as the average council, even though local need is likely to be greater.
The net cost to the council, after all income is taken off, is around £136 million, or £41,189 per 100,000 people. This is slightly above the national net figure of £40,472. The gap appears because Nottingham collects less money from other sources. Client contributions bring in only £6,117 per 100,000 people, a fifth less than the England average. Many residents live in the most deprived fifth of neighbourhoods, so fewer can afford high care charges. NHS partners add £5,936 per 100,000 people, also below the national level. Lower health funding may reflect weaker joint-commissioning or fewer continuing-health-care packages. As a result, the council has to cover a bigger share of total costs from its own budget.
The city has about 329,000 residents and is one of the most densely populated places in England, with 4,338 people per square kilometre. Only London boroughs are busier. Deprivation is high: the average neighbourhood sits in decile 3, well below the national mid-point of decile 6. Dense, deprived urban areas often have higher rates of disability, mental ill-health, and homelessness, which all drive up demand for social care. Population rose by 3 per cent between 2021 and 2023, so more people now need services. Taken together, this suggests that spending at the national average level may still leave an unmet need locally.
Because gross spend is only marginally below the England norm while need is likely above it, frontline teams may have to ration support or focus on statutory duties. Lower client and NHS income reduces flexibility, so any rise in demand will hit the council’s core budget quickly. The absence of clear information on future government grants adds further uncertainty.
Maintaining care quality will require either higher external income or greater efficiency. Stronger partnership with the local NHS could unlock extra joint funding and ease hospital discharge pressures. Reviewing charging policies may help, but gains are limited in a low-income population. Long-term planning should recognise that a dense, deprived city will continue to face above-average need, and that keeping spend at only the national mean risks widening inequalities in access and outcomes.
✨ ✅ ❌