This page provides an overview of social care in Peterborough, 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: Peterborough
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: Peterborough
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 Peterborough. 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 rate of disability is 18.3 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. This small gap suggests that disability is a little more common in Peterborough. The city is more deprived than the country as a whole; its mean deprivation decile is 4.2 against the national 5.9, and such deprivation often links to poorer health. Population density is 628 people per square kilometre, far below the England norm of 2 469, so services must cover a wide area even inside an urban district.
In 2024, 1 195 working-age residents asked the council for care. This equals 544 requests per 100 000 people, under half of the national rate of 1 143. A lower figure can mean better health or stronger family support, yet it can also show unmet need. Because disability is slightly higher here, the low request rate may point to barriers such as low awareness, cultural attitudes, or transport problems that stop people from contacting the council.
A total of 1 055 adults were receiving ongoing care, or 481 per 100 000 residents. The England figure is 533. Again, take-up is below average, mirroring the low request rate. Inside this group, the picture is mixed.
Peterborough leans towards help at home. Direct payments alone stand at 137 per 100 000 people, above the national 122. Part direct payment cases are also higher (64 versus 48). Personal budgets managed by the council are 230 per 100 000, slightly below the England mean of 267 but still form the largest share. These numbers show a service model that tries to keep disabled adults independent and in charge of their own support.
Residential places are 43 per 100 000, well below the national 61. Nursing places are only 9 per 100 000, compared with 14 nationally. Fewer institutional beds may save money and match the council’s community focus. However, if places are too scarce, people with high needs might wait longer or move out of area.
During 2025, very small numbers asked for help with assessments, information or legal issues. Rates largely track national levels, though calls about charging are a little higher (5.9 versus 5.7 per 100 000). The pattern hints that residents do find their way to advice when money is involved, yet still shows overall low contact with formal services.
The local population grew from 213 000 in 2019 to almost 220 000 in 2023, about three per cent in four years. If growth continues, the number of disabled adults will also rise. Because current take-up is below average, new demand may surface quickly once awareness or eligibility rules change.
Peterborough has a slightly higher share of disabled residents but fewer formal care users. The council appears to favour community solutions and direct payments, which is in line with national policy. Even so, the low request rate could hide unmet need, especially in more deprived wards. Efforts to improve outreach, transport and information may uncover this hidden demand. At the same time, the shortage of residential and nursing beds should be watched, as a growing population with complex needs may stretch the current community-first model.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Peterborough is growing. The total population rose from 213,000 in 2019 to almost 220,000 in 2023. The share of residents aged 65 plus went up each year, from 14.1 % to 14.4 %. Even with this rise, the area still has a smaller older share than England as a whole, where about 18 % of people are 65 plus. In real numbers Peterborough now has around 31,700 older residents, about 1,700 more than in 2019.
During 2024, 2,685 older people asked the council for social-care help. This is 1,223 requests per 100,000 residents, only half of the national rate of 2,438. Put another way, roughly one in every twelve older residents made a request, compared with about one in five across England. The low rate may mean that needs are met informally by family, that people do not know how to ask, or that health services are preventing some problems before they reach social care. It could also point to hidden, unmet need, especially as Peterborough is more deprived than the average area (mean deprivation decile 4.2 versus 5.9).
In 2024, 1,725 older residents were getting long-term social care, equal to 786 per 100,000 residents. England’s figure is 1,003, so Peterborough supports fewer people both in raw and population terms. About 5 % of the local older population receive formal care.
The balance of services is broadly similar to the national picture, but volumes are lower:
Nursing home care covers 220 people (100 per 100,000, versus 122 nationally). Residential home care reaches 395 people (180 per 100,000, versus 250). Community-based support is the largest group, with 920 people on council-managed personal budgets (419 per 100,000, against 508). Direct payments and part-direct payments are smaller, yet near national rates, showing some take-up of personalised options.
Figures for 2025 show very small numbers asking only for advice or information (for example 13 enquiries about charging issues). These rates sit close to national norms, so the council seems able to deal with low-level queries despite wider demand pressures.
Peterborough is more urban and more deprived than many parts of England. Only 13 % of residents live in rural areas, and population density is 628 people per km², higher than most shire districts but lower than large cities. Deprivation can lead to poorer health at earlier ages, so one might expect higher care demand. The current low request rate therefore raises questions about awareness, access, and the role of family support in this diverse city.
The older population is rising faster than the total population, so even a stable demand rate will bring more cases in the next few years. If hidden need is uncovered, growth could be sharper. The council may wish to:
• Expand outreach to help residents understand how to seek support.
• Continue to invest in community and preventive services, which already make up the largest share of provision.
• Monitor care home capacity, as nursing and residential rates are below average and may come under pressure as the cohort ages.
Careful planning now will help Peterborough keep pace with a greying, yet still relatively young, city.
✨ ✅ ❌When government support falls short, unpaid carers step in to provide care. However, many struggle with burnout, financial pressure, lack of social contact, and a lack of support. This section explores the number of unpaid carers, their increasing workload, and what forms of support are available.
Carers play a vital role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. The percentage of carers receiving direct payments highlights financial empowerment, the number of carers accessing services reflects local authority outreach, and the number turning to charities underscores unmet needs. Together, these data points reveal systemic strengths and weaknesses: low direct payment uptake may push carers toward charities, while effective services can reduce dependence on charitable support. Understanding these metrics enables targeted interventions to ensure carers receive the recognition and resources they deserve.
Unpaid carers play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. Understanding the number of unpaid carers in a local authority can be complicated. On the one hand, a relatively high proportion might be indicative of not enough being done by the local authority, and/or a strong community. On the other hand, a relatively lower number can mean good service provision, lower need, lower availability to look after family, or a problem with reporting.
Still, understanding the number of unpaid carers is a baseline number that must be considered.
NOMIS NM_2213_1
These values are widely considered to be an underestimate. See this report from Carers UK for more information.
August 2021 - Patient with dementia who lives in a shared lives setting. Carer had been requesting respite from the council since September 2020. Croydon Social Prescriber helped with a referral to the local authority in March 2021. Assessment conducted, with the promise they would come back with support, which did not happen. 25 August, social prescriber used the chatbot to find the right legal wording for the situation. The email was sent at 4.52pm that day. At 5.12pm the council contacted the carer to discuss the respite. This was the impact of one letter, addressed to a senior team.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
Social contact is important for carers’ well-being, as it can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Understanding the level of social contact that carers have can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of social contact may indicate a need for more social activities or support groups for carers, while a high level of social contact may suggest that carers have a strong support network.
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 11
The type of support available to carers can vary significantly, impacting their ability to provide care effectively. Understanding the types of support available can help identify areas where additional resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers receiving respite care may indicate a need for more support with caregiving responsibilities, while a low number of carers receiving financial support may suggest a need for additional financial assistance.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T47
Access to information is crucial for carers to navigate the social care system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for carers to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of carers finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 17
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
Access Social Care and other Helplines help people with information, advice, and support related to social care. Understanding the types of calls received by carers can highlight areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to financial support may indicate a need for more financial assistance for carers, while a high number of calls related to respite care may suggest a need for additional support with caregiving responsibilities.
It is important to note that, just as in the previous section, low numbers of requests might indicate that people don’t know where to get help, don’t feel they can get (or deserve) help, or other outreach problems. This is particularly important because we often work with people where the role of a carer is not recognised, or where the carer themselves does not recognise their role.
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
In 2021 about 16,000 Peterborough residents gave unpaid care, equal to 7,505 carers for every 100,000 people. The England rate is 8,204 per 100,000. A smaller local rate may reflect a younger age profile or under-recording rather than lower need. The city’s population has grown by three per cent since 2019, so the absolute number of carers is likely to keep rising even if the rate stays unchanged.
Thirty-two and a half per cent of carers said they had as much social contact as they wanted, compared with 29.3 per cent nationally. In addition, 64.2 per cent found it easy to get information about services, again above the England average of 59.3 per cent. These figures suggest that local signposting works well and that community links reduce loneliness for many carers. They may also hint that carers who respond to surveys are the more connected group, while “hidden” carers remain out of sight.
The council provides 23 direct payments per 100,000 carers and only 2 part payments. National rates are 150 and 45. Managed personal budgets are closer to the norm (57 local, 66 national), yet respite or other support delivered to the cared-for person is far lower (16 local, 70 national). In contrast, information or advice is offered to 362 carers per 100,000, slightly above the national 339.
This pattern points to an emphasis on light-touch guidance rather than tangible, resource-heavy support. It may suit carers with lower-intensity roles—reflected in the good contact and information scores—but could leave those with heavier duties without the breaks or flexible funds they need.
Peterborough is more deprived than the England average (mean deprivation decile 4.2 versus 5.9) and has a high but not inner-city-high population density of 628 residents per km². Only 13 per cent of the area is rural, so most carers live close to services. Deprivation can raise both the need for support and the financial strain on households, making the low use of direct payments a potential concern.
Maintaining strong information and signposting is vital, as carers clearly value it. However, the authority may wish to review why direct payments, part payments and respite remain low. Outreach in deprived neighbourhoods could uncover unmet need, while simplifying payment processes might boost take-up. Balancing effective advice with more flexible, funded support will help the city cope with a growing and possibly more complex caring population.
✨ ✅ ❌Care providers are essential for delivering social care services, including home care agencies and care homes. The quality of care they provide can vary significantly, impacting the well-being of service users. This section examines the number and types of care providers, their quality ratings, and some of the difficulties of maintaining high standards. Understanding these metrics is crucial for ensuring that vulnerable individuals receive high-quality care.
The number and types of care providers in a local authority can impact the availability and quality of social care services. Understanding the distribution of care providers directly influences people’s ability to get the care they need.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) rates care providers based on their quality of care, safety, and effectiveness. Understanding the quality ratings of care providers can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of care providers with low ratings may indicate a need for improved training and support, while a high number of care providers with high ratings may suggest that existing services are effective.
Framework rates are the agreed prices that local authorities pay care providers for social care services, such as home care and residential care. These rates are crucial because they determine the affordability, availability, and quality of care in a city. If rates are too low, providers may struggle to sustain services, leading to workforce shortages, poor care quality, and limited access for those relying on council-funded care.
Understanding framework rates helps assess whether local authorities are adequately funding social care, ensuring fair pay for care workers, and maintaining a sustainable care market that meets residents’ needs.
?
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
Peterborough has 55 community–based adult social care services and 36 residential care homes. In absolute numbers this is below the England averages of 63.8 and 91. When the local population of about 220,000 is taken into account, the picture changes. Peterborough has roughly 25 community providers for every 100,000 residents, compared with about 17 across England. For residential care the city offers around 16 homes per 100,000 people, while the national rate is nearer 24. The city therefore leans towards supporting people in their own homes or smaller settings rather than in care homes. This is in line with its urban layout—only 13 % of residents live in rural areas—and with policy that favours independence. It may also reflect the relatively young age profile that often goes with higher deprivation; fewer older people means less demand for care-home beds.
Only 11 % of inspected providers in Peterborough are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, well below the national figure of 17 %. Despite having fewer services overall, the city is keeping standards up. Consistent quality is important in an area with above-average deprivation (mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 4.2 versus 5.9 nationally); residents often rely on publicly funded care and have fewer options to shop around.
The workforce picture is mixed. Staff turnover in 2023/24 stands at 23.9 %, almost identical to the regional average, and vacancies are lower (6.5 % versus 8.4 %). Yet 83 % of providers say recruiting is now “more” or “much more” challenging, slightly above the regional figure of 80 %. Retention is also seen as harder by 71 % of services. The low vacancy rate may therefore mask underlying strain: managers fill posts, but only after more effort and cost. Rising population—up 3 % in five years—will stretch the workforce further unless new entrants can be attracted.
The strength in community services, combined with good quality ratings, suggests that Peterborough can continue to promote home-based support. However, the relatively small residential sector could become a bottleneck if the local population ages or if complex needs grow. The council may want to map future demand and work with independent providers to ensure enough step-up and step-down beds.
Sustaining the workforce is the immediate risk. Deprivation can make care roles less attractive, and rising housing costs in a compact city push workers to neighbouring areas. Targeted training, fair pay and clearer career paths may help hold on to staff and ease recruitment worries. Given the current success in quality, supporting existing providers to remain stable will protect positive outcomes for service users.
Overall, Peterborough delivers care that is both community-focused and of high quality, yet it must watch capacity in care homes and strengthen its workforce pipeline to keep pace with a growing, and potentially ageing, city.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Peterborough resident who leaves hospital is sent to a trust judged suitable by the Care Quality Commission. In November 2024 the city achieved 99.6 percent acceptable discharges, about ten points above the England mean of 89 percent. Only 9.6 percent of discharges were delayed, compared with 12.3 percent nationally, and the average delay was just 0.35 days against the national 0.7 days. These figures suggest that joint working between the local authority, the acute trust and community services is limiting bed-blocking and helping people return home or into care quickly. A compact urban geography—628 residents per km², far denser than the England average of 247—may also shorten travel times for social-care staff arranging packages at short notice.
Despite strong operational performance at the point of discharge, service users report slightly lower satisfaction than the England mean. The 2024 survey shows that 62.8 percent of adults were satisfied with their care and support, two points under the national figure of 64.7 percent. A separate NatCen poll found that 57 percent of local respondents were dissatisfied with social care, hinting at a polarised view of quality. Peterborough is more deprived than the average authority (Index of Multiple Deprivation mean decile 4.2 versus 5.9 nationally) and has a young, fast-growing population—about 6,500 extra residents since 2019. Higher deprivation often brings complex needs and higher expectations, so maintaining satisfaction near the national average, even if slightly below, can still be read as moderate success.
Access to information appears adequate. In 2024, 68.9 percent of people using services felt it was easy to find information, broadly in line with the England mean of 68.2 percent. This parity suggests that local advice channels keep pace with national standards, though the gap between “finding information” and “being happy with services” hints that knowledge alone does not guarantee perceived quality.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 3.19 complaints per 100,000 residents in 2024, well below the national rate of 4.45. That equates to roughly seven complaints in absolute numbers, of which around six were investigated and decided (2.73 per 100,000; national 4.12). Fewer complaints could mean better frontline resolution, but it might also reflect barriers to raising concerns. Given the lower satisfaction reported by surveys, the council may wish to test whether all service users understand how to complain and feel confident doing so.
Peterborough shows clear strengths in hospital discharge efficiency and acceptable placement, areas that often create costly bottlenecks elsewhere. These gains are especially notable because they are achieved in a city that faces higher deprivation and rapid population growth. However, user satisfaction lags behind operational metrics, and independent polling points to notable dissatisfaction. The contrast implies that speed of service does not always translate into perceived quality. Possible factors include staffing levels, cultural expectations within a diverse urban population, or limited capacity for longer-term support once people leave hospital.
To sustain improvement, the council may need to move beyond efficiency and invest in relational aspects of care: continuity of carers, choice, and personalised planning. Regular auditing of complaint pathways, co-production with service users from deprived wards, and continued partnership with health providers should help convert strong process indicators into higher public confidence.
✨ ✅ ❌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 the financial year 2024 Peterborough spent about £88.8 million on adult social care. This figure comes from the gross total expenditure of £40,432 for every 100,000 residents and a mid-2023 population of 219,509. After income from the NHS and from people who pay charges, the net cost to the council falls to about £74.8 million, or £34,060 per 100,000 people.
Peterborough spends roughly fifteen per cent less per head than the England average. National gross spend is £47,758 per 100,000 people, while Peterborough’s is £40,432. A similar gap is seen for net spend. Lower spending might seem positive for the local budget, yet it sits uneasily beside the city’s higher level of need. Peterborough is more deprived than the average unitary authority (mean deprivation decile 4.2 against 5.9 for England) and its population keeps growing, up 3.0 per cent since 2019. Areas with higher deprivation often see greater demand for social care because long-term illness, disability and low income are more common. Spending that is below the national norm therefore risks leaving some needs unmet.
People who use services contribute about £6,372 per 100,000 residents, or roughly £14 million in cash terms. This is twelve per cent below the national rate of £7,286 per 100,000. Lower client income is likely to reflect lower earnings, smaller savings and a higher share of people who do not meet the means-test threshold. The city also receives £7,443 per 100,000 from the NHS, again slightly below the national mean of £7,878. When NHS money is modest, councils must either raise council tax, cut activity, or accept longer waiting lists. The data note that details on budget cuts are not available, so it is not clear which route Peterborough has chosen.
Peterborough’s density is 628 residents per square kilometre, far below the England urban average of 2,468. Lower density can push up travel time for home-care staff and make some services less efficient, yet the city receives no extra funding for this. Only thirteen per cent of residents live in rural zones, so the bulk of care is delivered in urban neighbourhoods where housing costs for providers are rising. An expanding working-age population may help with recruitment, but it also increases pressure on low-paid care jobs if wages do not keep pace with other sectors.
The combination of higher deprivation, steady population growth and below-average spending hints at a tight financial climate. Lower client and NHS contributions mean the council shoulders a larger share of costs, yet overall spend per head is still low. This could translate into stricter eligibility tests, shorter care packages or longer waits for assessments. If such patterns persist, the risk of hospital admissions and delayed discharges may rise, bringing new costs for both the council and the NHS.
To keep pace with need, Peterborough may have to seek extra grant support, build stronger joint budgets with the local NHS, or redesign services to use staff time more efficiently. Transparent information on future budget plans would help residents understand how sustainable adult social care in the city really is.
✨ ✅ ❌