This page provides an overview of social care in Plymouth, 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.
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.
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 Plymouth. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The age-standardised disability rate in Plymouth is 22 per cent, higher than the England average of 17.6 per cent. This gap hints at a larger group of people who may need extra help. Local deprivation is above average and the city is very dense, both factors that can lead to poorer health and, in turn, higher disability.
In 2024 about 4,140 working-age adults asked the council for social care. This equals 1,541 requests per 100,000 residents, a third higher than the national figure of 1,143. A high request rate suggests that people are aware of local services but also that daily living is hard for many. The dense, fully urban setting may add pressure, as informal support can be weaker when housing is tight and families live apart.
Plymouth supports 1,705 working-age adults, or 634 per 100,000 people. The national rate is 533. The city therefore carries a heavier caseload for its size, adding cost and workforce demands.
Only 25 people are in nursing homes (9.3 per 100,000), lower than the England norm of 13.8. Residential care is close to average at 61 per 100,000. The standout feature is community support: 523 people use direct payments or part direct payments, and 995 receive a council-managed personal budget in the community. Together these routes serve 563 per 100,000 residents, well above the national 437. Plymouth is clearly steering disabled adults towards care at home rather than institutional settings. This aligns with policy aims for independence and may fit local housing patterns, yet it also places high demand on domiciliary staff and unpaid carers.
Counts for specific advice or safeguarding issues are very low: fewer than ten requests in each category. At face value they sit near or below national averages. The small numbers make trends hard to read; they may reflect under-recording rather than low need. Given the city’s high overall disability rate, service managers may wish to check whether people know how to raise concerns, especially on charging and information.
Plymouth’s combination of high disability prevalence, high demand, and high community care uptake points to a system that is both responsive and stretched. The city’s below-average deprivation score (4.48 versus 5.9) signals more poverty, which often brings complex needs and limits the ability to pay for extras. Maintaining a skilled home-care workforce will be central, as will supporting unpaid carers with training, respite, and clear advice. Low use of nursing beds may save money now, but without strong community capacity it could lead to crisis placements later. Ongoing monitoring of request channels will help to spot any hidden demand.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Plymouth is growing only slowly, from about 265,000 people in 2019 to almost 269,000 in 2023. In the same period the share of residents aged 65 years and over rose every year, from 18.2 % to 18.8 %. The city stayed just below the England average until 2023, when it edged above it for the first time. This means there are now roughly 51,000 older residents. Plymouth is also a dense and mainly urban place (3,315 usual residents per km² and no rural areas) and is more deprived than the national mean. These factors often raise demand for publicly funded care because families may have less space, fewer informal carers, and lower private means.
In 2024 the council recorded 7,895 requests for support from residents aged 65 plus. This equals 2,938 requests per 100,000 population, almost one fifth higher than the England rate of 2,438. The gap is notable because Plymouth’s older share is only slightly above average, so higher need is unlikely to be caused by age structure alone. Urban living, poorer health linked to deprivation, and good local awareness of council services are all possible explanations.
Of those who asked for help, 2,625 people received long-term care. That is 977 per 100,000 population, a little below the England figure of 1,003. Put another way, about one in three requests led to a long-term service in Plymouth, while the national picture is closer to two in five. A lower conversion rate can point to strong short-term or preventative offers, but it can also signal pressure on budgets or tight eligibility rules. Given the city’s higher level of deprivation, unmet need is a risk.
The pattern of support is mixed. Nursing home use is almost identical to the national rate. Residential care is higher (292 vs 250 per 100,000), suggesting that people who do get funded care may have more complex needs or fewer family resources to remain at home. By contrast, direct payments that let people arrange their own community support are lower than average, which may reflect cautious practice, limited provider choice, or digital and financial barriers for service users. Council-managed personal budgets in the community are close to the norm, yet still slightly below it. Overall, Plymouth leans a little more towards bed-based solutions and a little less towards self-directed home support.
Early 2025 contact data, though small in number, show that most new enquiries are about care plan reviews and charging. In a city with tighter finances this highlights the importance of clear advice on costs and of timely reassessment so that people do not enter residential care earlier than necessary.
The steady rise in the older population, together with higher-than-average demand and only average supply, points to growing pressure on adult social care. Investing in early help, re-ablement and flexible community services could lift the conversion rate of requests into effective support while keeping more people independent. Supporting take-up of direct payments may also widen choice and reduce reliance on residential beds. Given Plymouth’s deprivation profile, any plan should link closely with health, housing and voluntary groups so that older residents receive joined-up, affordable care.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Plymouth had about 24,000 unpaid carers. This is estimated from the rate of 9,048 carers per 100,000 residents set against a mid-year population of 264,768. The local rate is eight per cent above the England average of 8,204 per 100,000. A larger share of residents therefore shoulder caring duties than is usual nationally. Plymouth is a densely settled city with no rural hinterland and higher deprivation than the country as a whole (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 4.5 compared with 5.9). Poor health linked to disadvantage can raise the need for informal care, while tight urban housing may bring relatives physically closer, making caring roles easier to take on. Both factors are likely to contribute to the higher prevalence seen here.
Only 25.9 per cent of local carers said they have as much social contact as they would like, four percentage points below the national picture. The finding suggests that isolation is more common in the city, even though population density is high. A possible reason is that carers in deprived areas often have fewer financial resources to maintain social links, and personal budgets for respite are less common in Plymouth (see below). On the positive side, 57 per cent report that it is easy to find information about services, only a little under the England rate of 59.3 per cent. Awareness is therefore reasonably good, yet it is not translating into the social contact that carers need for day-to-day support.
The mix of formal support shows a clear pattern. Direct payments reach 121 carers per 100,000, well below the national level of 150. More intensive council-managed packages and commissioned support are recorded as zero or not available, indicating very low take-up or gaps in reporting. By contrast, information and advice services are used by 424 carers per 100,000, markedly higher than the England figure of 339. This suggests that Plymouth offers, and carers accept, lighter-touch help far more than hands-on services. Only 22 carers per 100,000 receive no direct support, far fewer than the national 130, so most carers have at least some contact with the system. However, respite or other support delivered to the cared-for person stands at 28 per 100,000, less than half the England rate of 70, limiting carers’ chances to take a break.
A small 2025 dataset records three carers (1.1 per 100,000) in an unspecified category where the England average is 0.75. The figure is too small to describe a firm trend, yet it hints that Plymouth continues to record slightly higher demand.
High caring prevalence, lower social contact and modest use of direct payments point to growing pressure on unpaid carers. Dense urban living and concentrated deprivation amplify this pressure. Information services are prominent, so awareness is not the main barrier. Rather, carers appear to need more practical relief: greater access to personal budgets, regular respite and activities that build peer support. Allocating resources towards flexible breaks and community groups should therefore be a priority. Doing so could lift well-being scores, reduce isolation and prevent carer burnout, helping both carers and the people they look after.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Plymouth offers 36 community-based adult social care services. England, on average, has around 64. When the different population sizes are taken into account, Plymouth has about 13 community services for every 100,000 residents, compared with a national rate of nearly 17. This suggests that people in the city may have fewer chances to receive help in their own homes or neighbourhoods.
Residential care shows a different picture. The city has 87 residential providers, close to the national figure of 91. With a smaller population, this equals roughly 32 providers per 100,000 people, well above the England average of about 24. In an urban and fairly deprived area, the supply of beds seems strong, but the balance between community and residential options is tilted towards care-home settings.
Just over 15 percent of Plymouth providers are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, slightly better than the national 16.8 percent. The city therefore meets inspection standards at least as well as the country as a whole, despite serving a population that is denser and more deprived than average. Good performance may reflect close proximity of services, which can make oversight and support easier.
Staff turnover stands at 26 percent, almost identical to the England figure. However, 77 percent of providers say that keeping staff has become harder, and 89 percent report greater difficulty in hiring new workers; both rates are notably above the national averages of 68 and 80 percent. These findings point to rising competition for workers and the impact of a tight labour market.
Despite these worries, the recorded vacancy rate is only 3.2 percent, far below the national 8.4 percent. This low figure could mean that providers are filling posts quickly, but it may also hide a reliance on temporary or agency staff, or on reducing the number of posts they aim to fill. High turnover mixed with low vacancies often signals churn: people leave, posts reopen, and are filled again in short order, bringing extra cost and loss of continuity for residents.
Plymouth’s population is about 269,000 and is growing slowly. With more than 3,300 people per square kilometre, it is one of the most densely populated areas outside London. Average deprivation is below the national midpoint, and variation between neighbourhoods is wide. These factors usually raise demand for both community and residential support, as poorer health, lower car ownership, and limited informal networks increase reliance on formal care.
The city appears well supplied with residential beds, and quality is broadly sound. The main gap lies in community services, which are essential for helping people stay independent and avoid hospital admission. Policymakers may wish to:
• encourage new home-care entrants or help existing providers expand;
• invest in career pathways, pay, and housing support to ease hiring and retention;
• monitor whether low vacancies hide high use of agency staff or reduced staffing budgets.
Strengthening the community sector and stabilising the workforce would bring the service mix more in line with national patterns and could improve outcomes for Plymouth’s residents.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Plymouth is a compact city of about 269,000 residents. Density is high at 3,315 people per km² and there are no rural wards. The mean deprivation score is 4.5, below the England average of 5.9, so the city is relatively more deprived. High demand and complex need are therefore expected.
In November 2024, 99.9 % of discharges came from trusts rated “acceptable” for the council, well above the national 89 %. This shows strong links between the hospital and the local authority. Yet 15.9 % of discharges were delayed (England 12.3 %). Each delay lasted only 0.6 days on average, slightly better than the 0.7-day benchmark. The picture is of frequent but short delays, likely driven by tight bed turnover in a dense urban area and by the extra support often needed for people living in deprivation.
The 2024 adult social care survey reports that 66.3 % of respondents were satisfied with their care, beating the 64.7 % national mean. Good frontline practice is implied. However, only 62.4 % thought it easy to find information, below the England figure of 68.2 %. In a city without rural isolation, this gap points to sign-posting rather than geography. NatCen’s separate finding that 57 % voiced dissatisfaction suggests that formal surveys may not capture all discontent, especially among harder-to-reach groups.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received roughly 14 complaints (5.2 per 100,000) and decided about 16 cases (6.0 per 100,000) during 2024, both higher than national rates of 4.5 and 4.1. A larger complaint flow can signal unresolved issues, but it may also reflect an engaged population that knows how to use formal routes.
Plymouth shows solid core quality: discharges are almost entirely from acceptable trusts and satisfaction is slightly above average. Still, three warning signs remain: frequent discharge delays, poor ease-of-information scores, and more complaints than usual. These issues fit the city’s profile of high density and higher deprivation, where small gaps in community capacity can quickly create pressure. Priorities for improvement include faster access to home-care packages, clearer advice channels, and systematic learning from complaints. Addressing these points should turn existing strengths into a consistently better experience for every resident.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Plymouth spends roughly £121 million on adult social care in 2024. This estimate comes from a gross spend of £45,264 for every 100,000 residents and a mid-2023 population of about 268,736. After taking away the income that clients pay and the money that comes in from the NHS, net spend stands near £103 million, or £38,177 per 100,000 people.
For each 100,000 residents, Plymouth’s gross spend is five per cent below the England mean, and its net spend is six per cent lower. Client contributions sit only three per cent under the average, but NHS contributions lag by one quarter. This lower NHS share means local health bodies give around £16 million, while a council of the same size with average support would receive nearer £21 million.
The city is compact and fully urban, holding more than 3,300 people in each square kilometre. Such density makes home-care rounds shorter and lets day services draw on bigger catchment areas, both of which can cut costs. Lower unit costs may therefore explain part of the spending gap.
Yet Plymouth is also more deprived than much of England. Its mean deprivation decile is 4.5 compared with the national 5.9, and variation across neighbourhoods is wide. High deprivation is linked with poorer health, earlier onset of disability, and limited assets for self-funding. These factors usually lift demand for publicly funded care. If need is high but spend sits below average, services risk being stretched thin, leading to shorter visits, longer waiting lists, or unmet need.
The shortfall in NHS funding hints at another pressure. National policy expects the health service to finance parts of re-ablement, discharge support, and complex community care. A smaller local contribution may leave the council carrying more of the cost or restrict joint services. Hospitals can then face delayed discharges, and local people may wait longer for the right support.
Client contributions are close to the national norm despite lower wages and house values. This suggests the council is already near the limit of what it can raise through fees and charges.
Plymouth’s population has risen by about 1.4 per cent since 2019. Even modest growth adds pressure when budgets are tight. As baby-boom cohorts move into older age, demand is likely to climb further. Without extra funding or new efficiency gains, the city may need to tighten eligibility, increase charges, or scale back some services, all of which carry risks for residents and for the local care market.
Plymouth appears to deliver social care at a lower cost than many councils, helped by its urban setting. However, high deprivation and limited NHS support mean current funding may not stretch far enough to meet growing and complex needs. Stronger health-care partnerships, targeted investment in prevention, and a clearer long-term funding plan would help protect vulnerable adults and keep the wider system sustainable.
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