This page provides an overview of social care in Reading, 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 Reading. 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 Reading is 15.9 per cent, lower than the England figure of 17.6 per cent. Reading’s population is young and very urban. Just 0.3 per cent of residents live in rural areas and the town has over 4,300 residents per square kilometre, almost twice the national density. Younger, mobile workforces usually report fewer long-term conditions, so a lower disability rate is expected.
During 2024, 1,445 working-age adults (18–64) asked the council for care or support. This equals 811 requests per 100,000 residents, well below the national average of 1,143. A smaller disabled population and good transport links into nearby employment may limit demand. At the same time, deprivation in Reading sits a little worse than the national midpoint. Households with low income but without disability will still call on wider welfare services, leaving social care teams with a narrower, but not necessarily lighter, caseload.
In the same year 880 working-age adults received council-funded care, or 494 per 100,000 people, again below the England mean of 533. The gap between requests (811 per 100,000) and services delivered (494 per 100,000) is similar to that seen nationally, suggesting that eligibility thresholds are not markedly tighter in Reading.
Only 11 per 100,000 adults are in nursing homes, slightly under the national pattern. Residential placements (62 per 100,000) match the England rate. The main difference is in community services. Reading supports 286 per 100,000 through a council-managed personal budget, higher than the national 267. In contrast, direct payment-only packages and commissioned community support are both lower. For a densely populated area, arranging care through local providers may be more straightforward for the council than for individuals, explaining the preference for managed budgets.
Separate 2025 data show only a handful of disabled adults seeking help with assessments, charging or direct payments. The numbers are small—between 0.6 and 4.5 per 100,000 across the different categories—and close to national norms. This suggests that most enquiries are being resolved early, possibly through online or voluntary-sector channels, reducing formal contacts with the council.
Lower prevalence of disability and lower demand for care mean Reading’s adult social care budget is under less volume pressure than many councils. However, the town’s mixed deprivation profile and high living costs create inequities within neighbourhoods. The heavier use of council-managed personal budgets points to a need for strong brokerage skills and a resilient local provider market. Maintaining that market in a high-cost, high-density setting will require ongoing commissioning attention.
Looking ahead, Reading’s population has grown by around 5,000 since 2020. If the area also ages, disability rates and care requests are likely to rise. Early investment in accessible housing, employment support and community services could slow future demand and keep more disabled residents living independently.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Reading has a young age profile. In 2019 only 11.8 % of residents were aged 65 +; by 2023 the share had inched up to 12.2 %. The rise is steady but modest when set against the England average, which stayed near 18.7 %. Because the borough’s total population also grew from 174 288 to 178 196, the absolute number of older residents is rising, yet they remain a smaller proportion of the community than elsewhere.
A high density of 4 313 usual residents per km² (national 2 469) and only 0.3 % rural land mean most people, including older adults, live close to services, transport and shops. Deprivation is slightly worse than national (average decile 5.5 versus 5.9) and shows wide variation across neighbourhoods. These factors shape both need and the way support is delivered.
In 2024 there were 2 620 requests for support from people aged 65 + (1 470 per 100 000 residents). The national rate is 2 438 per 100 000, so demand appears lighter. Part of the gap is explained by Reading’s smaller older population, yet the figure is still low when adjusted for total residents. It may indicate comparatively good health, strong informal networks, or possible under-identification of need in some deprived wards.
Reading supported 1 080 older adults in long-term care (606 per 100 000), clearly below the England average of 1 003 per 100 000. The mix of settings, however, is distinctive.
Nursing placements are relatively common: 135 per 100 000 against a national 122. Conversely, residential placements stand at 93 per 100 000, barely two-fifths of the national level. This suggests the council admits fewer people into traditional residential homes but moves a slightly larger share straight to higher-acuity nursing beds when health needs become complex. Close links with local hospitals and the compact urban geography may make such moves easier to arrange.
Most older service users (about 56 %) receive community care managed and commissioned by the council (340 per 100 000, compared with an England figure of 508). Direct payments, whether full or part, are taken up by 39 per 100 000, somewhat below national norms. The pattern implies the authority still plays a strong role in organising care but could further promote personal budgets if it wishes to widen choice.
Small numbers asked for help in 2025 with charging issues (4.5 per 100 000) or care plans (0.6 per 100 000). Rates are close to the England picture, hinting at adequate advice provision. Slightly higher demand for direct-payment advice aligns with the council’s moderate push towards flexible support.
The combination of a growing, though still small, older population and below-average care uptake gives Reading time to plan. Early intervention could keep the number of high-cost nursing placements from rising. Targeted outreach in more deprived neighbourhoods may uncover hidden need, while expanding personal budget options could match the preferences of an urban, mobile older cohort.
Overall, current pressures are manageable, yet the steady upward trend in age profile and the borough’s pockets of deprivation mean that demand is likely to increase. Strategic investment in community services and prevention will help maintain independence and control costs in the years ahead.
✨ ✅ ❌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 around 11,000 people in Reading were identified as unpaid carers. This is about 6,337 carers for every 100,000 residents. The England figure is much higher, at about 8,204 per 100,000. Reading’s lower rate may reflect its smaller share of older people and long-term illness, as the town has a young, mobile population and very high population density. A younger age profile often means fewer heavy caring roles, but it can also mean that some caring activity is short-term or hidden and therefore not recorded.
Only one in five carers in Reading said they had as much social contact as they wanted. Nationally, almost three in ten carers felt this way. The finding is striking in such a densely populated urban area, suggesting that physical proximity does not prevent isolation. Limited time, shift working and housing churn may make it harder for carers to maintain relationships. The town’s mixed deprivation pattern, with some very deprived neighbourhoods beside affluent ones, may also create unequal access to community networks.
Just under half of local carers (46.2%) felt it is easy to find information about services, compared with six in ten across England. In a borough where digital skills and languages vary, online information alone may not meet need, and the absence of obvious community hubs in newer housing areas may add to this challenge.
The council offers markedly fewer direct payments than the national norm: about 76 per 100,000 residents against 150 nationally. Part-direct payments are very rare, and no carers were recorded as receiving a council-managed personal budget or council-commissioned support in 2024. By contrast, Reading provides high levels of advice and signposting, at 424 per 100,000, exceeding the England average of 339. Only 14 carers per 100,000 received no support at all, far below the national figure. This pattern suggests a service model that prioritises quick, low-cost information over ongoing financial or practical help.
Respite delivered to the cared-for person, such as short breaks, stands at 25 per 100,000, only a third of the England rate. Limited respite opportunities are likely to feed into carers’ low ratings of social contact and wellbeing.
Reading’s mean deprivation decile is slightly below average, but its higher spread shows large contrasts between neighbourhoods. Services concentrated in the town centre may be harder to reach for carers in outlying, poorer estates that are not well served by transport. An almost entirely urban setting also means less informal support from extended family networks that are still common in rural areas.
The data point to hidden or under-supported caring. Expanding proactive identification, especially among working-age groups, could close the gap in recorded carers. Increasing the offer of direct payments and short-break services may relieve stress and improve social contact. Finally, a stronger, multi-channel information strategy—combining digital, face-to-face and community language options—would help more carers feel informed and valued.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Reading has 41 community-based adult social care services. This looks small next to the England average of 63.8, yet Reading serves only 178,000 people, about half the national mean population. When set against its size this becomes roughly 23 services for every 100,000 residents, higher than the national rate of about 17. This suggests that people in Reading can reach a community care service more easily than people in many other places, an advantage in a busy urban area where short travel matters.
There are 30 residential care providers, well below the national average of 91 in raw terms and around 17 per 100,000 residents compared with 24 nationwide. Land in Reading is costly and space is tight, with more than 4,300 people living in each square kilometre. Fewer large buildings may therefore be available for care homes, pushing the local system to rely more on community support.
Quality is a concern. About 26.8 % of local providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, far above the England figure of 16.8 %. A high share of weaker ratings can point to stretched management, limited training time, or the need to upgrade old buildings. In a city with higher land prices, providers may spend more on rent and less on quality-raising activities.
Staff turnover in the wider South East region is 26.7 %, and Reading is almost identical at 26.6 %. Vacancies are a little lower than the national level, 7.6 % versus 8.4 %, yet employers still report strong pressure: 72.4 % say keeping staff is “more” or “much more” challenging, and 82.9 % say the same about hiring, both a few points above England. This gap hints at fierce competition for workers in a city economy that offers many other jobs, often with better pay and lower stress.
Reading’s population has grown slowly but steadily from 174,000 in 2019 to 178,000 in 2023. The borough is almost entirely urban, with only 0.3 % rural land, so demand is likely to keep rising as more older people stay in the city rather than moving to rural areas. Deprivation sits just below the national middle (mean decile 5.5), but the spread of wealth and poverty is wider than average. The mix of high need in some districts and high living costs across the city makes balanced care delivery hard.
Reading already has a good spread of community services, matching its dense layout. The main gaps lie in residential capacity and in service quality. Helping providers improve may require targeted grants for building upgrades and more joint training. Housing support, travel allowances, or local wage supplements could ease recruitment and retention, lowering the share of underperforming services. As the population grows and ages, a clear plan to add or modernise residential places will also be needed.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Reading has about 178,000 people and is far more crowded than the England average, with over 4,300 residents for every square kilometre. Deprivation is close to mid-range but a little worse than the national mean and there is a wide mix of rich and poor areas. These factors shape how adult social care is used and may explain some of the mixed results seen in 2024.
Almost all hospital discharges of Reading residents (99.8 %) were made from a trust rated “acceptable” by the Care Quality Commission, clearly above the England level of 89 %. This suggests strong links between the council and its main acute providers. Yet 25 % of those discharges were delayed, more than double the national figure of 12 %. The average delay was 0.85 days against 0.7 nationally. In a dense urban area, beds turn over quickly; any hold-up in arranging home care or a placement has an immediate effect on flow. The high delay rate therefore points to pinch-points in community capacity rather than poor hospital care itself.
Only 62 % of survey respondents said they were satisfied with the care and support they receive, a little below the England mean of 64.7 %. A separate NatCen question found 57 % actively dissatisfied, which is concerning, even though there is no national benchmark for direct comparison. Against this, 74.7 % of people said it was easy to find information about services, well above the national 68.2 %. Clear information can soften frustration, but it cannot on its own offset shortfalls in capacity or workforce.
Only 1.68 complaints per 100,000 residents were received by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, and 1.12 were decided, both far below the England averages of 4.45 and 4.12. Low complaint rates can point to good local resolution and effective first-line responses. However, they can also signal a population that is less aware of formal routes or feels complaints will not help. The below-average satisfaction score hints that the latter may play a part, so the council should check that advocacy and complaints advice are reaching all neighbourhoods, especially the more deprived ones.
Population growth has resumed after a short dip in 2020–21. Rising numbers, combined with very high density, put pressure on both home-care staff and supported housing. This helps explain why hospital discharges are safe but frequently delayed. Slightly higher deprivation and the large spread between rich and poor wards can add further complexity: services must meet very different needs within a compact area.
Reading shows good practice in choosing safe providers and in giving clear information. The main areas for quality improvement are timeliness of discharge and overall user satisfaction. Targeted investment in home-care capacity, faster brokerage of packages, and more visible feedback channels should help translate safe care into care that feels responsive and person-centred.
Reading delivers care that is mostly safe and well sign-posted, but capacity gaps leave too many people waiting and feeling dissatisfied. Strengthening community services and amplifying the user voice are the next steps for sustained quality improvement.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Reading spent about £38,650 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care in 2024. With a mid-2023 population of roughly 178,000 people, this equals a gross outlay close to £69 million. The national average is £47,758 per 100,000, so Reading’s spend is around one-fifth lower. Net spend (after income) follows the same pattern: about £34,100 per 100,000, or £61 million in cash terms, compared with a national figure of £40,472. These numbers show that the council supports care with less money than most areas.
The local population dipped slightly between 2019 and 2021 but has risen since and now stands 2 per cent above its 2019 level. A growing head-count, even if modest, adds fresh demand for care each year. If spending does not keep pace, services can become stretched.
Reading is very crowded, with more than 4,300 residents per square kilometre, almost double the England average. Close distances can cut transport costs and make home-care visits easier to schedule, which may help explain lower expenditure. At the same time urban living is linked with higher rates of mental ill-health, homelessness and substance misuse, which can raise the need for complex support.
The borough sits just above the national middle for deprivation, scoring 5.5 on the ten-point index (where 1 is most deprived). Yet variation across neighbourhoods is wide. Pockets of hardship can lift demand for social care, as poorer health tends to appear earlier in life. Mixed affluence therefore creates uneven pressure, calling for targeted rather than blanket provision.
Client contributions bring in about £4,540 per 100,000 residents, roughly £8 million in total and almost 40 per cent below the national rate. Lower charges can ease access but leave the council with a bigger share of the bill. NHS contributions are also smaller, at £5,922 per 100,000 (£10.6 million), one-quarter under the England norm. This suggests that joint funding arrangements with health partners may be less extensive than elsewhere, or that fewer people in Reading meet the criteria for NHS continuing care.
The combination of rising population, varied deprivation and below-average cash may limit the scope to widen services or improve pay. Lower client fees could signal a younger, better-off population that needs less intensive care, yet it might also point to unmet need among people who are just above the means-test threshold. The small NHS share makes it harder to fund seamless health-and-care packages, which are vital for people leaving hospital.
To keep pace with demand Reading may need stronger joint planning with the local NHS, so that the health sector meets a fair share of costs. A review of charging policy could explore whether fees are set at a level that balances access with financial sustainability. Because high density can support efficient home-care routes, investing in community-based services may give the best return. Finally, the wide spread of deprivation calls for data-led allocation, ensuring that resources flow to neighbourhoods where poor health strikes earliest.
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