This page provides an overview of social care in Redbridge, 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 Redbridge. 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 share of residents who say they are disabled is 14.5 per cent, well below the England figure of 17.6 per cent. Redbridge has a young, very urban population. Only two other councils have a higher number of people per square kilometre. A younger age mix and easier access to jobs, shops and public transport often lead to lower reported disability. At the same time, some people may not come forward for an assessment, so the real level of need could be slightly higher than the survey suggests.
In 2024, 2,330 adults aged 18–64 asked the council for support. This is 743 requests for every 100,000 working-age residents, around one third lower than the national rate of 1,143. The lower demand fits the smaller disabled population, yet it could also reflect cultural attitudes or strict local eligibility rules.
Redbridge supports 1,440 working-age adults with long-term services, equal to 459 per 100,000 people. The England average is 533 per 100,000, so again use of services is modest. The mix of provision tells a more nuanced story.
Nursing placements stand at 14.4 per 100,000, just above the national benchmark of 13.8. Residential placements are lower, at 51.0 versus 60.6 per 100,000. A slightly higher share in nursing suggests that when people do enter institutional care they often have complex health needs that a residential setting cannot meet.
Most disabled adults stay in the community. Direct payment packages alone cover 105.3 people per 100,000, below the England figure of 122.2. Part direct payments and council-managed personal budgets also sit a little under the norm. Urban areas often favour community options because services are near by, but the gap here hints that some residents may not be fully aware of the choices on offer.
The 2025 data on specific enquiries is small, yet a pattern appears. Requests for assessments, carers’ support and safeguarding are lower than average, mirroring earlier findings. However, enquiries about legal issues and complaints are more than double the national rate (1.6 versus 0.7 per 100,000). This points to pockets of dissatisfaction or confusion about rights and charges. The council might need clearer information and quicker complaint handling to rebuild trust.
Redbridge is neither notably rich nor poor; its mean deprivation rank is close to the England midpoint. With a dense, diverse population, community services should be convenient, but current take-up is modest. The council may wish to:
• extend outreach so that hidden need is identified early
• promote direct payments and personal budgets in communities that under-use them
• review the pathway into nursing care to make sure complex cases get timely support
• analyse complaint data to improve clarity about assessments and charges.
Keeping a close watch on future request levels will show whether today’s low figures signal genuine good health or an unmet need that is yet to surface.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Between 2019 and 2023 the share of residents aged 65 and over in Redbridge crept up from 12.1 per cent to 12.7 per cent. The national figure stayed near 18.7 per cent, so Redbridge remains a younger borough than most of England. The area is completely urban and very dense (5,502 residents per km², more than double the national average). This pattern, together with a slightly lower-than-average level of deprivation, helps to explain why there are fewer older people and, in turn, fewer contacts with adult social care.
In 2024 about 4,110 residents aged 65 plus asked the council for care or support. This is 1,311 requests per 100,000 older residents, almost half the England rate of 2,438 per 100,000. A smaller older population is part of the story, yet the gap is wider than the age profile alone would suggest. Possible reasons include stronger family networks, cultural preferences to manage care within the household, or unrecognised need among groups who are less used to approaching formal services.
At the same time 2,565 older residents received a long-term service. The rate (818 per 100,000) again sits below the national figure (1,003 per 100,000). The way support is delivered is notable. Only 95.7 per 100,000 are in nursing homes and 134 per 100,000 in residential homes, both well under national norms. By contrast 531 per 100,000 receive community support through a council-managed personal budget, slightly above the England average of 508 per 100,000. This shows a clear policy choice to keep people at home where possible. Given the borough’s high land values and shortage of development sites, limited growth of care-home beds may also play a part.
The 2025 figures for specific advice requests are small, yet they paint a useful picture. Help with charging (5.74 per 100,000) mirrors the national rate, implying that the financial rules are as challenging locally as elsewhere. Requests linked to legal issues and complaints (1.60 per 100,000) are more than twice the England average, suggesting pockets of dissatisfaction or complex cases that need extra support. Conversely, inquiries from unpaid carers run below average, which could hint at good preventive work with carers or, alternatively, at carers who do not know where to turn.
The gradual ageing of the population, though starting from a low base, will push demand upward over the coming decade. If Redbridge wishes to keep its emphasis on community care it will need to expand home-care capacity, invest in technology-enabled care and continue to develop culturally sensitive support that fits diverse households. However, the shortfall in nursing and residential provision may become more pressing for residents with complex needs who cannot be managed safely at home. Monitoring unmet need and satisfaction, especially around finance and complaints, will be vital so the council can adjust resources before pressure becomes acute.
✨ ✅ ❌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 6 900 residents in every 100 000 said they were unpaid carers. This is roughly 21 000 people in total. The England rate was over 8 200 per 100 000, so Redbridge appears to have fewer carers than the national picture. One reason could be the borough’s young age profile and its large migrant population, both of which lower the share of older adults who most often take on caring roles. It could also show that some residents do not describe themselves as carers, so need may be hidden.
Only 28.9 % of Redbridge carers in 2024 felt they had all the social contact they wanted, almost the same as the national figure of 29.3 %. Even so, this means more than two in three carers feel lonely at least some of the time. Redbridge is one of the most densely populated areas in England, with 5 502 people per square kilometre, but high density does not always create supportive networks. Busy urban lives and cultural expectations can leave carers without time or places to meet others.
Just 53 % of carers said it was easy to find information about services, well below the England average of 59.3 %. In a borough where 0 % of the land is rural and travel distances are short, this points less to geography and more to how information is shared. Language diversity and digital exclusion may both play a part. Better signposting through GP surgeries, community centres and faith groups could raise awareness.
The 2024 activity data suggest that formal support is limited. Only around 242 carers (78.2 per 100 000) received a direct payment, half the national rate. Personal budgets managed by the council reached fewer than 30 carers, and support made up solely of information or advice was given to just 60 carers (19.1 per 100 000) compared with 338.7 nationally. Even respite arranged for the cared-for person, an important break for carers, was lower than average at about 150 users.
Redbridge also recorded 140 carers who had no direct support after assessment, again below the England rate but still a concern when taken with the low uptake of other offers. The data suggest that carers may not be moving from assessment to tangible help, possibly because of funding limits or because services are not flexible enough for local cultural and work patterns.
In 2025 the council logged only one carer in the “UT1” risk category (0.32 per 100 000, against 0.75 nationally). Numbers are small, yet the very low count could mean risk is not always recognised rather than genuinely absent.
Redbridge is slightly less deprived than the England average, but its high density and diverse population place unique pressures on informal care. The borough reports fewer carers, offers less direct support, and sees lower satisfaction with information. Together, these findings point to unmet need that may grow as the population ages.
Improving early identification, widening language-appropriate advice, and expanding flexible respite could all ease isolation and prevent crisis. Given the modest scale of current services, even small extra investment might make a noticeable difference for local 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
Redbridge has 64 community-based adult social care services and 76 residential services. The community figure is almost the same as the national average of 63.8, while the residential figure sits well below the national average of 91. When we adjust for population, there are about 20 community services and 24 residential homes for every 100,000 residents. The borough’s population is close to the England mean, but its land area is much smaller. With more than 5,500 people per square kilometre, space is at a premium. Fewer care homes than average may reflect high land costs and planning limits. The near-average number of community services suggests the council and providers are choosing care that keeps people at home, which fits a dense urban setting.
Only 15.5 % of Redbridge services are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8 % nationally. While the gap is modest, it matters: in a borough where beds are scarce, each poorly-performing service carries more risk. The data hints that the local market, though smaller on the residential side, is keeping a slightly tighter grip on quality.
Staff turnover in 2023/24 stands at 19.0 %, almost identical to the national figure. The vacancy rate is 8.7 %, a touch higher than the 8.4 % average. Yet only 68 % of employers report serious problems in recruiting, and 56 % in retaining staff. Across London those figures are 79.8 % and 68.1 % respectively, so Redbridge providers feel less pressure than many neighbours.
This pattern may link to the borough’s mixed deprivation profile. Redbridge sits around the middle of the national deprivation scale (decile 6) and shows less spread between rich and poor areas than average. Wages offered by providers may therefore compete better with other local jobs than in wealthier parts of London, helping them hold on to staff. Stable staffing is likely one reason inspection outcomes are marginally better.
People who need support at home benefit from good access to community services. Because these services are close to where people live in a densely populated area, travel time is short, and care can start quickly. Fewer care-home places, however, may push some residents to seek beds outside the borough, especially if needs are complex. The slightly better-than-average quality ratings ease, but do not remove, that concern.
Maintaining choice in residential care is the main gap. Options include encouraging small specialist homes that fit the tight urban fabric or supporting care-home development in nearby boroughs with shared commissioning agreements. At the same time, the council could keep strengthening community support, which already meets demand well.
Workforce data shows that Redbridge is coping, but only just. A vacancy rate above 8 % still means missed visits and higher stress. Targeted incentives, such as travel allowances or better career paths, might prevent future shortages, especially if the number of residential beds rises.
In short, Redbridge runs a compact, mostly community-based care market that delivers slightly higher quality with average staffing churn. The challenge is to grow residential capacity without losing the advantages of tight quality control and relatively stable staff.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Redbridge serves about 313,000 residents, a little below the average English local authority, but it is far more densely populated, with 5,502 people per square kilometre against the national figure of 2,469. Deprivation is close to the England midpoint (decile 6) and shows less variation across neighbourhoods than most places. The borough is therefore urban and relatively even in its social make-up, giving the council a clear, tightly framed population to plan for.
Almost every hospital discharge in November 2024 came from an “acceptable” trust (99.7 per cent, national 89 per cent). Delays affected only 4.1 per cent of discharges, around one-third of the England rate of 12.3 per cent, and the mean wait once delayed was 0.47 days compared with 0.7 days nationally. In a densely populated borough, journeys between hospital and home are short and community services are near at hand, so geography supports smooth transfer. Stable population numbers also make demand predictable. Taken together, the figures suggest that joint working between the NHS, social care and housing services is well established and is already delivering quicker flow through beds, freeing capacity for acute care and easing pressure on families.
Satisfaction with care and support in the 2024 survey stood at 64.5 per cent, almost identical to the England average of 64.7 per cent. A separate NatCen question found 57 per cent of respondents expressing dissatisfaction, which is high and points to polarised opinions. The mixed picture may stem from rising expectations in a comparatively less deprived borough: people may value speed of discharge yet still feel that day-to-day support is stretched. On a more positive note, 72.2 per cent of service users said it is easy to find information about services, beating the national figure of 68.2 per cent. Good sign-posting can mitigate some dissatisfaction by helping residents reach the right help quickly, especially in an area with no rural communities and many digital-literate households.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 4.15 cases per 100,000 residents, slightly below the England rate of 4.45. However, decisions were issued on 4.47 cases per 100,000, marginally above the national 4.12. The near-average volume suggests that formal complaints are neither suppressed nor excessive. The higher decision rate may reflect a backlog of older cases now being closed, or a local practice of encouraging escalation when informal routes fail. Either way, it underlines the need to keep learning loops open so that lessons from upheld cases feed back into frontline teams.
Redbridge shows strong operational performance at the hospital-to-home interface, helped by compact geography and integrated systems. Information access is also a strength. Satisfaction, while average, sits beside notable levels of reported dissatisfaction, hinting at gaps in ongoing support or communication once people are at home. Maintaining low delay rates will protect user confidence, but work is needed to understand and respond to the causes of dissatisfaction, perhaps through co-production with service users and carers. The council should also monitor Ombudsman outcomes to ensure that corrective actions translate into visible change. With a stable, urban population and moderate deprivation, targeted quality improvement, rather than wholesale service redesign, is likely to yield the greatest benefit.
✨ ✅ ❌We need to understand how much money is being spent on social care, and what this provides. First, let’s look at values reported by local authorities.
Gross Current Expenditure (2023-24) captures the total operational cost of services, indicating overall demand and financial commitment. This includes spending on residential and non-residential care, direct payments, and other social care services. Understanding gross expenditure helps assess the scale of social care provision and financial pressures on local authorities.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
This figure reflects the net cost of social care provision to the local authority, indicating the extent of financial support required to meet service demands. Understanding net expenditure helps assess the financial sustainability of social care services and the commitment level of the local authority.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Client Contributions, otherwise known as “Charging”, show the extent to which service users offset costs. Understanding client contributions helps assess the financial burden on individuals and the local authority, highlighting the need for fair and equitable funding mechanisms.
It is important to note that not all local authorities charge for social care services, and that charging can be a barrier to accessing care for some individuals.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Income from NHS reflects external funding and collaboration with the health sector. Understanding NHS contributions helps understand the level of integration between health and social care.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Budget Cuts indicate financial constraints and potential service reductions. Sometimes, budget cuts are explicit, but other times, they aren’t mentioned directly, making tracking this information difficult to access.
As such, this data is not consistently available for all local authorities.
Access Social Care have made a series of Freedom of Information requests about the government’s own assessment of sufficiency of social care funding. The social care sector is in crisis, yet the government refuses to disclose how it determines funding sufficiency. Without transparency, there is little accountability, no independent scrutiny to improve decision-making, and government trust heavily impacted. Evidence from across the sector indicates a severe funding gap, but without open data, meaningful reform remains impossible. True solutions require honesty about the scale of the problem to then work towards a fair and equitable funding model.
The government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known.
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In the financial year 2024 Redbridge spent about £116 million on adult social care before any income was taken into account. After client charges and other income were removed the council’s own net spend was roughly £95 million. On both measures the borough spends much less than a typical English authority of a similar size, which would spend about £180 million gross and £153 million net.
People who use services in Redbridge contributed an estimated £20.7 million through fees and charges. This is lower than the £27.5 million that would be expected if the borough followed the national pattern. Contributions from the NHS were around £14.8 million, only half of the £29.7 million seen elsewhere. A smaller flow of money from partners makes the council still more dependent on its own budget at a time when local income is tight.
Redbridge is a dense, urban borough with 5,502 residents per square kilometre, more than twice the England average. Yet its overall deprivation score sits very close to the national mean. These facts point to a mixed picture of need: a younger, diverse population in many neighbourhoods but also pockets of older or disabled residents living in relative hardship. A younger age profile could keep demand for long-term care below the national level and help to explain the lower spend. High density may also allow home-care staff to travel quickly between clients, reducing cost per visit.
Another factor may be local policy. Lower client charges suggest that fewer people are entering the formal care system, either because they do not meet eligibility rules or because they rely on informal support. The small NHS contribution hints at limited joint commissioning; when health partners invest less, opportunities for preventive work or for rapid discharge from hospital can be lost, placing later strain on council services.
The current funding level, while affordable today, could be risky if demand rises. Redbridge’s population has grown slowly but steadily since 2021 and now stands at about 313,000. As the borough ages, pressure on care packages, reablement, and supported housing will increase. Without stronger contributions from the NHS or central government the council may need to redirect money from other services, tighten eligibility, or look for further efficiencies.
Because no clear data on past budget reductions are available, it is hard to judge whether the low spend reflects deliberate savings, unmet need, or genuine efficiency. Greater transparency in future budget rounds would help residents understand the choices being made and would support more joined-up planning with health partners.
Redbridge is currently delivering social care at a cost well below the national norm, but this comes with a lower inflow of external funds and may mask hidden demand. Careful monitoring of need, stronger joint working, and clear public information will be essential to keep services safe and sustainable.
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