This page provides an overview of social care in Redcar and Cleveland, along with key metrics that could affect social care. Understanding these metrics is important because they help contextualise the challenges with social care provision in each local authority. These statistics are important to keep in mind when reviewing the other pages.
Why are these metrics important? Population size and density can affect the demand for social care services. For example, if a local authority has a high population (relative to other areas), it may need to allocate more resources to meet care needs. Similarly, areas with high population density may require more care services due to the increased number of people living in close proximity. Inversely, areas with a low population density may have fewer care needs, but residents may face challenges accessing services due to the distance between them. Lastly, people in rural areas might live further away from services, which can impact their ability to access care, or make it more expensive to provide.
Understanding these metrics can help local authorities plan and allocate resources effectively.
Deprivation decile is a measure of the level of deprivation in a local authority. It is calculated by ranking areas in England from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived) based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A higher decile indicates lower levels of deprivation, while a lower decile suggests higher levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation levels can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Redcar and Cleveland
Deprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Redcar and Cleveland
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 Redcar and Cleveland. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The age-standardised rate of disability in Redcar and Cleveland stands at 21.4 per cent, well above the England average of 17.6 per cent. In a borough of only 138,000 residents, this higher share means that a comparatively small area is supporting a large absolute number of disabled people. Local deprivation helps to explain the pattern: the mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile is 4.3, lower (therefore more deprived) than the national mean of 5.9, and the spread of deprivation across neighbourhoods is wide. Poor health that arises from deprivation is likely to inflate disability prevalence and drive demand for care.
During 2024 there were 2,045 requests for care or support from adults of working age. This equates to 1,483 requests per 100,000 residents, almost one-third higher than the national rate of 1,143. The volume is striking given that the local population is only around one-third of the typical English authority. A dispersed settlement pattern – 44 per cent of residents live in rural areas and overall density is one-quarter of the national figure – may add to the likelihood that people seek formal help rather than rely on informal networks.
Of those who asked for help, 970 adults aged 18-64 were receiving an ongoing service in 2024. The rate, 703 per 100,000, exceeds the England figure of 533. Roughly 47 per cent of requests resulted in a service, close to the national conversion rate and suggesting that thresholds for eligibility are similar. The mix of provision, however, reveals a local emphasis on supporting people to live in the community.
Only 30 individuals (22 per 100,000) were in nursing care, and 95 (69 per 100,000) in residential homes, both only modestly above national benchmarks. By contrast, community-based options dominate. Direct payments alone support 290 people, giving a rate (210 per 100,000) almost double the England average of 122. A further 135 people combine direct payments with commissioned help, and 415 rely purely on council-arranged community services. The popularity of direct payments suggests that the authority has promoted personalisation effectively and that residents value control over their support. It may also reflect gaps in the local care market that make traditional commissioned hours less flexible, especially in scattered rural settlements.
Requests logged for 2025 show small but revealing numbers: for instance 3.6 information-seeking contacts per 100,000 people, above the national 2.6. Although absolute counts are low, the higher rates hint at confusion about the system or a shortage of earlier signposting. Ensuring clear advice could prevent some requests escalating into formal care.
Redcar and Cleveland faces a dual challenge: a disabled population that is proportionately large and a geography that raises delivery costs. The council’s success in expanding community and personalised support aligns with national policy, yet the high demand means expenditure is likely to remain under pressure. Continued investment in preventative services, accessible information, and the local care workforce will be essential, as will collaboration with health partners to address the deprivation-related drivers of disability. Without such measures, the gap between local need and national averages may widen further.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Redcar and Cleveland is home to about 138,000 residents, a much smaller population than the average English local authority. The share of residents aged 65 or above grew steadily from 22.8 per cent in 2019 to 23.8 per cent in 2023. England as a whole stayed close to 18–19 per cent over the same years. The borough is therefore ageing more quickly than the country. This pattern is shaped by two local facts: almost half of the area is rural, making it attractive for retirement, and overall deprivation is higher than average, which tends to push younger working-age people to seek jobs elsewhere. Low population density (557 persons per km², compared with 2,469 nationally) also means longer travel times for services, adding to the pressures felt by older residents.
In 2024 the council received 4,185 new requests for support from people aged 65 plus. After adjusting for population size this equals 3,034 requests per 100,000 residents, around one quarter higher than the England rate of 2,438. The figure suggests that local elders are more likely to approach the council for help. Possible reasons include poorer health linked to deprivation, limited family support in rural villages, and easier access to advice in the more urban coastal strip. The rise in the older population indicates that such demand is likely to keep growing.
Two thousand and ten older residents were receiving long-term care at the start of 2024, equating to 1,457 people per 100,000. Nationally the average is 1,003, so service take-up is again higher. The mix of care is noteworthy. Only 105 people per 100,000 live in nursing homes, slightly below the national figure; however, 489 per 100,000 live in residential homes, almost double the England rate. Community-based support is also well used: 761 per 100,000 hold a council-managed personal budget and smaller groups use direct payments. High residential use may reflect a good local supply of care homes and the fact that frail elders in dispersed rural settlements find home care harder to deliver. Lower nursing use may point to limited nursing-home capacity or better management of clinical needs in other settings.
Data for 2025 show that requests about information, legal issues, mental capacity and safeguarding occur more often than in England, even though questions about charging and assessments are rarer. This pattern hints at complex personal situations rather than purely financial concerns. It may also mirror higher deprivation: people with fewer resources often need extra guidance and are more vulnerable to neglect or abuse.
The combination of a fast-growing older population, high request rates and heavy use of residential care points to sustained pressure on adult social care budgets. Extending community-based options could ease this load, but rural isolation means travel costs and workforce shortages must be planned for. Strengthening early advice services, especially on legal rights and safeguarding, may prevent crises and reduce long-stay admissions. Because nursing-home use is low, the council should check whether capacity matches future clinical need as the very old population expands. Close links with health partners will be vital to support residents who are ageing in poorer health than the national norm.
✨ ✅ ❌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 the area recorded 10,134 unpaid carers for every 100,000 residents. With a mid-year population of about 136,600, this means roughly 14,000 local people were looking after a family member or friend without pay. The national rate was much lower, at 8,204 per 100,000. Redcar and Cleveland therefore relies on a larger share of informal care. One likely reason is the local age profile: coastal and rural districts often have more older residents, and older households are more likely to need help with daily living. The borough is also more deprived than the England average, and families in lower-income areas can find it harder to purchase formal support, turning instead to relatives.
Only 30.6 percent of carers said they had as much social contact as they would like. This is slightly above the England figure of 29.3 percent, yet it still means that about seven out of ten carers feel lonely or cut off at least some of the time. The risk of isolation may be linked to geography: population density is 557 residents per square kilometre, around one fifth of the national level. Longer travel times and fewer local services can limit everyday social links.
On a more positive note, 67.8 percent of carers said it is easy to find information about support, well ahead of the national average of 59.3 percent. Good signposting can soften the impact of long caring hours and may explain why the social-contact score, while low in absolute terms, is not worse than elsewhere.
Service data for 2024 show different patterns of help.
Direct payments, which place money straight in the carer’s hands, were given to around 91 carers per 100,000 residents, roughly 125 people in total. The England rate was 150 per 100,000. Lower uptake may reflect caution in managing personal budgets or limited confidence in handling paperwork.
By contrast, 210 carers per 100,000 (about 290 people) received council-managed personal budgets. This is more than three times the national figure of 66 per 100,000 and suggests that carers prefer the council to arrange services on their behalf. In rural settings a managed package can be easier than organising one’s own care market.
Information-only offers reached 214 carers per 100,000, well below the England level of 339 per 100,000. The earlier survey result shows that the quality of information is good, so the lower count may indicate that carers move quickly from advice to a formal budget rather than staying on universal services alone.
Respite or other help delivered to the cared-for person stood at 72.5 per 100,000, almost identical to the national picture. This kind of break may be especially valued in a borough where deprivation can limit access to private respite.
The borough already carries a heavy reliance on unpaid carers, and the local population is slowly growing. Demand for support is therefore likely to rise. High use of council-managed budgets shows trust in the local authority but also implies significant workload for care staff. Maintaining clear, easy-to-find information will be important, as will widening access to direct payments for carers who want more control. Finally, boosting opportunities for social contact, perhaps through community transport or local hubs, could tackle the loneliness felt by most carers.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Redcar and Cleveland is home to about 138,000 people, far smaller than the average English local authority population of 377,000. The borough also has a mixed urban-rural geography, with only 557 residents per square kilometre. These factors help to explain the small absolute number of services. The area records 14 community-based adult social care providers and 41 residential care providers.
When size is taken into account the pattern changes. Community support equals roughly 10 providers for every 100,000 residents, against a national norm of 17. This suggests a thin home-care market. Fewer agencies can make it harder to arrange short visits in outlying villages, and may limit people’s ability to stay safe at home.
Residential provision looks stronger. With about 30 homes per 100,000 residents, Redcar and Cleveland sits slightly above the national rate of 24. A higher reliance on care homes fits both the rural spread—where travelling staff costs are high—and the borough’s deprivation profile, which can drive earlier loss of independence.
Only 10.9% of local providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8% across England. This low figure points to generally good practice and effective local monitoring. A smaller, more stable market can help managers share learning and keep standards up.
Staff turnover stands at 24.3%, in line with the regional average. The vacancy rate is 7.8%, a little below the national figure of 8.4%. Yet seven in ten employers say retaining staff is now “more” or “much more” challenging, and more than four in five report the same for recruitment. The gap between perception and headline numbers may reflect anxiety about future demand and rising competition from retail or hospitality. Lower pay in a deprived area could also make new hires hard to attract even if posts are currently filled.
The borough scores 4.3 on the deprivation decile measure (England average 5.9), signalling higher social and health need. Its 44% rural share means journeys are longer and costs per visit are higher. Taken together, these points underline why a strong community provider base is vital. At present, capacity looks limited. If more residents are to live at home, commissioners may need to support new domiciliary entrants, help with travel costs, or pilot digital care tools.
The favourable quality record and moderate turnover indicate a solid platform on which to build. Targeted grants for recruitment, housing support for care staff, and shared training schemes with neighbouring councils could guard against future shortages. Balancing residential and community supply will be central to giving people real choice while keeping budgets under control.
Redcar and Cleveland offers good-quality care and a reasonable number of residential beds, but its lean community provider market risks unmet need, especially in scattered rural settlements. Strategic support for home-care growth, alongside measures to secure the workforce, will help the borough deliver person-centred care over the next decade.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Redcar and Cleveland serves about 138,000 residents, far smaller than the average English council. People are spread out, with only 557 residents per square kilometre compared with the national 2,469. At the same time, the borough is more deprived than most places in England. This mix of low density and high deprivation often makes care delivery harder and more expensive, so any quality gains are important.
Almost every hospital discharge for Redcar and Cleveland (99.8 %) comes from a trust judged acceptable by the Care Quality Commission. This is ten percentage points above the England mean of 89 %. For service users, it means that almost all discharges start from wards with safe practice and good planning. A safe starting point, however, must still be matched by smooth onward care. Here the data are also encouraging. Only 10.3 % of discharges are delayed, lower than the national 12.3 %. The average delay is 0.55 days, again better than the English figure of 0.7 days. Faster discharge limits hospital crowding and lowers the risk of readmission, an effect that may be especially valuable in a small, ageing, and fairly deprived community.
Satisfaction with care and support stands at 63.5 %. The national mean is 64.7 %, so local satisfaction is only a little below average. A second survey, run by NatCen, suggests 57 % of respondents report some form of dissatisfaction. This gap between the two surveys hints that feelings about services are mixed and may change with the question asked. It could reflect the higher deprivation level in the borough: people with fewer resources often have higher expectations of formal care because informal help is limited.
On a more positive note, 72.4 % of people who use services feel it is easy to find information, four points above the national 68.2 %. Good information is vital in a rural district where travel to offices is harder. It also shows that the council’s digital or community-based signposting is working better than average.
No Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents are recorded for 2024, while the national rate is 4.45. This could mean that problems are resolved early or that residents are less aware of the formal route for complaint. Given the fair—but not outstanding—satisfaction level, the council may wish to check that people know how to raise concerns.
The discharge data, the fast average delay, and the above-average information score all point towards well-co-ordinated front-line teams and clear communication. These strengths are notable because providing joined-up care in a dispersed, deprived area is usually hard. Slightly lower satisfaction may be tied to underlying deprivation: people may face wider life stresses, which colour their view of services even when technical quality is good. Low complaint numbers reinforce the idea that the system feels approachable, though the council should be sure that silence is not masking hidden issues.
Maintaining quick, safe discharge should remain a priority, as it already sets Redcar and Cleveland apart from the average. Attention could now shift to the softer side of quality—building trust and consistency so that service users feel as positive as the metrics suggest they could. In a small, rural, and deprived borough, this may involve extra local forums, clear feedback routes, and support for carers who often bridge the last mile of service delivery.
Overall, the data show a system that handles the hard operational tasks well but has room to lift personal experience. Targeted engagement, especially in the most deprived neighbourhoods, may help close that final gap.
✨ ✅ ❌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 2024 the council spent about £52,420 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care. With a local population close to 138,000, this equals roughly £72 million in gross terms, or about £524 for each resident. The national average is £478 per resident, so Redcar and Cleveland is spending around nine per cent more than a typical English authority of the same size. This extra £7 million shows a strong local response to care needs.
After taking income into account the net cost to the council falls to £42,430 per 100,000 residents, or around £59 million. Even after these deductions net spend per resident is still above the national norm (£404 compared with £405 nationally), though the gap is smaller.
Service users in Redcar and Cleveland pay a larger share than average. Client contributions reach nearly £10,000 per 100,000 people—about £14 million a year—while the national figure is only £7,300. This suggests that more residents are in chargeable services such as residential care, or that local fees are set closer to the maximum allowed.
Support from the NHS is also strikingly high. NHS contributions are £15,221 per 100,000 residents, almost double the national rate of £7,878. In cash terms this is about £21 million. Strong joint-funding may reflect an active discharge programme from the local hospital or close integration under the Better Care Fund. Because both NHS money and client fees are higher than average, just under one pound in five of gross spending is covered by external income; across England the ratio is nearer one in six.
Several local factors help to explain the higher spend. Redcar and Cleveland is relatively small and dispersed, with only 557 residents per square kilometre against 2,468 in England. Travel time and the need to maintain many small care teams in rural villages push costs up.
The borough is also more deprived than the country as a whole (mean deprivation decile 4.3 compared with 5.9 nationally). Poor health, unemployment and insecure housing often lead to higher demand for social care well before pension age. An older industrial coastline, combined with limited work opportunities, can result in long-term illness and disability among working-age adults as well as older people.
The council is spending more than average and is good at drawing in money from clients and the NHS. Even so, the statement that “the government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known” hints at uncertainty over future central funding. Without clear national plans, sustaining today’s higher service level may be hard, especially if costs rise or if client contributions fall in a downturn.
No data on proposed budget cuts are available, but any future reduction would have to be set against a backdrop of high need, rural delivery challenges and an already above-average spend. Careful long-term planning with health partners, and open discussion on how much residents can safely be asked to pay, will therefore be essential.
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