This page provides an overview of social care in Rochdale, 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 Rochdale. 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
One in five Rochdale citizens are disabled after adjusting for age (20.4 %). The national rate is nearer one in six (17.6 %). Because the figures are age-standardised, the gap cannot be explained by a larger older population. Instead it points to higher levels of long-term illness or impairment in working-age groups. The borough’s deep and widespread deprivation (mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3.5, well below the England mean of 5.9) is a likely driver. Living in poorer housing, doing more physically demanding work and having lower access to preventive health care all raise the risk of disability.
During 2024, 3 840 working-age adults contacted adult social care. This equals 1 671 requests for every 100 000 residents, almost half as much again as the England figure of 1 143. High request levels fit with the large disabled population and with a labour market that still shows effects of post-industrial decline. For the council this means many initial assessments, advice calls and signposts, even before any funded support is agreed.
In the same year 1 510 adults aged 18–64 were receiving long-term care funded by the council, or 657 per 100 000 residents. The national rate is lower at 533. Most Rochdale service users stay in their own homes. Community-based personal budgets managed by the council cover 850 people (370 per 100 000), well above the national average of 267. Direct payments alone cover a further 365 people (159 per 100 000), also higher than the England norm. Only 195 people live in residential homes and just 35 in nursing beds. This pattern suggests a strong local policy push towards home-based support. It may also reflect limited local nursing capacity, or personal preference for remaining near family networks in densely populated neighbourhoods.
The small numbers seeking help with safeguarding, charging or carers’ issues in 2025 (all below 7 per 100 000) sit close to national means, indicating routine case-flow rather than a spike in risk or dissatisfaction.
Rochdale’s population has risen steadily to 229 800 in 2023, yet it is still far smaller than the average English upper-tier authority. With 1 416 residents per square kilometre and only 1.6 % classed as rural, services can reach most people quickly, but urban density also concentrates disadvantage. The combination of a growing, mainly urban population, high disability and high deprivation multiplies demand for council-funded care while limiting residents’ ability to pay for private provision.
Higher disability and care-request rates signal that Rochdale will continue to face above-average pressure on assessment teams and on community support budgets. The current emphasis on personal budgets and direct payments aligns with national policy and appears to be containing residential admissions. Maintaining this balance will rely on enough trained home-care staff and on suitable housing adaptations. Tackling root causes of disability, such as poor health behaviours and low incomes, will be essential if demand is to stabilise. Strong ties with public health, employment support and housing are therefore as important as adequate adult social care funding.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Rochdale has grown from 222,000 people in 2019 to about 230,000 in 2023. The borough is urban, with 1,416 people per km² and only 1.6 % living in rural areas. It is also more deprived than England on average, sitting in decile 3-4 compared with the national decile 6.
Only 16.5 % of residents are aged 65 and over, below the England figure of 18.5 %. The share has moved only a little in the last five years, rising by 0.1 percentage points. Rochdale therefore has fewer older people, but a larger younger working-age group.
In 2024 older residents made 6,045 requests for care. This is 2,631 requests per 100,000 population, 8 % above the national rate of 2,438. A smaller older population creating above-average demand suggests that age alone is not driving need. The high deprivation score points to poorer health, while the dense urban setting may make it easier to ask for help, both of which raise the number of contacts.
Despite strong demand, only 1,745 older people were receiving a service in 2024, equal to 760 per 100,000. The England rate is 1,003. In other words, Rochdale processes more requests but ends with fewer ongoing packages. Part of the gap is explained by type of support offered.
Residential placements stand at 296 per 100,000, higher than the national 250. Nursing placements are lower, at 63 compared with 122. The pattern hints that frail residents may be moving into residential homes earlier, perhaps because local nursing beds are scarce or harder to fund.
Community care managed by the council (268 per 100,000) is only half of the national rate (508). Direct payment-only support is 115 per 100,000, twice the England average. Older people may be choosing cash options when home-care supply is tight, or when family can manage care themselves. Overall, fewer community offers limit the total number of people receiving care and may push some towards residential settings.
Small numbers ask for help with assessments, care plans or safeguarding. Rates are close to national averages, except for charging queries, which are slightly higher. This matches a deprived area where cost is a worry. Requests linked to carers are lower, hinting at hidden or unsupported informal carers.
The data point to a clear challenge: need is high relative to the size of the older population, yet the mix of services leans towards more costly residential care while community support lags behind. In a deprived borough, this risks widening health gaps and increasing long-term costs.
Boosting home-care capacity, making nursing places easier to access and helping informal carers could reduce demand for residential beds. Given steady population growth and only a slight rise in the older share, shifting resources now could prevent sharper pressure in the next decade.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Rochdale had about 19,400 unpaid carers. This equals 8,661 carers for every 100,000 residents, higher than the England rate of 8,204. The borough is smaller than most, yet it still has more carers. High deprivation may be a reason. When money is short, families often look after sick or older relatives themselves. Rochdale is also almost fully urban, so relatives live near each other and can step in.
Only 27.9 % of local carers said they have as much social contact as they would like, a little below the national 29.3 %. This means that three in four carers feel lonely at least some of the time. People live close together (1,416 persons per km²), but free leisure spaces and low-cost transport are limited in poorer areas, so meeting friends can still be hard.
Good news comes from the question on information. Here 63.1 % of Rochdale carers said it is easy to find out about support, better than the England figure of 59.3 %. Local advice hubs, clear web pages and the compact urban map may help. Easy access to information lowers stress, yet it must lead to real help.
Direct payments reach only 83 carers per 100,000, almost one-half of the England rate of 150. Services that give advice and signposting reach 202 per 100,000, also below the national 339. Respite delivered to the person being cared for covers 37 per 100,000, about half of the national level of 70. The striking figure is the group with no direct support: 1,112 carers per 100,000 in Rochdale versus only 130 in England. Many carers therefore know where to ask but do not receive money, breaks or practical help.
In 2025 the council recorded just one case that needed urgent carer support, equal to 0.44 per 100,000, lower than the England mean of 0.75. The very small number may show early help works, but it could also mean such crises are not always logged.
Rochdale leans heavily on unpaid carers. The group is larger than average, feels somewhat lonelier, and rarely gets formal aid. At the same time carers can find information easily. This points to an information–action gap: people know where to turn, yet the system lacks funds or staff to meet need.
Closing this gap would bring clear gains. More direct payments and planned respite would keep carers healthy and able to work, reducing later pressure on health and social care. Directing new money first to the most deprived wards, where need is greatest, would make the best use of limited budgets.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Rochdale has 36 community-based adult social care services and 53 residential care services. Once population size is considered, this equals about 15.7 community services and 23.1 residential services per 100,000 residents. The national averages are around 16.9 and 24.1 per 100,000. In other words, the borough offers almost the same level of provision as England as a whole, even though the absolute numbers look lower because the local population (about 230,000) is smaller than the typical English local authority.
The near-parity in supply is notable because Rochdale is highly urban (only 1.6 % rural land) and has a high level of deprivation (mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3.5 versus the national 5.9). Urban, deprived areas often see higher demand for care and support, so having provider numbers close to the national rate suggests reasonable market coverage. However, demand may still outstrip supply if the population has greater health and social care needs linked to deprivation.
About 22.5 % of local care providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”. The England figure is 16.8 %. This 5.7-point gap signals a quality challenge. In a borough where many residents already face socio-economic disadvantage, weaker care quality risks widening health inequalities. Poor ratings can also make it harder to attract staff and investment, creating a cycle that keeps quality low.
Staff turnover stands at 25.4 %, almost identical to the regional average. This shows that keeping experienced workers is just as hard in Rochdale as elsewhere in the North West. Encouragingly, the recorded vacancy rate is only 4 %, less than half the national 8.4 %. Fewer open posts reduces reliance on agency staff and helps continuity of care.
Yet 81.3 % of providers still say recruiting staff is “more” or “much more” difficult, and 69.5 % say the same about retaining staff. These perceptions, slightly above regional norms, suggest that today’s low vacancy figure may be fragile. Providers may feel that any rise in demand—or any loss of staff—could quickly leave them short-handed.
The mix of average provider numbers, above-average ratings problems, and workforce concerns hints at a service market that is large enough but under strain. High deprivation can translate into more complex care needs, which in turn pressurise staff and management. If experienced workers leave, the remaining team may struggle to meet regulatory standards, pushing up the share of poor ratings. Conversely, the current low vacancy rate could reflect providers lowering caseloads or delaying expansion because they anticipate difficulty filling new roles.
Improving care quality should be the immediate priority. Support programmes that pair under-performing homes or agencies with high-performing peers, alongside targeted grants for training and digital tools, could lift inspection outcomes. Sustaining the workforce matters just as much. Wage incentives alone may not work in a low-wage economy; flexible hours, local training pipelines, and clear career routes can help retain staff.
Finally, commissioners should keep monitoring the balance between demand and capacity. If provider numbers stay flat while the older population grows, even today’s “average” supply could slide into shortage. Early engagement with providers to signal future demand—and to address the factors driving staff unease—will support a stable, higher-quality care market for Rochdale residents.
✨ ✅ ❌Historically, hospital delays have been due in large part, to the inability to discharge patients into social care. We no longer have DTOC data, but we can still look at the number of hospital delays and the number of facilities requiring improvement.
CQC, as the regulator of health and social care services in England, is beginning to rate Local Authorities on their social care provision. Understanding the CQC rating of a local authority should be used as the most official evaluation of service care provision. For example, a low rating may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high rating may suggest that existing services are effective.
Hospital delays can have a significant impact on patient care and outcomes, and are in large part the result of not having invested sufficiently in social care. Understanding the number of hospital delays in a local authority can be a sympthom of a poorly working social care sector. For example, a high number of hospital delays may indicate a need for improved discharge planning and coordination, not enough places to discharge people to, lack of sufficient staff to assess patients, or a lack of care providers.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
This metric illustrates how long patients are delayed in hospital before being discharged. Higher average delays mean that patients are spending more time in hospital than necessary, which can lead to increased costs, reduced bed availability, and poorer patient outcomes. This also means that the beds are not available for people that might desperately need them for life-saving procedures.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
Delayed Transfer of Care (DTOC) refers to the time between a patient being declared medically fit for discharge and actually leaving the hospital. Understanding the number of DTOCs in a local authority can help identify precisely where the social care system is failing.
Unfortunately, this dataset is no longer being generated.
Reablement is a short-term service that helps people regain independence and confidence after a period of illness or injury. Understanding the number of people receiving reablement services can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving reablement services may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a low number of people receiving reablement services may suggest that existing services are effective.
Coming soon!
Service user satisfaction is a key indicator of the quality of social care services. Understanding service user satisfaction can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of service user satisfaction may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high level of service user satisfaction may suggest that existing services are effective.
It is important to note that the people surveyed are already receiving service care. Notably absent are all the people that are not yet lucky enough to be receiving care.
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 1
Access to information is crucial for people using social care services to navigate the system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for people to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of people finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 13
An ombudsman is a person who has been appointed to look into complaints about companies and organisations. The number of cases received and decided by the Ombudsman is important because it provides insight into the volume of complaints about a local authority’s social care services and how effectively these complaints are being addressed. The number of cases received indicates the level of dissatisfaction or systemic issues within a council’s care provision, while the number of cases decided shows how efficiently the Ombudsman is processing and resolving complaints. A large gap between the two may suggest delays in complaint handling, leaving individuals waiting.
It is important to note that contacting the Ombudsman is widely considered a last resort, often discouraged, and sometimes penalised.
Rochdale serves about 230,000 residents, which is smaller than the average English local authority. It is very urban, with only 1.6 per cent of land classed as rural, and it is more deprived than most places; the mean deprivation decile is 3.5 against the national 5.9. High need and limited space place steady pressure on health and care services.
The proportion of discharges made to “acceptable” trusts is 34.5, far below the England figure of 89. This suggests that many people from Rochdale leave hospital through pathways judged less than ideal, possibly because specialist beds sit outside the borough or because local community provision is tight. Yet only 10.0 per cent of discharges are delayed, lower than the national 12.3 per cent, and the average delay is 0.67 days compared with 0.70 nationally. The system therefore moves patients on time, but often to settings that may not meet the preferred standard. This pattern is consistent with urban, deprived areas where demand is high: hospitals cannot afford long waits, so they discharge promptly even when the “best-fit” service is not available. Continued investment in step-down care and neighbourhood re-ablement could raise both speed and quality.
In the Adult Social Care Survey, 66.9 per cent of respondents say they are satisfied with the care and support they receive, a little above the England rate of 64.7 per cent. A separate NatCen poll reports that 57 per cent of local people feel dissatisfied with social care, showing that experience is mixed and may vary by subgroup. Higher deprivation can sharpen expectations: residents often rely more on publicly funded services and notice gaps quickly. Encouragingly, 76 per cent of service users find it easy to get information, well ahead of the national 68.2 per cent. Clear advice routes may explain why delays are short and satisfaction is reasonable despite the challenging discharge picture.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 5.22 complaints per 100,000 residents in 2024, equal to about 12 cases in raw numbers. This is above the national rate of 4.45. Decisions, however, stand at 3.05 per 100,000 (around seven cases), slightly below the England mean of 4.12. A higher intake with fewer outcomes may hint at backlog or early local resolution before full investigation. The appetite to complain is often stronger in urban areas where services touch many lives each day. Rochdale could lower complaint volumes by sharing learning from upheld cases and by continuing to make information easy to reach.
Overall, Rochdale copes well with flow and maintains user satisfaction, but it does so in a setting of high need and low resource headroom. The key quality gap sits at the point of discharge, where too few moves go to an “acceptable” provider. Strengthening community rehabilitation, expanding trusted assessor schemes and keeping the public informed should together lift both the measured quality of discharge destinations and residents’ confidence in the system.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Rochdale spent about £50,723 for every 100,000 residents on social care before any income was taken off. This is six per cent above the England figure of £47,758. After taking client and NHS income into account the council still spent £42,937 per 100,000 people, again around six per cent above the national level of £40,472. Using the 2023 population estimate of 229,756, the gross bill comes to roughly £116 million, while the net bill stands near £99 million.
People who use services in Rochdale contributed about £7,785 per 100,000 residents, slightly higher than the national average of £7,286. This suggests that charging policies, numbers in paid care, or both are close to the national norm. The striking difference is NHS support. Local NHS bodies put in £14,373 per 100,000 residents, almost twice the England figure of £7,878. Joint packages of care, rapid discharge schemes and Continuing Healthcare may be more common here, helping the council to meet need while keeping its own net spend lower than it would otherwise be.
Rochdale is smaller than the average English local authority yet it is densely settled and among the most deprived. The mean deprivation decile is 3.5, well below the national 5.9, while only 1.6 per cent of land is rural. Deprivation is linked to poorer health at younger ages and to greater demand for both working-age and older people’s care. The slightly higher spending per head therefore fits the area’s risk profile; without the strong NHS contribution the council might face a much larger funding gap.
The figures point to a system that is meeting heavy demand by pooling money across organisations. Higher gross spending shows Rochdale is willing to invest, yet the need to draw down substantial NHS support hints at underlying pressure. If national NHS finances tighten, Rochdale could be exposed. Equally, client contributions rise only modestly above average, so the council cannot rely on users to close any future gap.
Maintaining partnership with the NHS looks essential. Continued joint commissioning can keep people at home longer, reduce hospital re-admission and control costs. The council may also wish to review prevention work in poorer neighbourhoods, as every avoided care package reduces both council and NHS spend. Finally, because the population has grown by nearly eight thousand since 2021, the authority should keep an eye on whether current spending levels remain sufficient; a rising, deprived and relatively young population can bring new types of demand, especially for support linked to mental health and disability.
Rochdale spends slightly more than the average council on social care, largely because local need is high. Strong NHS contributions help balance the books, but they also show that the local care system is tightly interwoven. To stay sustainable, investment in joint working and early help will be just as important as the headline budget figure.
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