This page provides an overview of social care in Salford, 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 Salford. 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 Salford is 21.1 per cent. The England figure is 17.6 per cent. Even after adjusting for age, Salford still has more disabled people. A likely reason is high deprivation. The city sits in decile 3.5 on the national deprivation scale, well below the England midpoint of 5.9. Poorer housing, lower pay and long-term health risks linked to past heavy industry can all raise disability levels. Rapid population growth – up by 8 per cent since 2019 – means the absolute number of disabled residents is also rising.
In 2024 there were 4 585 requests for support from working-age adults. This equals 1 614 requests per 100 000 residents, 41 per cent above the England mean of 1 143. The figure mirrors the higher disability rate and suggests strong pressure on front-door services. Population density is 2 777 persons per km², again above the national level, so teams may face many contacts in a small area and little scope to “patch over” shortages with rural family care.
Salford supports 1 585 adults aged 18–64. That is 558 per 100 000, only 5 per cent above the England rate of 533. The narrower gap, compared with the much higher request rate, could point to two things: robust triage that filters out lower needs, or unmet need where some people drop out before services begin.
Patterns by setting give more clues:
• Nursing care: 23 per 100 000, two-thirds higher than the England mean of 14. The city seems to accept more people with very complex conditions.
• Residential care: 39 per 100 000, one-third below the national 61. Salford houses fewer disabled adults in traditional homes.
• Community care with a council-managed personal budget: 375 per 100 000, 41 per cent above the England figure of 267.
The mix shows a deliberate shift away from long-stay residential beds towards community support and personal budgets, while still holding enough nursing places for those with high clinical need. Such a model fits a deprived, urban area, where family housing may not allow easy adaptation and professional outreach becomes vital.
Small 2025 samples (fewer than five cases per theme) limit conclusions, yet rates for help with assessments match the national norm, and other topics sit below it. Residents may be receiving clearer information at first contact, or they may not know how to challenge decisions. Ongoing monitoring is wise.
Higher disability and request rates underline the need for strong early-help and prevention work. Community services already carry a heavy load, so staffing and training should grow with the population. The nursing sector requires continued investment as its use is well above average. Lower residential use suggests cost savings, but only if community packages remain effective and safe.
Finally, the deep link between deprivation and disability argues for joint action beyond social care – better housing, jobs and health promotion could ease future demand.
✨ ✅ ❌Older People
Just like with Working Age people, knowing how many older people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of the population is 65+ helps understand need and social care provision at a top level.
Jamaican female, blind and in her 40s. She was in an emergency Bed & Breakfast with her Niece, who acts as her unofficial carer, she is unable to work but would like to go to University. She is receiving PIP but not the Daily Living Allowance which she applied for in June 2021. She is vulnerable and has a history of self harm so was assigned a rehab Support Worker. Vanessa supported her using the Chatbot to chase up her PIP Daily Living allowance application, after waiting for several months and they received a reply within a week but was awarded the lower rate.
Another Chatbot letter was sent to request an urgent assessment due to her vulnerability and this was action quickly by the LA. Vanessa also supported her to use the chatbot and ask the Social worker to be moved to a place that supports her needs and rights. As she was having to use a shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen in a place with drug/alcohol abusers and being blind with no carer, this left her vulnerable. The Chatbot was used again to raise this issue and after a few weeks she was successfully moved to a private property in another area.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
As above, it is important to see what type of care older people are being provided because it can help explain where additional work is needed.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
Between 2019 and 2023 the share of residents aged 65 years and over fell from 13.7 % to 12.9 %. The national share stayed close to 18 %. Salford’s total population rose by about 20 000 in the same period and the city is both densely settled (2 777 people per km²) and very urban (less than 1 % rural land). Most of the growth has come from younger households, so the proportion of older people has edged down even though their absolute number is steady. High deprivation—Salford sits in decile 3 on average—can mean poorer health at younger ages, but it can also delay migration of wealthier retirees into the area. Overall, the city begins with a smaller pool of older residents than most parts of England, and that shapes later service patterns.
In 2024 the council logged 5 770 requests for support from people aged 65 plus. This equals 2 031 requests per 100 000 older residents, below the national rate of 2 438. A lower number is not surprising because there are simply fewer older people, yet the gap is slightly wider than the population difference alone would predict. Possible reasons include family care filling some need, limited awareness of entitlement, or barriers linked to deprivation such as digital access.
While requests are modest, the proportion who move on to a care package is high. Salford supports 3 295 older people, or 1 160 per 100 000, compared with an England figure of 1 003. In other words, once an older resident asks for help, they are more likely than average to enter ongoing support. This may reflect effective assessment teams, but it can also point to requests coming later, when needs are already complex.
The mix of services gives further clues. Nursing home use stands at 127 per 100 000, slightly above the national 122. Residential care is 264 per 100 000 against 250. The biggest difference is in community services managed directly by the council: 730 per 100 000 versus 508. Direct-payment-only support is lower than average (40 versus 55 per 100 000). Taken together, Salford relies heavily on council-commissioned home care and traditional bed-based options, while personal budget take-up is limited. Residents may value the security of council-run arrangements, or they may find the paperwork of direct payments difficult.
Data for 2025 show very small numbers of older people asking for advice on assessments, charging or legal issues—between one and five cases in each category, around one case per 100 000. National rates are two to six cases. This light demand may mean that information channels are clear, but it could also hide unmet need if people are unaware of their rights.
Salford’s older population is still small, yet it lives in a city that is growing quickly and remains highly deprived. Health problems often start earlier in deprived communities, so the city may face rising care intensity even without a large rise in headcount. The high conversion of requests to services suggests that prevention and early intervention could be strengthened. Increasing the use of direct payments and widening advice services might offer more flexible support and help manage future cost pressures. Continued monitoring of age structure is vital; if the proportion of older residents begins to climb towards the national level, current capacity in both home and bed-based care will soon be stretched.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Salford had about 20,900 unpaid carers. This comes from a rate of 7,712 carers for every 100,000 residents and a mid-year population of 270,866. The England rate was higher, at 8,204 per 100,000, which would equate to roughly 30,300 carers in a place of Salford’s size. Salford therefore appears to have a slightly smaller carer pool than the average council.
Several local factors may explain this gap. The city is young and growing; since 2019 the population has risen by more than 20,000 and the median age is below the national figure. Younger areas usually contain fewer people with long-term illness, so the need for family care can be lower. Salford is also very urban, with only 0.5 % rural land, and services are close together. Residents may rely a little more on formal home-care or residential provision than on family support. At the same time, high deprivation (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3.5 compared with 5.9 for England) could mean some carers are hidden, juggling work and support but not self-identifying in surveys.
Only 26.7 % of Salford carers in 2024 said they had as much social contact as they would like, compared with 29.3 % nationally. The difference is small in percentage points yet important in daily life, because it shows that three out of four local carers still feel lonely. Social isolation can drive mental strain, poorer health and early breakdown of caring arrangements. High housing density (2,777 residents per km²) does not automatically create connection; in deprived urban areas people often live close together but lack time, money or safe spaces to meet.
Access to information looks slightly better. Some 60.4 % of carers found it easy to get information about support, just above the England figure of 59.3 %. Good information may reflect active voluntary groups and well-used online channels, yet it does not seem enough to lift social contact scores.
The way Salford funds support for carers is different from the national picture. About 183 personal budget packages managed by the council were provided per 100,000 residents in 2024, almost three times the England average of 65.8. In raw terms that is roughly 520 local packages. Direct payments to carers, however, were rare: around 42 per 100,000 residents (about 120 people) compared with 150 per 100,000 across England. Even simpler help, such as information and advice only, reached just five people per 100,000 (about 15 residents) while the national norm was 339.
This suggests Salford leans towards meeting need through council-controlled personal budgets rather than giving cash for carers to organise their own support or offering low-level signposting. One reason may be the city’s high deprivation: staff may feel a managed budget offers more assurance that money is spent on the intended service. It may also show limited take-up of self-directed support skills, language barriers or digital exclusion.
Salford appears to have fewer unpaid carers than average, but those who do care report slightly lower social contact. The council is providing many managed personal budgets yet few direct payments or universal advice services, so carers may depend heavily on statutory teams and have less freedom to shape help around their own networks. Maintaining present funding will be vital, but widening the menu of low-cost community options—peer groups, respite cafés, travel passes—could lift contact and wellbeing without large extra spend. Better outreach in the most deprived wards may also uncover hidden carers and prevent crisis admissions. In short, the city’s challenge is not only to fund support but to make it flexible, social and easy to reach for every carer.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Salford has 33 community-based adult social care services and 43 residential care homes. With a 2023 population of about 284,000, this equals roughly 11.6 community providers and 15.1 residential providers per 100,000 residents. Across England the average is close to 16.9 and 24.1 per 100,000. In simple terms, there are fewer care organisations in Salford than in many places of a similar size.
The city is very urban, with only 0.5 % of land classed as rural, and has one of the highest levels of deprivation in England (mean decile 3.5). Dense, deprived areas often see higher need for both day-to-day support and long-term care. A smaller provider base therefore risks longer waiting times or people travelling out of area for a suitable bed.
Fourteen per cent of Salford providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, slightly better than the national figure of 16.8 %. This suggests that, although there are fewer services, most are meeting the standards set by the regulator. Fewer, larger organisations may be able to invest more in training and quality systems, helping to keep inspection results positive.
The workforce picture is mixed. The staff turnover rate stands at 25.4 %, almost identical to the England average. Vacancies are a little higher at 8.7 % versus 8.4 % nationally. Managers also report that 69.5 % find staff retention “more” or “much more” challenging, and 81.3 % say the same for recruitment, both a touch above national sentiment. Salford’s labour market is tight; unemployment has fallen in Greater Manchester, so care employers compete with retail and hospitality. High deprivation can also mean staff face issues such as poor transport or caring duties of their own, making rotas harder to fill.
Salford’s residents live close together, but many face social and economic disadvantage. Demand for care is likely to rise as the population grows (up 8 % since 2019) and ages. Yet provider density is low, and workforce stress is edging upward. Local commissioners may wish to:
• encourage new community providers, especially in neighbourhoods with very high deprivation;
• support existing homes to develop specialist services so that people are not placed far from family;
• invest in recruitment pipelines, for example through local colleges, to ease vacancy and retention problems;
• maintain current quality improvement programmes, which appear to be keeping ratings above the national norm.
If these actions are taken, Salford can build on its relatively strong quality base while closing the gap in service availability and ensuring that growing need does not turn into unmet need.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Only 22 % of patients left hospital from trusts that the Care Quality Commission calls “acceptable”, far below the England picture of 89 %. This gap may reflect the layout of Greater Manchester; many Salford residents go to busy regional hospitals that are rated less well or sit outside the list used for this test. The figure therefore says more about where people are treated than about practice inside the city. What matters to residents is how quickly they can come home.
On speed, Salford performs strongly. Just 4.4 % of discharges were delayed in November 2024, roughly one-third of the national rate of 12.3 %. The average delay was 0.17 days, while the England mean was 0.7 days. These results are notable because Salford’s population is growing (up 8 % since 2019) and is both dense and deprived. High need normally slows the system, yet local partners still move people on quickly. This suggests good joint working between the hospital, adult social care and housing services, and may free beds during winter pressure.
Service users report positive views. In 2024, 68.4 % said they were satisfied with their care and support, above the England average of 64.7 %. Nearly 70 % found it easy to get information about services, again slightly higher than the national figure of 68.2 %. These scores are encouraging when set against Salford’s deprivation score of 3.5 (England 5.9), which usually links to lower satisfaction. The data hint that front-line staff are helping people to navigate a complex system and that recent digital and community advice projects are working. A second survey from NatCen found that 57 % expressed dissatisfaction with social care. Although there is no national comparator, the number warns that good headline satisfaction can mask frustrations about cost, staffing or eligibility.
The Local Government Ombudsman received 4.58 cases per 100,000 residents in 2024 and decided 4.22 cases; both rates sit slightly above national means (4.45 and 4.12). With around 284,000 people in Salford, this equals about 13 investigations. The higher rate is not yet a concern. A deprived, urban area will tend to have more complex cases and people are often more willing to use formal routes. The key issue is whether lessons from upheld complaints feed back into practice.
Fast discharge and good user experience show that integrated work is paying off. The next step is to broaden access to “acceptable” hospital providers or to raise the rating of local trusts so that quality before discharge matches the efficiency after it. Rising population and sustained poverty mean demand will continue to climb. Maintaining present performance will therefore need stable funding for community re-ablement teams, continued focus on information services, and strong complaint-handling to keep public trust. If these elements stay in place, Salford is well placed to keep improving adult social care outcomes.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Salford spent about £31,400 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care in 2024. With a mid-2023 population close to 284,000, this equals roughly £89 million in total. The average council in England spent £47,800 per 100,000 people, or about £175 million for a similar-sized area. Salford therefore spends far less than the national norm when we look at both per person and total amounts.
The city’s gross and net costs are the same, which means that almost none of the bill is offset by client charges. In cash terms, client contributions are recorded as £0 per 100,000 people, while the England figure is £7,300. This gap is likely linked to high deprivation. Many local residents may not meet the income or asset tests that trigger fees, so the council cannot raise much money from them.
Instead, Salford receives strong help from the NHS. NHS bodies provide about £19,500 per 100,000 people, two and a half times the national level of £7,900. This suggests close joint working, perhaps through pooled budgets or joint rehabilitation services. It may also show that local need has a strong health dimension; for example, people with long-term conditions who require both medical and care input.
Salford is a growing, dense, and deprived urban area. Population has risen from 264,000 in 2019 to 284,000 in 2023, and there are 2,777 residents per square kilometre, higher than the England average of 2,469. The mean deprivation decile sits at 3.5 compared with the national 5.9, placing many neighbourhoods in the most deprived third of the country. Deprivation often leads to earlier poor health, disabilities, and a greater call on social care, yet it also reduces the ability of service users to help pay for that care.
Spending that is well below the national benchmark, combined with high need, can create pressure on front-line teams. The lack of client income removes one source of flexibility, so the council must either draw on reserves, ration support, or rely on the NHS. The large NHS share shows a willingness to work across organisational lines, but it also hints that some social care activity is being coded under health budgets rather than council budgets. While this partnership eases today’s balance sheet, it may hide the full scale of local social care demand.
The brief note that “data about budget cuts is not available” and the suggestion that central government holds more information underline a wider concern: future funding plans remain unclear. If need keeps rising with population growth and deprivation stays high, Salford will require either higher council spending, continued NHS backing, or new national policies to secure sustainable care.
Salford’s adult social care relies on a tight council budget and strong NHS support. Maintaining quality will depend on keeping that partnership active and on finding extra resources that match the city’s growing and deprived population.
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