This page provides an overview of social care in Sheffield, 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 Sheffield. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The age-standardised share of residents who say they are disabled stands at 20.6 per cent, above the England norm of 17.6 per cent. Sheffield’s population is fairly young, yet the city is more deprived than average and still carries an industrial legacy of ill-health. These factors very likely lift the local disability rate. The city is also large – around 573,000 people in 2023 – so even a small percentage gap turns into many extra residents who may need support.
In 2024, 8,445 working-age adults asked the council for care or support. This is 1,473 requests per 100,000 residents aged 18–64, roughly 29 per cent higher than the national figure of 1,143. High demand fits with the above-average disability rate and with the city’s deprivation score (mean decile 4.8 versus 5.9 for England). Lower income and poorer health often mean people turn to the council earlier or more often.
Of the adults aged 18–64 who actually receive long-term care, 3,600 people were supported during 2024, equal to 628 per 100,000. This sits 18 per cent above the England average of 533. The mix of services is revealing.
Community support dominates. Direct payment only packages run at 161 per 100,000, about one-third higher than the national rate. Part direct payment cases are more than double the England norm (110 versus 48 per 100,000). Sheffield’s social care team therefore appears to back personalisation strongly, letting disabled residents manage their own support where possible. Community budgets managed by the council (276 per 100,000) are only slightly above average, while nursing and residential placements are almost in line with typical levels. Taken together, the data suggest a strategy that keeps younger disabled adults out of institutional settings and offers flexible care close to home.
Separate 2025 figures track smaller numbers of people who approach the council for specific issues such as assessment, charging or safeguarding. Volumes are low: the highest category, charging queries, reaches 4.71 per 100,000, a little below the England mean of 5.72. All other categories sit well under national norms. This could mean earlier signposting is effective, or that some residents are unaware of their rights. Given high overall demand for care, low advice-seeking may point to an information gap that the council could explore.
A higher prevalence of disability combined with above-average demand places constant pressure on social care budgets and staff. Population growth since 2021, although modest, adds to that strain. The city’s dense urban form allows services to reach many people quickly, yet pockets of severe deprivation and the small rural fringe make an even, one-size-fits-all approach risky.
Sheffield’s emphasis on community support and direct payments aligns with national policy and may contain costs by reducing reliance on nursing and residential beds. However, the council must ensure the direct payment market stays robust and that users receive enough guidance. The relatively low number of advice enquiries could be a sign that communication needs strengthening.
In summary, Sheffield faces a larger-than-average disabled population and a high flow of care requests, shaped by deprivation and historic health patterns. Continued investment in personalised, community-based services, coupled with clearer information routes, will be key to meeting need while controlling spending.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Sheffield has fewer older people, as a share of its residents, than England as a whole. From 2019 to 2023 the proportion aged 65 + moved only slightly, from 16.9 % to 16.8 %, while the national mean stayed near 18.5 %. Because the total population grew from 556 000 to 573 000, the number of older citizens still rose, reaching about 96 000 in 2023. The city is large, quite dense (1 513 people per km²) and more deprived than average. Earlier ill-health and lower life expectancy in deprived urban areas may hold down the percentage of very old people, yet raise the level of need among those who do reach later life.
In 2024 the council recorded 13 110 requests for care from residents aged 65 +. This equals 2 287 requests per 100 000 people, slightly below the England mean of 2 438. The lower rate fits with the smaller share of older citizens, but the raw count is still high, reflecting city size. A gap between local and national request rates can also signal barriers to access, such as limited awareness of services or cultural expectations of family help.
The same year 6 660 older people were actually receiving council-funded long-term support. That is 1 162 per 100 000 residents, around 16 % above the national figure of 1 003. Sheffield therefore accepts a larger proportion of requests, or keeps people in the system for longer, than many areas. Higher need linked to deprivation could push more people beyond the eligibility threshold.
Patterns inside the total point to service choices:
Nursing home care stands at 130 per 100 000, a little above the national average of 122. Residential care is lower (231 versus 250). Community-based support is markedly higher. For example, council-managed personal budgets reach 720 per 100 000 compared with 508 nationally, and part direct payments are 34 versus 22. This shows a clear tilt towards supporting people at home, matching policy aims to promote independence and control. It may also be a response to tight residential capacity or cost pressures.
Small numbers of older residents ask for help with assessments, charging queries or safeguarding. In 2025 only 27 charging-related contacts were logged, equal to 4.7 per 100 000, slightly under the England mean of 5.7. All other advice categories sit well below national levels. Recording practice may differ, yet the figures hint that many older citizens and carers do not seek early information. Low engagement can store up problems that later arrive as urgent care requests.
Sheffield’s older population is growing more slowly than in England overall, but the city supports a higher share of them through formal care. Deprivation seems to bring forward frailty, raising demand even while the age profile stays young. The council has responded by emphasising community packages and personal budgets. This approach fits an urban area where most people live close to services, yet still calls for strong home-care staffing and good coordination with health teams.
Looking ahead, continuing population growth means the absolute number of older residents will rise. To keep care sustainable the city may need more prevention, clearer advice routes and joint work on poverty and housing, so that later life is healthier and the call for costly institutional care remains low.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Sheffield had 8,830 unpaid carers for every 100,000 residents, higher than the England average of 8,204 per 100,000. With a mid-year population of about 555,000 this equates to roughly 49,000 local people who give care without pay. The city therefore relies on one unpaid carer for every eleven residents, a slightly heavier dependence than is typical nationally.
This pattern sits alongside a mixed socio-economic picture. Sheffield is an almost entirely urban authority, yet its mean deprivation decile is 4.8, below the England mean of 5.9, and the variation between neighbourhoods is wide. Concentrations of deprivation often coincide with higher caring rates because households may lack funds to purchase formal care. The relatively high prevalence of carers is therefore consistent with the city’s social profile.
While a large carer population can signal pressure, some well-being indicators are favourable. In 2024, 33.1 % of Sheffield carers said they have as much social contact as they would like, compared with 29.3 % nationally. The result suggests local community networks are supporting carers to stay connected, despite the demands of caring duties.
However, only 56 % of carers reported that it is easy to find information about services; this sits slightly below the England figure of 59.3 %. Taken together, the two measures imply that informal social links are working better than formal information channels. Carers do not necessarily feel lost, but they do not always know where to obtain professional help.
The detailed activity data for 2024 show how the council allocates support:
• Information, advice and signposting reach 2,448 people per 100,000, more than seven times the national average of 339 per 100,000.
• Direct payments (6.1 per 100,000), part direct payments (8.7) and managed personal budgets (14.8) are all well below national rates, and no figures are recorded for commissioned support, respite or carers receiving no help.
Sheffield therefore adopts a “light-touch, reach-many” approach: it prioritises universal information services while providing relatively little individualised or respite support. The lower perceived ease of finding information hints that this model may not yet deliver the clarity or depth that carers need. A high headline contact rate does not automatically translate into meaningful guidance for complex situations.
Only one UT1 carer case was recorded in 2025, equal to 0.17 instances per 100,000 residents, versus 0.75 nationally. Although the raw number is very small, it suggests that serious safeguarding concerns about carers themselves are rare. This may reflect effective early help, but it could also indicate under-identification if carers are reluctant to raise issues.
The city’s dependence on a large unpaid carer workforce, combined with pockets of high deprivation, points to continuing demand for tailored support. Strengthening direct payments, personal budgets and respite options could relieve pressure on families and reduce future crisis interventions. At the same time, the council may need to review the quality and accessibility of its information offer, ensuring that the high volume of contacts leads to practical, comprehensible advice. Maintaining carers’ social connectedness is a clear local strength; building parallel strengths in formal support would complete the picture.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Sheffield has a large population of about 573,000 people, far above the average local authority size in England. This helps to explain why the city hosts 101 community-based adult social care services and 106 residential care services. In absolute terms both figures sit above the national means of 64 and 91 providers. When population is taken into account the picture changes. Sheffield has roughly 18 community providers and 19 residential homes for every 100,000 residents, while the typical authority holds about 24 residential homes per 100,000 people. The city therefore relies on a slightly leaner network when measured per head, even though the total number of organisations looks high.
Only 15 per cent of Sheffield’s regulated services are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with nearly 17 per cent nationally. This suggests that current providers are, on balance, delivering care of a somewhat higher standard than the average. A tighter quality range may reflect effective local commissioning, strong professional networks in a densely settled urban area, and good access to support services from the regional NHS and local authority.
Staff turnover in the Yorkshire and the Humber region, at 25.2 per cent, is mirrored almost exactly in the Sheffield figure of 25.2 per cent. However, the vacancy rate in the city is lower than the national mean (6.6 per cent compared with 8.4 per cent). A solid vacancy position often supports better continuity of care, which may in turn feed into the favourable inspection results noted above.
Despite this, providers report marked pressure in both recruitment and retention. More than 82 per cent say hiring has become “more” or “much more” difficult, and 70 per cent express the same concern about keeping staff. Sheffield’s labour market is broad, but competition from the retail, hospitality and health sectors is intense. A relatively young urban workforce can be mobile, while higher deprivation (average decile 4.8 against the national 5.9) means workers may favour better-paid roles outside social care. If recruitment challenges continue, the current low vacancy rate could rise quickly.
Sheffield is almost entirely urban, with only 2 per cent of residents living in rural areas. Population density, while lower than the England mean, is still high at 1,513 people per square kilometre. Concentrated demand allows community providers to operate efficiently, yet it can also lead to sharp spikes in need in particular neighbourhoods that face deep deprivation. The city shows much wider variation in local deprivation scores than the country as a whole, indicating that services must cover both affluent and highly deprived wards. Such inequality can complicate resource allocation: some areas may require intensive support, while others do not.
A comparatively large, reasonably high-quality provider market gives Sheffield a sound base. The main risk lies in the workforce. If recruitment and retention pressures are not eased, provider quality could slip and the city’s already lean per-capita provision may become stretched. Local policy may need to focus on pay, career development and supportive supervision to keep existing staff and attract new entrants. Targeted efforts in the most deprived neighbourhoods, where need is greatest, would help ensure that Sheffield’s residents continue to receive reliable, person-centred care.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Almost all people leaving hospital in November 2024 came from trusts that the Care Quality Commission judged “acceptable” (99.7 %, national 89 %). This shows strong clinical quality in partner hospitals. Yet 16 % of those discharges were delayed, four percentage points above the national rate, and the average delay was 0.92 days compared with 0.7 days for England. The gap suggests that good clinical care is not always matched by smooth hand-over to social care. Sheffield’s population has grown from 556,000 in 2019 to 573,000 in 2023, and it is more deprived than the national average. Higher demand and more complex needs linked to deprivation may be stretching community services, slowing the flow of beds even when hospital standards are high.
Only 60.9 % of surveyed residents said they were satisfied with their care and support, below the England figure of 64.7 %. A separate NatCen question found 57 % openly dissatisfied. People also found it slightly harder to locate information about services (64 % said it was easy, national 68.2 %). These softer indicators echo the discharge data: contact with services is reliable once made, but entry points and follow-up feel less certain. The city’s very low rural share (1.8 %) should make information easier to spread, so the issue may lie in service complexity rather than geography.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 4.0 cases per 100,000 residents in 2024, versus 4.45 nationally, and decided 3.7 cases per 100,000 (England 4.12). Fewer complaints could mean effective local resolution, but it could also reflect limited awareness of the complaints pathway, hinted at by the information-access score. The higher deprivation spread (standard deviation 3.17, national 2.3) suggests that some neighbourhoods may be far more confident in using formal channels than others.
Sheffield is a large, compact city with a density of 1,512 people per km², below the England urban mean but far above rural areas. The average deprivation decile is 4.8 (England 5.9), so need is generally higher. Growth of nearly 17,000 residents since 2019, without equivalent expansion in social-care capacity, can intensify both delayed discharges and user frustration. At the same time, strong hospital quality shows that improvement programmes can succeed when investment and oversight are clear.
Sheffield’s next quality gains are likely to come from the boundary between health and social care. Shortening delays will free beds and may lift satisfaction, because people often judge services by how quickly help starts. Better sign-posting, particularly in deprived wards, could raise both satisfaction and appropriate complaint use, giving leaders fuller feedback. Given the city’s size and diverse levels of need, targeted community capacity—re-ablement teams, home-care slots, and advice hubs—will probably yield greater benefit than broad, city-wide measures.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Sheffield spends a little more on adult social care than the average council in England. When we adjust for population size, the city puts £50,919 per 100,000 residents into gross total adult social care. The England mean is £47,758. A simple scaling to Sheffield’s 2023 population of about 573,000 suggests gross spending of roughly £292 million. After income is taken off, net spending stands near £252 million, or £43,960 per 100,000 people, again above the national mean of £40,472.
Higher spending per head can point to strong political support, but it often reflects need. Sheffield is a large, mostly urban authority with 98 per cent of residents living in built-up areas. The city also faces deeper deprivation than the England average: its mean deprivation decile is 4.8 compared with 5.9 nationally, and the spread of deprivation is wider. People in poorer neighbourhoods tend to have poorer health and to need formal care at younger ages. Extra spending therefore looks less like generosity and more like a response to heavier demand.
Population age structure also matters. While the supplied data do not break down age, census material shows that Sheffield has pockets of older housing estates with many residents aged 75 and over. Concentrations of frailty in small areas can raise overall service costs even when the city’s median age is close to the national figure.
Only two external income lines are shown. Client contributions bring in £6,959 per 100,000 residents, lower than the national mean of £7,286. In cash terms this is about £40 million a year. Lower income from users often points to lower average wealth; more people fall below the savings threshold or qualify for means-tested help sooner. This matches the city’s deprivation profile.
By contrast, NHS contributions are strikingly low at £5,012 per 100,000, versus £7,878 across England. Around £29 million is therefore coming in from the health service, when a population the size of Sheffield might expect nearer £45 million. Possible explanations include weaker joint-commissioning arrangements, fewer jointly funded re-ablement beds, or tight local NHS budgets. Whatever the cause, the gap means the council has to carry a larger share of costs.
Slightly higher spending does not guarantee easy delivery. Sheffield’s spending margin over the mean—about seven per cent—may not fully offset the city’s extra demand. Rising costs for care staff, energy and food have recently been running well above general inflation. If NHS money remains low, the council may have to squeeze provider fees or limit new care packages, both of which risk unmet need.
The urban form also matters. Sheffield’s population density is lower than the England average, yet the city spreads over steep hills. Travel time between visits eats into home-care hours, making each package more expensive. Providers may find some peripheral estates hard to serve at current fee rates.
Three points stand out. First, extra gross spending aligns with Sheffield’s deprivation-led demand, but the margin is modest. Second, lower client and NHS income leaves the council exposed to financial shocks. Stronger partnership with the local Integrated Care Board could unlock more joint funding for community nursing and step-down beds. Third, any future central grant cuts would bite quickly unless local tax capacity rises—yet high deprivation means many households cannot afford further council tax increases.
Sheffield is putting slightly above-average money into adult social care, mainly to meet higher local need. The effort is weakened by low NHS support and smaller user contributions. Sustained demand, rising unit costs and unequal deprivation suggest that the present spending level, while commendable, may not be enough to secure stable, high-quality services without renewed national assistance or deeper health-care integration.
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