This page provides an overview of social care in Slough, 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 Slough. 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 Slough is 15.1 per cent. England stands at 17.6 per cent. This lower figure fits with a young and growing population. Since 2019 the number of residents has risen from 157,632 to 160,713, while the town remains one of the most crowded places in the country, with 4,872 people per square kilometre. Younger age and high inward migration often lead to fewer long-term conditions, so the smaller share of disabled adults is not surprising.
In 2024, 1,390 working-age adults asked the council for care. This equals 865 requests per 100,000 people, well below the England figure of 1,143. Fewer requests may mirror the lower disability rate, but it can also point to barriers in seeking help. Slough is more deprived than the national average (mean deprivation decile 4.5 versus 5.9). Money worries, language needs or limited knowledge of the system can all hold people back from contacting services.
Six hundred and seventy-five adults aged 18–64 receive long-term support. That is 420 per 100,000, again lower than the national level of 533. The pattern inside this group is important:
Nursing home places are slightly higher than average (16 versus 14 per 100,000). This suggests that, when needs do reach services, they are sometimes complex enough to need skilled nursing.
Residential home use is lower (40 versus 61 per 100,000). Many people are being kept out of standard care homes.
The standout figure is community care managed by the council: 205 per 100,000 compared with an England average of only 58. Direct payments, where people handle their own budget, are almost absent. Taken together, these numbers point to a wish—or a need—for the council to organise care on behalf of residents. Lower incomes, lack of family support or limited confidence in managing money may lie behind this choice.
In 2025 very few residents asked for help with assessments (1.2 per 100,000), charging (3.7) or information (0.6). All are below national norms. Low contact can mean that services are easy to understand, but it can also hide unmet demand. Given the high density of the town, small numbers may be masking people who are unaware of their rights.
The current level of demand is modest, yet population growth and rising age will increase pressure. The heavy use of council-managed personal budgets suggests that the local market for direct payments is weak. Extra training, trusted brokers and community outreach could help more people manage their own support, easing pressure on council teams.
At the same time, the slightly higher rate of nursing placements shows that a proportion of needs are already complex. Early intervention in the community may prevent these cases from growing. Targeted information in deprived neighbourhoods, plus advice in clear, simple language, is likely to improve take-up and keep overall demand at a manageable level.
✨ ✅ ❌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
In 2023 only about one in ten Slough residents were aged 65 or over, compared with almost one in five across England. Since 2019 the share of older people in the borough has inched up from 9.4 per cent to 10.0 per cent, yet the gap with the national picture remains wide. A young age profile is not surprising: Slough’s total population is small (161 000) but very dense, and the area is more deprived than average. Younger, working families are attracted by jobs around the M4 corridor, while long-standing communities often live in multi-generational homes. All these factors reduce the overall weight of older people in the local population.
During 2024 the council logged 2 440 requests for support from people aged 65 plus. This equals 1 518 requests for every 100 000 residents in that age group, far below the England rate of 2 438 per 100 000. Lower demand might signal relatively good health or strong family networks that meet day-to-day needs. It could also point to hidden need. Cultural expectations, language issues or limited knowledge of the care system may discourage some older residents from coming forward, especially in an area with many minority ethnic groups.
Slough provided ongoing services to 1 235 older residents in 2024. The rate, 768 per 100 000, again sits below the national mean of 1 003. The picture shifts when the type of care is examined.
The borough supports 121 nursing-home clients per 100 000 older people, almost identical to the England average. Residential-home use, however, is just 103 per 100 000, barely 40 per cent of the national figure. Low residential numbers may reflect policy choices to help people remain at home, but could also stem from a limited local care-home market or cost pressures in a high-land-value area.
Community care arranged and overseen by the council reaches 467 per 100 000 older people, more than three times the England rate. Direct payments, which give service users cash to buy their own support, are also slightly above average. This pattern suggests the authority emphasises care at home and personal control. For a densely populated borough this approach can ease pressure on scarce residential land and align with cultural preferences for family-centred care.
Data for 2025 show only nine older residents sought one-off help with assessment, charging or information. With such small numbers it is hard to judge performance, yet the figures hint that most enquiries escalate straight to full requests or that recording of lighter contacts is incomplete.
The gradual rise in the older population means demand for care will grow, even if the rate per person stays stable. Because Slough already leans heavily on community services, the council will need to maintain a strong home-care workforce and invest in housing adaptations. Lower-than-average request rates should be monitored: if they result from unmet need, outreach in minority communities and better first-contact channels could be vital. Finally, the mix of dense housing, higher deprivation and limited rural space places extra importance on local preventative work, such as falls prevention and support for carers, to delay or avoid institutional care.
Slough’s young age profile keeps headline demand for older-people’s services low, yet the borough’s policy of supporting people at home means community care activity is intense. As the cohort aged 65 plus slowly expands, sustaining this community-first model and ensuring equal access across all groups will be the central challenge for commissioners and providers.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Slough had about 10,000 unpaid carers. This is worked out from a rate of 6,401 carers for every 100,000 residents and a mid-year population close to 158,000. The national rate that year was much higher, at just over 8,200 per 100,000. The lower figure in Slough suggests a younger age profile, with fewer older residents who often take on caring roles, and possibly a larger share of recent migrants who may not report their caring activity in surveys.
Only 26.3 % of Slough carers said in 2024 that they had as much social contact as they would like. The England average was 29.3 %. Although the gap is small, it matters because it points to isolation in an already demanding role. Slough is one of the most densely populated places in England, yet high density does not always translate into strong social ties, especially where many people move in and out of neighbourhoods or speak different first languages. Relatively high deprivation levels (mean decile 4.5 compared with 5.9 nationally) may also limit carers’ ability to pay for social activities or transport.
Only 44 % of carers felt it was easy to get information about support, well below the national figure of 59.3 %. This shortfall hints at communication barriers, such as low awareness of the council offer, language diversity, and complex service pathways. In a town where every square kilometre holds almost twice the national average of residents, clear signposting should be easier; the data show that this is not yet the case.
Formal support to carers in 2024 follows an unusual pattern. Around 252 carers per 100,000 residents—roughly 400 people—receive a direct payment, far above the national rate of 150. By contrast, very few carers get other forms of help. Only about 10 people receive council-commissioned support, 90 receive information or advice, 15 use respite delivered to the cared-for person, and 20 get no support at all. Nationally, each of these groups is many times larger. The figures suggest that Slough prefers to hand control of resources to the carer rather than commission services itself. While direct payments can offer choice and flexibility, they also require carers to manage money and organise care, tasks that may feel daunting without strong guidance.
The combination of a young, mobile, and relatively deprived population can explain both the lower headline number of carers and their reported difficulties. Younger carers may juggle work, study, or childcare alongside caring duties, leaving less time to seek social contact or navigate service information. Cultural expectations within some communities may keep caring within the family and reduce requests for external help, which could further depress the reported rate.
Slough already spends a large share of its carer budget on direct payments. To raise carer well-being, the council may need to balance this with stronger outreach, translated material, and low-cost community spaces that encourage social contact. Improving digital portals and partnering with local voluntary groups could make information easier to find. Given the small absolute number of carers receiving commissioned support, even a modest increase in respite or advice services could bring Slough into line with national norms and ease pressure on families.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
?
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.
?
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
Slough has 27 community-based adult social care services and 13 residential care homes. The town’s population in 2023 was about 161 000 people. This means there are roughly 17 community services and 8 residential homes for every 100 000 residents. The national picture, when adjusted for the average local authority population, is very close for community care (about 17 per 100 000) but much higher for residential care (about 24 per 100 000). In short, Slough offers community support at a typical rate yet has far fewer care home places. High land prices and limited space in this dense urban area (4 872 people per km², double the England average) may make new care homes hard to open. The lower number of homes may also reflect a wish to help people stay in their own homes, but it can limit choice for families who need 24-hour support.
Almost one in four local providers (22.5 %) are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”. Across England the figure is lower, at 16.8 %. Quality pressures are therefore more visible in Slough. Extra monitoring and support from the council and the regulator may be required so that weaker services can improve quickly.
Staffing problems appear to sit behind many of these quality issues. The vacancy rate is 11.9 %, well above the national average of 8.4 %. More than four in five employers (82.9 %) say recruiting staff is now “more” or “much more” difficult; 72.4 % say the same for keeping staff. Turnover, at 26.7 %, is in line with the wider South East, yet the high vacancy level shows that leaving staff are not being replaced fast enough.
Slough’s higher deprivation (mean decile 4.5 compared with 5.9 nationally) may add to recruitment pressure, as care roles often compete with better-paid jobs at Heathrow and in the logistics sector. At the same time, deprivation can raise demand for care, putting extra weight on an already tight workforce.
The current mix of services supports many people at home, a sensible approach in a compact town. However, the low supply of residential beds could create bottlenecks for hospital discharge and for people with complex needs. Expanding extra-care housing or small specialised homes could ease this gap without needing large new sites.
Improving quality will depend on stabilising the workforce. Actions might include joint recruitment campaigns with neighbouring Berkshire authorities, help with travel and housing costs for staff, and fast-track training so new workers reach competence quickly. Because Slough is mainly urban, good transport links make shared staffing banks and agency pools more practical.
In summary, Slough provides community care at a normal rate but has a shortfall in residential options and a higher share of lower-rated services. Targeted work on staffing and small-scale capital development should help the local market meet present and future 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.
Almost all Slough residents who leave hospital, 98.7 percent, are discharged to trusts judged acceptable by the Care Quality Commission. The England average is 89 percent. Delays after a decision to discharge are also shorter: only 9.9 percent of Slough discharges are held up, against 12.3 percent nationally, and the mean delay is 0.43 days rather than 0.7 days. These figures are notable because Slough serves a compact but very dense population of about 161,000 people living at 4,872 residents per square kilometre. Moving patients on quickly in such a pressured setting suggests well-coordinated work between the council, NHS partners and independent providers.
While flow out of hospital is strong, people’s reported experience is less positive. Only 53.4 percent of surveyed adults say they are satisfied with the care and support they receive, compared with 64.7 percent across England. A separate NatCen study records 57 percent stating they are dissatisfied. Lower satisfaction may reflect the area’s relative deprivation: Slough’s mean deprivation decile is 4.5, below the England mean of 5.9, and the town has many younger working families who may compare services with expectations in neighbouring, better-funded areas. High density can also place stress on home-care routes and on carers who must travel through heavy traffic, reducing the time they spend with each person.
Only 53.4 percent of users feel it is easy to obtain information about local services; nationally the figure is 68.2 percent. This gap matters, because people who do not know what help exists are more likely to reach crisis and need urgent care. The result hints at communication issues rather than pure service shortage, because hospital discharge performance shows that capacity, when accessed, can work well.
Complaint levels are very low. The Ombudsman received 1.24 cases per 100,000 residents in 2024, around two cases in total, while England sees 4.45 cases per 100,000. Only one case reached a decision stage. A low rate can mean high satisfaction, but it can also signal barriers to speaking up, such as language or cultural norms in a diverse community. Taken with the survey findings, the latter seems plausible; people may voice concerns locally rather than escalate them.
Slough shows that good partnership working can overcome space and deprivation challenges to deliver efficient hospital discharge. The next step is to match this operational strength with better lived experience. Clearer, multi-language information, stronger advocacy for carers and systematic collection of informal feedback could raise satisfaction and close the gap between objective performance and public perception. Maintaining rapid discharge while investing in community support may also prevent dissatisfaction caused by feeling “left alone” once home. Focused action here should improve both reported experience and future CQC assessments.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
✨ ✅ ❌?
In 2024 Slough spent about £38,494 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care. With a local population of roughly 161,000, this equals near £62 million in gross terms. Areas of the same size in England spend about £77 million. After grants and income are removed the net spend in Slough is around £56 million, again below the national figure of £65 million.
Only a small share of the bill is met by service users or by the NHS. Client charges bring in about £3,453 per 100,000 people, or just over £5½ million. The England average is twice this level. NHS contributions are also lower: £4,852 per 100,000 people in Slough (£7.8 million) compared with £7,878 nationally. As a result, the council must fund a larger part of care from its core budget. The shortfall is roughly £16 million when set against what similar areas receive from clients and the NHS.
Slough has a young age profile. The borough’s total population is less than half the English district mean, yet its density is almost double. Fewer older residents can reduce demand for high-cost care such as care-home places, pushing down spend per head. At the same time, high density often allows shorter travel times for home-care workers, giving some savings.
Deprivation is higher than average. The mean deprivation decile is 4.5, compared with 5.9 for England, and there are fewer very wealthy areas. Low client contributions may reflect limited ability to pay rather than low use. If people cannot pay, the council carries more of the cost or some needs may stay unmet. Lower NHS funding could show weaker joint-working with the local Integrated Care Board, or simply that fewer older people need health-linked re-ablement services.
Lower spend is not automatically a problem; it can mean greater efficiency. Yet higher deprivation suggests many residents face complex needs, especially working-age adults with disabilities or mental health issues. If budgets do not keep pace, waiting lists, reduced care packages, or high staff turnover can appear. The statement that “the government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known” hints at local concern that funding formulas may not match real demand.
Slough’s population rose by about 3,000 between 2021 and 2023 and will keep growing. Even with a young profile, more residents will reach later life each year. If client and NHS income stay low, the council will need either higher core funding or stronger partnership work to close the gap. A clear plan to attract NHS investment for joint rehabilitation services and to help more people self-fund where they can could ease pressure. Without action, the current lower spending level may lead to unmet need as demand rises.
✨ ✅ ❌