This page provides an overview of social care in Stoke-on-Trent, along with key metrics that could affect social care. Understanding these metrics is important because they help contextualise the challenges with social care provision in each local authority. These statistics are important to keep in mind when reviewing the other pages.
Why are these metrics important? Population size and density can affect the demand for social care services. For example, if a local authority has a high population (relative to other areas), it may need to allocate more resources to meet care needs. Similarly, areas with high population density may require more care services due to the increased number of people living in close proximity. Inversely, areas with a low population density may have fewer care needs, but residents may face challenges accessing services due to the distance between them. Lastly, people in rural areas might live further away from services, which can impact their ability to access care, or make it more expensive to provide.
Understanding these metrics can help local authorities plan and allocate resources effectively.
Deprivation decile is a measure of the level of deprivation in a local authority. It is calculated by ranking areas in England from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived) based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A higher decile indicates lower levels of deprivation, while a lower decile suggests higher levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation levels can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Stoke-on-Trent
Deprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Stoke-on-Trent
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 Stoke-on-Trent. 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 disabled people is 22.4 per cent. The England mean is 17.6 per cent. This gap is large. Stoke-on-Trent is a dense, mainly urban city with high deprivation. The mean deprivation decile is 3.4, far below the national 5.9. Poor housing, lower pay and past heavy industry can lead to long-term illness. These factors help to explain the bigger disabled population.
In 2024 there were 5,280 requests for care from adults aged 18–64. This equals 2,006 requests per 100,000 people, almost twice the national level of 1,143. The city’s population is about 263,000, so high need rather than size drives the figure. More people seem to seek help early, or more needs go unmet in informal networks.
Only 1,125 working-age adults receive long-term support. That is 428 per 100,000, below the England mean of 533. The gap between requests and packages hints that many callers do not pass the eligibility test or get short-term aid instead. Pressure on budgets in a deprived area may also narrow access.
Patterns differ by setting. Nursing care is 27 per 100,000, double the national rate. Residential care is 86 per 100,000, also above average. In contrast, direct payment options are very low. Pure direct payments stand at 8 per 100,000 versus 122 nationally, and mixed packages are 13 versus 48. Council-managed community support is 293 per 100,000, five times the mean. This suggests that residents favour—or are steered toward—services run or bought by the council. Low take-up of direct payments may reflect lower income, limited family capacity to manage budgets, or less awareness.
Early 2025 figures show small numbers but still give signals. Requests for help with charging and information run at 3.8 and 2.3 per 100,000, both close to national norms. Safeguarding contacts are 0.4 per 100,000, below the England mean of 1.2. Lower safeguarding calls could mean either good local practice or hidden risk; more checks would be useful.
High disability levels and care requests, matched with fewer packages, point to potential unmet need. More complex cases reach nursing or residential beds, while lighter community help is less visible. The council may wish to:
• Expand prevention: housing repairs, employment programmes and healthy lifestyle schemes can cut future disability.
• Promote direct payments: clear advice and peer mentors could raise confidence to manage personal budgets.
• Review eligibility and waiting lists to be sure that people who ask for aid receive timely support.
• Work with NHS partners on early rehab so that fewer residents move straight to residential care.
Stoke-on-Trent’s dense, deprived setting calls for targeted funding and flexible services. Addressing these issues should improve life for disabled citizens and reduce long-term costs.
✨ ✅ ❌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
The city has about 263,000 residents. Between 2019 and 2023 the share of people aged 65 and over rose from 16.9 % to 17.3 %. England moved from 18.4 % to 18.5 % in the same years. Stoke-on-Trent is therefore still a little younger than the country, but the gap is closing bit by bit. The city is very dense (2,765 people per km²) and highly urban, with almost no rural space. It is also one of the more deprived areas in England; its average deprivation decile is 3.4 while the national figure is 5.9. Poor health linked to deprivation often shows at younger ages, so the need for care can be high even when the older population share is low.
In 2024, 6,945 residents aged 65+ asked the council for help. This equals 2,639 requests per 100,000 older people, above the national rate of 2,438. More people, in other words, feel they need formal support. Given the city’s lower income levels and long history of heavy industry, this higher demand may reflect poorer health, fewer family carers, or less access to private services.
At the same time 2,785 older residents were getting long-term care funded by the council. The rate, 1,058 per 100,000, again sits above the England average of 1,003. The service mix is telling.
Nursing care stands at 228 per 100,000, almost double the national norm of 122. Residential care is 295 per 100,000, also higher than the country’s 250. The city therefore uses bed-based care more often. High deprivation can lead to complex conditions that are hard to manage at home, pushing people into care homes sooner.
Council-managed home support reaches 532 per 100,000, far above the national 137. This suggests the authority puts strong weight on keeping people at home, but arranges most of the help itself. Only 1.9 per 100,000 take a direct payment only, compared with 55 in England. Older people in the city have far less control over their own budgets, which may limit choice and personalisation.
For 2025 the city logged few calls for information, charging queries, or safeguarding worries: together under 4 per 100,000 for each type, while England records 5–6. These low figures could mean that information is clear and issues are resolved quickly. They could also point to hidden need if people do not know how or when to ask for help. The low safeguarding rate (0.38 vs 1.21) is welcome but should be watched, as under-reporting is possible in deprived areas where people have less confidence to raise concerns.
Demand for care is already high and will rise as the city’s age structure moves closer to the national picture. Bed-based services are used heavily, which is costly. To control spending and improve choice the council may wish to:
• Expand re-ablement and prevention so that requests do not turn into long-term packages.
• Promote direct payments and support planning so that more residents can arrange their own help.
• Strengthen advice and safeguarding outreach, especially in the most deprived wards.
• Work with health partners to tackle mid-life ill health, easing pressure before people reach 65.
Given high density, many services can be delivered close to home. However, staff recruitment may be hard in a low-wage economy, so workforce planning should start early.
The city is slightly younger than England but shows higher care use among older residents. This reflects the combined effect of deprivation and health history. Without new action Stoke-on-Trent is likely to face growing pressure on adult social care budgets and will need to shift the balance towards preventive and personalised support.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Stoke-on-Trent had an estimated 23,600 unpaid carers, equal to 9,128 for every 100,000 residents. This density is around 11 % above the England figure of 8,204 per 100,000. A high reliance on family and friends is common in urban, deprived areas where ill-health rates are elevated and wages are lower. With a mean deprivation decile of 3.4 (England = 5.9) and population density above the national average, the city fits that profile. Local services therefore need to plan for a larger carer base than a typical authority of similar size.
Despite the heavy caring burden, 44.2 % of Stoke-on-Trent carers said in 2024 that they had “as much social contact as they would like”, far exceeding the national result of 29.3 %. Dense neighbourhoods can foster close family networks and shorter travel times, making informal support easier. Good community ties may also soften the impact of service gaps described below, yet they are not a substitute for formal help when needs become complex.
The number of carers receiving any type of council-funded support is markedly low. Only 17 per 100,000 receive a direct payment, compared with 150 per 100,000 nationally. Personal budgets managed by the council are absent (data suppressed), and commissioned support reaches just 23 per 100,000 versus 102 per 100,000 in England. Even universal offers such as information and advice (105 per 100,000) lag well behind the national level of 339 per 100,000. The pattern suggests either under-identification of eligible carers, tight funding, or high thresholds for support. Given the city’s lower income base, some carers may be unable to self-fund alternative help, raising the risk of burnout.
Just over half of carers (56.6 %) felt it was easy to find information about services, slightly below the England value of 59.3 %. While not a dramatic gap, it signals room for improvement, especially as information is the least costly support to scale up. Better publicity of assessments, respite offers and direct payments could help more carers convert informal resilience into sustainable long-term care.
The city’s carers appear socially connected yet under-supported by formal mechanisms. With population numbers creeping up again after 2021 and deprivation remaining deep-rooted, demand for carers’ breaks, direct payments and respite is likely to grow. Targeted investment in early identification, streamlined assessments and culturally appropriate advice services could address the shortfall without eroding the strong informal networks that are already present. Monitoring future surveys will show whether raising support volumes helps maintain today’s high levels of reported social contact while preventing hidden strain among Stoke-on-Trent’s large unpaid carer community.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Stoke-on-Trent has 51 community-based adult social care providers and 78 residential care homes. These numbers are lower than the England means of 63.8 and 91, yet the city serves a smaller population of about 263,000 people. When the figures are set against population size, Stoke-on-Trent has roughly 19.4 community providers and 29.6 residential homes per 100,000 residents, compared with national rates of about 16.9 and 24.1. The city therefore offers a denser network of providers than the country as a whole, which is helpful in a compact urban area where travel distances are short but demand is high.
Just over one in five local providers (23.1 %) are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, well above the national level of 16.8 %. This gap suggests that quantity is not matched by quality. Higher deprivation in the city (average deprivation decile 3.4 against 5.9 for England) may add to the strain: people often enter services with more complex health and social needs, raising the challenge for providers and regulators.
The annual staff turnover rate stands at 26.7 %, almost identical to the West Midlands average. However, the vacancy rate is 9.5 %, higher than the national 8.4 %. In surveys, 70.3 % of managers report that retaining staff is now more or much more difficult, and 81.4 % say the same about recruiting. Both figures sit slightly above Midlands norms. For a city with very little rural area and a high population density of 2,765 people per square kilometre, competition for workers with the local NHS, retail and logistics sectors is likely intense. Frequent job moves and open posts can disrupt continuity of care and make it harder to maintain good inspection outcomes.
Stoke-on-Trent appears to have enough providers for its size, yet too many are falling below quality standards. Workforce pressure is a probable driver; skills and experience leave the sector faster than they can be replaced, and new staff may need more support. Local commissioners may wish to strengthen training, mentoring and pay progression to hold on to experienced carers. Because the city is densely built and among the most deprived in England, demand for social care will stay high and complex. Improving quality therefore matters not only for individual wellbeing but also for hospital flow and wider public services.
Population growth since 2019 has been modest, but even a small rise can stretch a labour market that is already tight. If vacancy rates climb further, more providers could slip into the “requires improvement” band. Targeted investment in workforce development and a stronger focus on quality improvement, especially in the most deprived neighbourhoods, would help Stoke-on-Trent turn its strong provider density into consistently good outcomes for residents.
✨ ✅ ❌Historically, hospital delays have been due in large part, to the inability to discharge patients into social care. We no longer have DTOC data, but we can still look at the number of hospital delays and the number of facilities requiring improvement.
CQC, as the regulator of health and social care services in England, is beginning to rate Local Authorities on their social care provision. Understanding the CQC rating of a local authority should be used as the most official evaluation of service care provision. For example, a low rating may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high rating may suggest that existing services are effective.
Hospital delays can have a significant impact on patient care and outcomes, and are in large part the result of not having invested sufficiently in social care. Understanding the number of hospital delays in a local authority can be a sympthom of a poorly working social care sector. For example, a high number of hospital delays may indicate a need for improved discharge planning and coordination, not enough places to discharge people to, lack of sufficient staff to assess patients, or a lack of care providers.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
This metric illustrates how long patients are delayed in hospital before being discharged. Higher average delays mean that patients are spending more time in hospital than necessary, which can lead to increased costs, reduced bed availability, and poorer patient outcomes. This also means that the beds are not available for people that might desperately need them for life-saving procedures.
Discharge-Ready-Date-monthly-data-webfile-November-2024, Tab UTLA Acceptable
Delayed Transfer of Care (DTOC) refers to the time between a patient being declared medically fit for discharge and actually leaving the hospital. Understanding the number of DTOCs in a local authority can help identify precisely where the social care system is failing.
Unfortunately, this dataset is no longer being generated.
Reablement is a short-term service that helps people regain independence and confidence after a period of illness or injury. Understanding the number of people receiving reablement services can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving reablement services may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a low number of people receiving reablement services may suggest that existing services are effective.
Coming soon!
Service user satisfaction is a key indicator of the quality of social care services. Understanding service user satisfaction can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of service user satisfaction may indicate a need for improved service delivery, while a high level of service user satisfaction may suggest that existing services are effective.
It is important to note that the people surveyed are already receiving service care. Notably absent are all the people that are not yet lucky enough to be receiving care.
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 1
Access to information is crucial for people using social care services to navigate the system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for people to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of people finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, question 13
An ombudsman is a person who has been appointed to look into complaints about companies and organisations. The number of cases received and decided by the Ombudsman is important because it provides insight into the volume of complaints about a local authority’s social care services and how effectively these complaints are being addressed. The number of cases received indicates the level of dissatisfaction or systemic issues within a council’s care provision, while the number of cases decided shows how efficiently the Ombudsman is processing and resolving complaints. A large gap between the two may suggest delays in complaint handling, leaving individuals waiting.
It is important to note that contacting the Ombudsman is widely considered a last resort, often discouraged, and sometimes penalised.
Hospitals seem to work well with the city. In November 2024, 99.3 per cent of patients were discharged to an “acceptable” trust, well above the England figure of 89 per cent. Only 10.1 per cent of these discharges were delayed, and the average wait was 0.41 days, against a national 0.7 days. This suggests strong links between wards, social care, and community teams. Fast flow matters more than usual in Stoke-on-Trent because the city is dense (2,764 people per km²) and highly deprived; long hospital stays would quickly raise demand for beds.
Satisfaction with care and support in 2024 stood at 64.4 per cent, almost the same as the England average of 64.7 per cent. Matching the national score is encouraging, given that the city sits in the third most deprived decile on average. However, only 57.6 per cent of service users felt it was easy to find information, well below the national 68.2 per cent. In a community where digital skills and confidence may be lower, poor sign-posting can quickly turn into unmet need. A separate NatCen survey also reports 57 per cent dissatisfaction, hinting that some residents feel their voice is not heard even when headline satisfaction looks average.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 3.04 cases per 100,000 people in 2024, versus 4.45 nationally, and decided 3.8 cases per 100,000, slightly below the England rate of 4.12. Fewer complaints may reflect good practice, but could also mean that residents do not know how to complain. The low “easy to find information” score supports this second reading. Ensuring clear routes for feedback would give commissioners a fuller picture of everyday problems.
The city’s population has risen slowly from 259,181 in 2019 to 263,157 in 2023, still well below the average local authority size. Almost all neighbourhoods are urban and deprivation is widespread but uneven, with a wider spread of ranks than England overall. These factors shape both supply and demand. High deprivation often drives earlier illness and higher use, yet the discharge data show that local services cope well once people reach hospital. The next task is to mirror that strength in community settings.
First, improving access to clear, simple information—online and face-to-face—should lift the “easy to find” score and may uncover hidden need. Second, the council could test whether the strong discharge model can be adapted to other transition points, such as moving from home care to reablement. Finally, maintaining short delays will require steady staffing and joint planning as numbers grow.
In short, Stoke-on-Trent performs strongly on flow out of hospital and keeps formal complaints low, but residents struggle to navigate the wider system. Bridging that gap is likely to deliver the next gains in quality.
✨ ✅ ❌We need to understand how much money is being spent on social care, and what this provides. First, let’s look at values reported by local authorities.
Gross Current Expenditure (2023-24) captures the total operational cost of services, indicating overall demand and financial commitment. This includes spending on residential and non-residential care, direct payments, and other social care services. Understanding gross expenditure helps assess the scale of social care provision and financial pressures on local authorities.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
This figure reflects the net cost of social care provision to the local authority, indicating the extent of financial support required to meet service demands. Understanding net expenditure helps assess the financial sustainability of social care services and the commitment level of the local authority.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Client Contributions, otherwise known as “Charging”, show the extent to which service users offset costs. Understanding client contributions helps assess the financial burden on individuals and the local authority, highlighting the need for fair and equitable funding mechanisms.
It is important to note that not all local authorities charge for social care services, and that charging can be a barrier to accessing care for some individuals.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Income from NHS reflects external funding and collaboration with the health sector. Understanding NHS contributions helps understand the level of integration between health and social care.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Budget Cuts indicate financial constraints and potential service reductions. Sometimes, budget cuts are explicit, but other times, they aren’t mentioned directly, making tracking this information difficult to access.
As such, this data is not consistently available for all local authorities.
Access Social Care have made a series of Freedom of Information requests about the government’s own assessment of sufficiency of social care funding. The social care sector is in crisis, yet the government refuses to disclose how it determines funding sufficiency. Without transparency, there is little accountability, no independent scrutiny to improve decision-making, and government trust heavily impacted. Evidence from across the sector indicates a severe funding gap, but without open data, meaningful reform remains impossible. True solutions require honesty about the scale of the problem to then work towards a fair and equitable funding model.
The government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known.
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In 2024 Stoke-on-Trent spent about £48,471 per 100,000 residents on adult social care. With a local population of roughly 263,000, this works out at close to £128 million in gross terms, or around £485 for every resident. The national figure is £47,758 per 100,000, so the city is investing about two per cent more than the England mean. After income from the NHS and from clients is removed, net spending sits near £41,000 per 100,000 people, equal to £107 million, which is almost identical to the national average.
Stoke-on-Trent is a compact, mainly urban area with 2,765 residents per square kilometre, one of the highest densities outside London. It is also one of the more deprived parts of England: its mean deprivation decile is 3.4 while the national mean is 5.9. Dense housing and higher deprivation usually create greater demand for formal care because family networks are under strain and health needs begin earlier in life. Slightly higher gross spending therefore looks reasonable and may even mask hidden pressure. If need continues to rise faster than population growth, today’s small premium could turn into a shortfall.
Two other money streams stand out. First, client contributions in Stoke-on-Trent reach £7,749 per 100,000 residents, six per cent above the norm. In cash terms this is about £20 million a year from local people. A heavier call on users may signal tight budgets at the council, but it can also limit take-up among those who feel unable to pay, leaving unmet need.
Second, NHS contributions approach £11,924 per 100,000 residents, more than half again the national rate. That is almost £32 million, a significant share of the city’s care budget. High NHS input often reflects strong joint working on hospital discharge and community health. It can also mean that complex health-care cases, such as frail older adults with long-term conditions, make up a larger part of the caseload. Close partnerships are positive, yet high reliance on NHS money leaves the council exposed if national priorities change.
The figures suggest that Stoke-on-Trent is holding spending just above the national average in order to meet the effects of deprivation and urban density. The city still appears to ask more from clients than most areas and depends heavily on the NHS to balance the books. Without those two extra sources, net expenditure would fall well below the England mean, raising questions about sustainability.
Looking ahead, stable or falling real-terms funding could be risky. Rising care demand driven by poor health and low incomes may outpace the modest spending lead now in place. Transparent planning with clear public information on the true cost of care would help residents and partners understand why current levels are needed and how they may change. Continued joint work with the NHS is vital, but so is building a cushion in case national health funding contracts.
Stoke-on-Trent is spending slightly more than average on social care, a sensible response to high need. Yet the city leans on user charges and NHS money to do so. Prudent long-term planning and clear data on future budgets will be key to keeping services safe for the residents who rely on them most.
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