This page provides an overview of social care in Suffolk, 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: Babergh, Ipswich, Mid Suffolk, East Suffolk, West Suffolk
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: Babergh, Ipswich, Mid Suffolk, East Suffolk, West Suffolk
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 Suffolk. 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 disability rate in Suffolk is 17.1 per cent. The England figure is 17.6 per cent. Suffolk is therefore close to the national picture, and almost one person in six lives with a disability. The rate is only a little lower than England, which fits with the county’s slightly better than average deprivation score. Less deprivation often means better health. Even so, the large population – about 776,000 in 2023 – means that many people still need help.
In 2024 the council recorded 5,075 requests for support from working-age adults. This equals 654 requests for every 100,000 residents, well below the England average of 1,143. A lower request rate can point to better health, but it can also hide unmet need. Suffolk is 95 per cent rural and has only 200 people per square kilometre, compared with 2,469 nationally. Long travel times, poor public transport and limited awareness of services may stop some residents from asking for help. Monitoring referral routes in remote areas will be important.
Suffolk supports 3,920 working-age adults in long-term care, or 505 per 100,000 people. This is slightly below the England rate of 533. The pattern of support is instructive.
Only 10 per 100,000 adults are in nursing homes (England 14), and 47 per 100,000 are in residential homes (England 61). Fewer placements may reflect success in preventing escalation, but it might also show limited local bed supply in a rural county.
Most care is given at home. Council-commissioned community support stands at 64 per 100,000, a little above the national average of 58, while direct payments sit at 77 per 100,000, well below the England rate of 122. A lower take-up of direct payments could mean that local markets are thin, making it hard for families to arrange their own support. It may also suggest that residents prefer the council to organise care, or that they need help to manage budgets.
Recent data for 2025 show only a handful of requests for legal advice, safeguarding and mental capacity. These very low rates (all under 2 per 100,000) again raise the question of hidden demand in a spread-out county.
The overall disability rate in Suffolk is normal, yet requests for help and the use of direct payments are lower than expected. Geography and transport may limit access, while a mixed deprivation profile means that pockets of higher need can be masked by affluent areas. Service planners may wish to:
• Strengthen outreach in remote villages.
• Promote direct payments by improving the local care market.
• Review nursing and residential capacity to ensure choice close to home.
By focusing on these areas the council can make sure that disabled people, wherever they live, get timely and suitable support.
✨ ✅ ❌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 share of residents aged 65 + rose from 23.3 % in 2019 to 24.1 % in 2023. The national share stayed near 18.7 %. Suffolk is therefore ageing more quickly than England as a whole. At the same time the total population grew from 757,000 to 776,000. Growth plus ageing means the absolute number of older people is rising each year. With only 200 people per km² and 95 % of land classed as rural, many older residents live far from large services. Deprivation is mixed, but on average Suffolk is slightly less deprived than England. These factors shape both the type and the amount of help that people seek.
In 2024, 15,565 people aged 65 + asked the council for care or support. This is 2,005 requests per 100,000 older residents, below the national rate of 2,438. A lower request rate, despite a larger older population, may suggest that:
• some needs are met by family, community and self-funding;
• rural distance makes it harder to contact the council;
• people delay asking until needs are more severe.
The small numbers of older people seeking advice on charging, mental capacity or safeguarding in 2025 reinforce the view that many manage matters themselves or through informal help.
Once a request is made, Suffolk is more likely to provide ongoing support. In 2024, 8,870 older residents received long-term services (1,142 per 100,000), above the England average of 1,003. The mix of care shows clear patterns:
• Residential care: 374 per 100,000, markedly higher than the national 250. This fits a rural county where home-care staff must travel long distances.
• Nursing care: 122 per 100,000, almost identical to the England rate. Nursing homes appear to meet clinical need at a normal level.
• Community care via council-commissioned services: 259 per 100,000, well above the national 137. Suffolk seems to rely on organised home-care rather than personal budgets.
• Community care with direct payments: 60 per 100,000 in total, below the national 78. Direct payment take-up is lower, perhaps because older people find the system complex or because market choice is limited in rural areas.
A smaller flow of requests but a higher stock of service users suggests a high conversion rate from enquiry to package. People may present later, with greater needs, and enter care for longer periods. The high use of residential beds supports this view: when home support breaks down, the next step is likely to be a care home rather than intensified community help.
The ageing trend will continue, so even a stable per-capita request rate will translate into more absolute demand. To manage costs and support independence the council may wish to:
• expand home-care capacity, using travel pay and digital tools to offset distance;
• boost advice services so that people plan earlier and can use direct payments;
• work with housing and planning teams to create age-friendly villages, limiting the need for residential moves.
Suffolk starts from a position of moderate affluence and strong communities. Targeted investment that respects the county’s rural shape can help older residents stay safe and well while containing future care spending.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Suffolk had about 65,000 unpaid carers in 2021, equal to 8,528 carers for every 100,000 residents. The England average was 8,204 per 100,000. Suffolk’s rate is therefore modestly higher even though the county is relatively healthy and only moderately deprived. The key driver is likely to be its age and settlement pattern. Suffolk is very rural (95 % of land is classified rural) and has a low population density of 200 people per km², far below the national figure. In such areas families often rely on informal help because formal services are farther away. A slightly older age-profile than England as a whole would also increase caring need, although age data are not shown here.
In 2024 Suffolk issued 306 direct payments per 100,000 people, more than twice the national rate of 150. This equates to roughly 2,400 carers receiving cash they can spend on the help they choose. All other recorded forms of council support sit below or close to the England norm:
• Only 171 carers per 100,000 (around 1,300 people) received information, advice or sign-posting, half the national figure.
• Commissioned support delivered solely by the council (95 per 100,000) and managed personal budgets (35 per 100,000) are both slightly lower than average.
• Few carers receive mixed or partial direct payments, and very few get respite delivered to the cared-for person.
The pattern suggests Suffolk has adopted a “cash first” approach, giving carers control but offering fewer structured, council-run services. In a large rural county this may be cost-effective, yet it places more responsibility on the carer to locate and coordinate help.
Only 23.6 % of carers said they have as much social contact as they would like, compared with 29.3 % across England. Feelings on access to information are also slightly below average (56.6 % find it easy, versus 59.3 % nationally). These findings point to isolation and limited sign-posting—issues that align with the low use of advice and universal services noted above and with the dispersed nature of rural communities.
The county’s above-average prevalence of unpaid care, combined with below-average social contact, implies a risk of carer fatigue and hidden need. While generous use of direct payments shows commitment to personal choice, many carers may lack the time, knowledge or digital access to turn cash into practical relief, especially when public transport and local networks are thin.
Three priorities emerge. First, strengthen outreach: mobile advice hubs, community connectors and digital portals can close the information gap. Second, increase flexible respite that does not depend on the carer arranging every detail. Third, knit social contact into all offers—peer groups, café drop-ins and hybrid online forums help carers sustain their role.
Suffolk’s relatively low deprivation gives it fiscal room to innovate, yet its geography demands tailored delivery. Rebalancing from “cash only” to a mixed model of direct payments plus proactive, easily found support would improve well-being and help retain the county’s large unpaid care workforce.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Suffolk has 166 community-based adult social care services and 176 residential services in 2024. The average local authority in England has about 64 community and 91 residential providers. Suffolk’s population is around 776,000, more than double the national mean of 377,000, yet the county still has more community services than would be expected from its size. This suggests a local preference for supporting people at home or in the community rather than in care homes. The residential offer is broadly in line with population size, showing no over-reliance on care-home beds.
Only 13.0 % of inspected providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8 % across England. This lower share points to stronger care quality and regulatory compliance. A wide spread of providers across a very rural county (95 % rural land) may also help: smaller services can stay closer to the people they support, making it easier to meet individual needs.
Staff turnover in the East of England region is 23.9 %, and Suffolk’s rate of 23.9 % sits almost exactly on this figure. The vacancy rate is 7.8 %, a little below the national 8.4 %. Despite these reasonable numbers, 83 % of managers still say recruiting staff is “more” or “much more” challenging, and 71 % say the same for retaining staff. In a sparsely populated county with only 200 residents per square kilometre, long travel times, limited public transport and competition with other rural employers can make care work less attractive. These factors help explain why managers feel pressure even when headline vacancy and turnover figures do not look extreme.
The strong community offer may be easing pressure on residential homes, which in turn could lift quality ratings. However, keeping many small community services open across rural areas needs a steady flow of care workers who can drive, work flexibly and accept travel costs. Lower vacancy rates suggest Suffolk has had some success, perhaps through local employment schemes or a relatively low level of deprivation (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile about 6.3, better than the England mean of 5.9). Yet the continued feeling of recruitment difficulty shows these successes are fragile.
Maintaining the current mix of providers will require further action on workforce supply, such as transport support, affordable housing for key workers and clearer career paths. Commissioners may also wish to keep investing in community services, as they appear to match local geography and support better quality. Ongoing monitoring is needed to ensure that the apparent advantage in quality is not lost if staffing pressures grow.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Suffolk serves about 776 000 residents, most of whom live in small towns or villages. With only 200 people per square kilometre, the county is far more rural than the average area in England. It is also slightly less deprived, sitting in decile 6 of the Index of Multiple Deprivation. This context helps to explain several quality indicators.
Almost all hospital discharges (99.7 %) are now made to providers that the Care Quality Commission judges to be acceptable. The national rate is 89 %. Strong links between the local NHS trusts and the council’s re-ablement teams appear to support safe, timely transfers.
The share of discharges that are delayed is 11.3 %, just below the England figure of 12.3 %. However, when a delay does occur people wait longer in Suffolk: the mean delay is 0.89 days compared with 0.70 days nationally. Long travel times to rural homes and a limited pool of home-care staff may lengthen individual delays even though they happen less often. Targeted investment in transport and workforce could shorten these waits further.
Resident feedback is broadly positive. In the 2024 survey, 69.5 % of users said they were satisfied with their care and support, five points above the national average of 64.7 %. Ease of finding information is also better than elsewhere (71.6 % versus 68.2 %). A relatively affluent population may have better digital access and confidence to seek advice, while lower demand pressure on services makes it easier for staff to respond.
A different survey by NatCen reports a 57 % dissatisfaction level with social care. Without a national comparator it is hard to judge, but the figure suggests that expectations may be rising faster than service quality. Clearer public messaging about eligibility and waiting times could close this gap in perception.
Suffolk records 4.12 complaints received and 3.99 decisions issued per 100 000 people, both slightly below the England means of 4.45 and 4.12. Given the county’s large population, the raw number of cases is modest. Lower complaint rates align with the higher satisfaction scores, implying that local resolution processes work well.
Overall performance is good, yet the longer length of delayed discharges shows that rurality still poses practical hurdles. Continued joint working between the NHS and adult social care, alongside flexible commissioning of home-care hours, will help reduce waits. Maintaining the current high level of user satisfaction will require attention to public expectations, especially as the population grows and ages. An explicit strategy for transport, digital access and recruitment in outlying areas could protect the gains already made and support further quality improvement.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Suffolk’s gross adult social care bill is about £416 million. This equals £53,549 per 100,000 people, around twelve per cent above the England mean of £47,758. After taking off income from clients and the NHS the council’s net spend is roughly £349 million, or £44,916 per 100,000 people. This is again higher than the national mean ( £40,472 ). The figures show that Suffolk puts more money into care, both in cash and per person terms, than a typical local authority.
Clients in Suffolk contribute an estimated £67 million, equal to £8,633 per 100,000 residents. That is about nineteen per cent above the national rate. Higher client income fits a county that is, on average, a little less deprived than England (mean deprivation rank 20,405 versus 17,686) and where more people can pay full or part charges.
By contrast NHS contributions are lower than the England mean: £6,438 per 100,000 in Suffolk against £7,878 nationally, a gap of roughly eighteen per cent. This may point to fewer joint packages, delayed transfers of funds, or simply different local agreement on how pooled budgets are split. The shortfall means the council must meet a larger share of costs from its own purse.
Suffolk’s population has grown from 757,000 in 2019 to 776,000 in 2023. More people naturally raise demand. The county is also very rural: only 200 residents live in each square kilometre, compared with 2,469 in England as a whole. Staff and carers travel further, and small, scattered care settings lose economies of scale, both of which push unit costs up.
Age structure is another likely factor. Rural areas with lower deprivation often have a larger share of older adults who have moved there in retirement. Older residents need more social care, especially home care and residential places. Higher per-person spending therefore does not always mean a generous service; it can simply reflect heavier demand.
The gap between gross and net spend in Suffolk is around £67 million. Client fees cover the bulk of this gap, while the NHS covers a smaller slice. The pattern hints at two things: first, that the council is effective at billing and collecting charges; second, that there may be room to strengthen joint commissioning with health partners so that more costs fall on the Better Care Fund rather than the local tax base.
Sustaining higher spend will be hard if population growth and rising need continue. Lower NHS income also places pressure on council budgets, especially in years when national grant growth is low. Improving integrated working could bring extra health money and smoother care pathways. At the same time the large role of client contributions means changes in charging rules or a dip in residents’ personal wealth would quickly affect council finances. Forward plans should therefore look at both demand management—through prevention and re-ablement—and at a funding blend that shares risk with health partners and central government.
Suffolk already commits more money per resident to adult social care than the average English authority. Rural geography, growing numbers, and an older population explain much of this. Client fees help balance the books, but lower NHS contributions leave the council carrying more of the load. Future strategy will need to protect present spending levels while seeking better joint funding and cost-effective models of delivery.
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