This page provides an overview of social care in Thurrock, 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 Thurrock. 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 for disability in Thurrock is 16.7 per cent. England sits at 17.6 per cent. Even though the borough is a little more deprived than average, and mainly urban, fewer residents report a disability. One likely reason is age structure. Thurrock’s population is growing and is slightly younger than many areas, so there are fewer older adults who often have long-term limits on day-to-day activity.
In 2024, 875 people aged 18–64 asked adult social care for support. This equals 491 requests for every 100,000 residents, less than half the national rate of 1,143. A lower request rate can mean that daily living needs are met by family or universal services. It can also point to hidden demand, because people may not know how to ask, or may expect little help. The relatively young profile of the borough may keep numbers down, but the gap to England is large, so unmet need cannot be ruled out.
At the same time 845 working-age adults receive long-term services. That is 474 per 100,000 people, a little below the England figure of 533. The size of the gap here is smaller than for initial requests, suggesting that once people come forward the council does pick up many of them.
The mix of care shows local choices and market supply. Only six residents are in nursing homes (3 per 100,000), far below the national norm of 14. This may signal a lack of local beds or a policy to keep younger adults away from hospital-style settings. Residential care is more common: 136 residents, or 76 per 100,000, which is above the national average of 61. Community support is split in two ways. Direct payment only packages, where the person organises their own help, stand at 149 per 100,000, higher than the England rate of 122. Council-managed personal budgets are far lower (107 per 100,000 against 267 nationally), while commissioned community support is higher (95 versus 58). In short, Thurrock tends to offer either full choice through direct payments or fully arranged services, with fewer mixed or partly managed options.
During 2025 the council logged very small numbers of people asking for help with assessments, charging, mental capacity and related issues. Rates range from 0.6 to 2.2 per 100,000, all well below national norms. The figures may mean that earlier advice is working, but, as with care requests, they may equally show that residents are not aware of their rights.
Thurrock has about 178,000 residents and is getting larger each year. It is densely settled for a shire area (1,074 people per km²) and slightly more deprived than England on average. Urban living can make community support easier to deliver, but growing numbers and deprivation can raise demand quickly. The current low use of nursing care offers savings, yet it also places pressure on community services and families.
The council may wish to:
• Keep building strong community options, because people appear to prefer them.
• Test whether low request rates hide unmet need, especially in deprived neighbourhoods.
• Review residential and nursing capacity to be sure choice is available.
• Strengthen information and advocacy so that disabled residents know what help exists.
Holding these strands together will help Thurrock support disabled people as the population grows.
✨ ✅ ❌Older People
Just like with Working Age people, knowing how many older people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of the population is 65+ helps understand need and social care provision at a top level.
Jamaican female, blind and in her 40s. She was in an emergency Bed & Breakfast with her Niece, who acts as her unofficial carer, she is unable to work but would like to go to University. She is receiving PIP but not the Daily Living Allowance which she applied for in June 2021. She is vulnerable and has a history of self harm so was assigned a rehab Support Worker. Vanessa supported her using the Chatbot to chase up her PIP Daily Living allowance application, after waiting for several months and they received a reply within a week but was awarded the lower rate.
Another Chatbot letter was sent to request an urgent assessment due to her vulnerability and this was action quickly by the LA. Vanessa also supported her to use the chatbot and ask the Social worker to be moved to a place that supports her needs and rights. As she was having to use a shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen in a place with drug/alcohol abusers and being blind with no carer, this left her vulnerable. The Chatbot was used again to raise this issue and after a few weeks she was successfully moved to a private property in another area.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
As above, it is important to see what type of care older people are being provided because it can help explain where additional work is needed.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
Between 2019 and 2023 Thurrock’s share of residents aged 65 plus stayed almost flat, moving from 13.7 per cent to 13.6 per cent. The England average rose from 18.4 to 18.5 per cent in the same period. Thurrock therefore has a younger age profile. This is helped by steady in-migration of working-age families and by a birth-rate that is still above the national mean. Population growth was small but constant, rising from 174 900 to 178 200. Because the older share did not grow, the absolute number of older people increased only slowly, to about 24 300 in 2023. Services must plan for gradual, not sudden, growth in demand.
In 2024 there were 3 035 requests for social care from people aged 65 plus. This equals 1 703 requests per 100 000 residents, against an England rate of 2 438. A lower figure can have two different meanings. First, fewer older people live in Thurrock, so total need is naturally smaller. Second, some need may be hidden. Thurrock has pockets of deprivation (mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 5.3, slightly worse than England) and fairly low rurality, yet requests are still modest. Barriers such as limited knowledge of the care system, cultural expectations of family support, or transport costs may stop some residents from asking for help.
Although requests were low, 1 790 older residents were actually receiving long-term support in 2024. This is 1 004 per 100 000, almost the same as the England figure of 1 003. The gap between low request rates and average receipt suggests that the council accepts and supports a high share of the people who do come forward. Waiting lists may therefore be short, but latent demand could still exist.
The mix of services is distinctive. Nursing care is rare: 39 per 100 000, just one-third of the national level. Residential care is a little above average at 264 per 100 000. Community care is stronger than average, with 623 per 100 000 on direct payments or council-managed personal budgets, compared with 585 for England. This pattern fits a local strategy that keeps people at home where possible and uses care homes mainly for personal rather than nursing needs. It might also point to limited local supply of nursing beds, meaning some residents travel outside the area for high-level care.
Thurrock is a medium-density area (1 074 residents per km²) on the edge of London. Travel times to services are shorter than in rural shires, making home-based care practical. Deprivation is mixed, with some very deprived estates and some affluent villages, so demand is uneven across the borough. The younger age structure can keep overall service pressure down for now, but ageing is inevitable. Even if the share of older people remains the same, absolute numbers will rise with total population growth.
Current capacity appears well matched to expressed need, yet the low rate of requests hints at possible unmet need. Outreach, clear information, and advice services may draw in people who are coping alone. Investment in community and residential care should continue, but the very low use of nursing beds needs review. A joint plan with health partners could develop extra nursing capacity locally or improve pathways to neighbouring areas. Finally, steady monitoring of the proportion of older residents will help the council scale services at the right pace.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Thurrock had an estimated 7 203 unpaid carers for every 100 000 residents. With a mid-2021 population of 175 933, this is roughly 12 700 local people who give regular help to a family member or friend. The rate is lower than the England average of 8 204 per 100 000. Thurrock’s slightly younger age profile and its below-average deprivation score (decile 5.3 compared with 5.9 nationally) may mean fewer older, long-term carers than in many areas. It may also point to under-identification: carers who do not yet see themselves as such will not appear in the count.
Only 22.2 % of carers said they have as much social contact as they want, well below the national figure of 29.3 %. Isolation can grow when caring combines with lower incomes and limited free time. Despite Thurrock’s relatively high population density of 1 074 residents per km², carers may still struggle to join community activities if transport, respite and peer networks are thinly spread.
A more positive picture emerges on information. Some 68.2 % of carers said it is easy to find out about services, comfortably above the England average of 59.3 %. The council’s signposting appears to be reaching people, and the large uptake of support delivered to the cared-for person (see below) suggests that assessment pathways are functioning.
In 2024 Thurrock issued only 2.8 direct payments per 100 000 people—about five carers in total. If Thurrock matched the national rate of 150 per 100 000, around 260 residents would hold a direct payment. Personal budgets managed by the council and mixed packages also show “not applicable”, indicating very low use. In contrast, 224.5 per 100 000 residents (around 400 people) received respite or other help delivered to the person they care for, more than three times the national average of 70.0. Information, advice and other universal services reached a further 224.5 per 100 000 (about 400 people), though this is still below the England norm of 338.7.
The pattern suggests a service model that relies on traditional respite breaks and signposting rather than individualised, cash-based support. While this may suit carers who prefer the council to arrange services, it gives less flexibility for those who want to tailor care around work or study. Limited take-up of direct payments could also explain why social contact scores lag behind: without a personal budget, carers may struggle to buy the short, regular breaks that sustain day-to-day wellbeing.
Thurrock’s carers value the ease of finding information, yet many remain socially isolated and few access direct financial support. Encouraging more carers to ask for, and feel confident using, personal budgets could widen choice and help reduce loneliness. Awareness campaigns might focus on younger carers and those in deprived wards, groups who are often under-registered. Expanding community-based respite, especially evening and weekend options, would allow carers to socialise and maintain employment.
Finally, the lower overall carer rate may hide unmet need. As the local population continues to grow—up by about 2 % since 2019—the council should monitor whether demand for support keeps pace. A balanced offer that blends good information, flexible personal budgets, and reliable commissioned respite will be key to sustaining carers and, by extension, the wider social care system in Thurrock.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Thurrock has 42 community-based adult social care providers. This is below the England average of 63.8, yet the borough’s population is less than half the national mean. Set against the 178,200 residents, Thurrock offers about 23.6 community providers per 100,000 people, while the national rate is roughly 16.9. The figures suggest that people in Thurrock have good access to help at home or in the community. A compact, mainly urban area (only 14 percent rural) makes short travel times possible, so smaller organisations can serve a wide client base.
Residential provision tells a different story. There are 26 care-home providers, giving a rate of 14.6 per 100,000. Across England the rate is nearer 24.1. Fewer local beds may push families to look outside the borough or keep people in their own homes for longer. This fits the strong community offer but could create pressure if needs grow or if home care breaks down.
Just under 18 percent of Thurrock providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, a little higher than the 16.8 percent national figure. The gap is small but matters because the market is already tight for residential care. A rise in demand could leave residents with limited high-quality choice. Targeted support for providers that are close to a “good” rating may lift overall standards quickly.
Staff turnover stands at 23.9 percent, almost identical to the England average. However, 70.9 percent of local employers say retaining staff is now more difficult, and 82.9 percent report greater problems in recruitment. Vacancy rates are also slightly above average at 8.7 percent. Thurrock sits next to London, so care services compete with higher-paid sectors for the same labour pool. Mildly higher deprivation (mean decile 5.3 versus 5.9) may add to cost-of-living pressure on a low-paid workforce, pushing people towards other jobs.
The resident count has risen steadily by about 1.9 percent since 2019. Even modest growth, combined with ageing trends seen nationally, will raise demand for both community and residential care. With residential places already scarce, a further shift towards home-based care is likely unless the market expands.
The borough benefits from a dense network of community providers, well suited to its urban geography. Ensuring these services remain high quality and well staffed will be essential. At the same time, planners should monitor residential capacity and consider incentives for new or expanded care-home provision, especially for people with complex needs who cannot be supported at home.
Support for the workforce is critical. Enhanced training, career pathways and pay differentials, perhaps delivered through joint initiatives with neighbouring authorities, could cut vacancies and turnover. Finally, focused improvement work with the small number of lower-rated providers would widen good-quality choice without large capital spend.
In summary, Thurrock’s care system is community-oriented and accessible, yet it faces pressures on care-home capacity, staff supply and quality. Early, targeted action can protect the strengths already in place and prepare for a growing, and potentially older, population.
✨ ✅ ❌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 every Thurrock resident (99.7%) leaves hospital into a care setting that the Care Quality Commission judges to be acceptable, well above the England figure of 89%. Only 2.3% of discharges are delayed, compared with 12.3% nationally, and the average wait for those who do face a delay is just 0.18 days against 0.7 days for England. This points to strong joint working between the local authority, community health teams and acute trusts. Thurrock’s relatively small population of about 178,000 may make coordination easier, while its high urban share (86%) lowers travel times for home care or re-ablement staff. Together these factors suggest that the discharge pathway is efficient and that people regain independence sooner.
Sixty-eight per cent of survey respondents say they are satisfied with the social care and support they receive, slightly above the national average of 64.7%. A different survey run by NatCen reports 57% dissatisfaction, showing that public opinion is mixed; residents may judge day-to-day contact positively yet still worry about wider service pressures. Being able to find information appears less of an issue: 78.9% feel it is easy to get clear guidance on services, ten percentage points ahead of the England mean. Good information often translates into more realistic expectations and better self-management, which can in turn reduce pressure on front-line teams.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 2.24 complaints for every 100,000 residents in 2024 and decided on 1.68 of them, both around half the national rates (4.45 and 4.12 respectively). Fewer escalated cases may indicate effective early resolution or sound initial decision-making by the council. Equally, lower complaint volumes can signal that residents are unaware of the appeal route; however, the high score for finding information makes this less likely.
Thurrock sits just below the England average on the deprivation scale (mean decile 5.27 versus 5.9) and has a slightly wider spread of deprivation across neighbourhoods. Managing quality in areas with mixed wealth can be challenging, yet current results remain positive. Population density is moderate at 1,074 residents per square kilometre, less cramped than many urban authorities; this may help community staff cover caseloads without the long journeys seen in rural districts.
The data suggest that Thurrock has built a responsive, coordinated care system that moves people out of hospital promptly and gives clear information to residents. Maintaining this performance as the population edges upward (+2% since 2019) will require sustained investment in community capacity and continued close working with local NHS trusts. Attention should also be paid to the mixed messages on satisfaction to ensure that positive operational metrics translate into equally positive public confidence.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Thurrock is a small, mainly urban area. About 178,000 people lived here in 2023, less than half the average council in England. Population density is 1,074 residents per square kilometre, again below the national figure. The local deprivation score is a little worse than England as a whole (mean decile 5.27 compared with 5.9). This mix of modest size, tight geography and slightly higher need shapes how much the council has to spend on care.
The council’s gross adult social care spend is £38,111 for every 100,000 residents. Scaled up to the full population, this is roughly £68 million. The England average is £47,758 per 100,000, or about £85 million for an area the size of Thurrock. After taking income into account, net expenditure in Thurrock falls to £31,510 per 100,000 people, close to £56 million in total. Nationally, net spend stands at £40,472 per 100,000. In short, Thurrock spends around one-third less per resident than the typical council.
People using services contribute about £6,601 per 100,000 residents, or £11.8 million in cash terms. This is lower than the national rate of £7,286. A lower charge may signal lower disposable income among service users, fewer chargeable services, or a cautious charging policy by the council. NHS contributions are £5,088 per 100,000 residents, or about £9.1 million. England receives £7,878 per 100,000. The gap suggests that joint funding arrangements with the local NHS are bringing in less money than elsewhere, limiting the resources available for integrated care.
Lower spending per head can have several explanations. A compact urban area often benefits from shorter travel times and economies of scale, so each pound may go further. Thurrock also has a slightly younger age profile than many coastal or rural councils, which can trim demand for high-cost residential care.
However, the deprivation data points the other way. Higher deprivation is usually linked to poorer health, earlier onset of illness and a need for more intensive support. If demand is high but spending is low, services may be under pressure, waiting lists may grow, or only people with the very highest needs may qualify for help. Lower income from clients and the NHS narrows the funding base even further, leaving the council more exposed to cost shocks.
The council may wish to review joint planning with the Integrated Care Board to secure a larger NHS contribution, especially for reablement and continuing health care. Strengthening the charging and benefits advice teams could ensure that everyone who can contribute does so, while still protecting those on low incomes. Most importantly, regular monitoring of unmet need is vital. If lower spend is the result of true efficiency, outcomes should remain stable. If not, unmet need will rise, and the long-term cost—both human and financial—will be higher.
Population numbers in Thurrock have edged up each year since 2019. Even modest growth, combined with an ageing profile, will add to demand. Without new income streams, the current gap between local and national spending levels may widen, making future service pressures harder to manage.
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