This page provides an overview of social care in Wakefield, 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 Wakefield. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The age-standardised share of residents who are disabled is 20.5 %. The England rate is 17.6 %. This gap suggests that disability is a bigger part of everyday life in Wakefield. A high disability rate often links with lower income, long-term health problems from past industry, and higher deprivation. Wakefield’s mean deprivation decile is 4.3, below the national 5.9, so the local social picture supports this link.
During 2024, 3,460 working-age adults (18-64) asked the council for care. This equals 956 requests for every 100,000 residents, below the England figure of 1,143. Demand is therefore lower than expected if we only look at the higher disability rate. Possible reasons are stronger family support, people not knowing about the service, or barriers to access, especially in the more rural south-east of the district.
In the same year, 1,740 working-age adults actually received long-term support. That is 481 per 100,000 people, again under the England figure of 533. The gap is small, yet when set beside the higher disability level it may point to unmet need or shorter care packages.
Nursing home use is very low: 2.8 per 100,000 against a national 13.8. Residential care is slightly higher than average at 71.9 per 100,000 (England 60.6), which may reflect more learning-disability placements carried over from old policies. Community services show a mixed picture. Direct payment only packages, which give people full control, are fewer than average (96.7 vs 122.2). In contrast, council-managed personal budgets in the community are common at 306.8 per 100,000, well above the England norm of 266.7. This suggests the council still plays a hands-on role, perhaps because residents feel unsure about managing the money themselves.
Later data show very small numbers of people asking for help with assessments, complaints or safeguarding, all far below national rates. Only requests about care charges (8.3 per 100,000) sit above the England mean of 5.7. Low enquiry rates can mean good sign-posting, but they can also hide lack of awareness or confidence among disabled people.
The district is growing, from 348,000 in 2019 to almost 362,000 in 2023. Density is 1,044 residents per km², less than half the England figure, so some households live far from services. Combined with higher poverty and varied deprivation across areas, this can hinder access to formal support.
Wakefield has more disabled residents but fewer care requests and care packages than expected. Extra outreach in rural wards, clearer advice about direct payments, and more community nursing options could close the gap. As the population rises, planning for accessible transport and stronger early-help teams will be key to meeting future demand without relying on costlier residential care.
✨ ✅ ❌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 who are aged 65 years or more has risen gently from 18.8 per cent in 2019 to 19.1 per cent in 2023. Over the same years the England average first went up and then fell back to 18.5 per cent. Wakefield is therefore slightly older than the country as a whole and the gap is widening. The local population has also grown from 348,201 to 361,786, so the absolute number of older residents is rising both because of growth and because of ageing.
In 2024 there were 11,065 requests for support from people aged 65 plus. This is equal to 3,058 requests for every 100,000 residents, well above the national rate of 2,438 per 100,000. Higher demand fits with an older age structure, but it is also linked to need. Wakefield is more deprived than the average council (mean deprivation decile 4.3 compared with 5.9). Poorer health that comes with deprivation often brings earlier or heavier care needs, so demand is likely to stay high even if population growth slows.
Only 4,085 older people were receiving long-term services in 2024, a rate of 1,129 per 100,000 against an England mean of 1,003. The gap between the 11,065 requests and the 4,085 recipients suggests that many requests are screened out or met in other ways. When support is given, Wakefield relies more on residential settings. Residential care stands at 390 per 100,000, far above the national figure of 250. Nursing care, in contrast, is low at 46 per 100,000 compared with 122 nationally. Community care that uses direct payments is also lower than average (39 against 55 per 100,000). Community care managed by the council is high at 654 per 100,000. Taken together, this pattern points to a service model that still leans on traditional placements and council-run support rather than on self-directed or clinically intensive options.
Data for 2025 show very small numbers of older residents asking for help with assessments, care plans or safeguarding—around 0.3 per 100,000 in each case, much lower than national levels. One exception is help with charging, at 8.3 per 100,000, higher than the national 5.7. Low advice activity could mean that early information is being given well, but it could also signal limited awareness of where to turn for guidance. The higher rate of charging queries suggests that the cost of care is a source of uncertainty for many people.
Wakefield has an ageing and growing population and higher deprivation. This combination is already creating above-average demand for adult social care. Current provision meets that demand by placing more people in residential settings and by keeping most community support under council control. If the council wishes to promote independence and manage costs, it may need to expand nursing capacity for complex cases and widen take-up of direct payments so that more people can plan their own support. Low use of advice services, except on charging, hints that better sign-posting could prevent some later, more expensive, requests for help.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Wakefield had about 31,700 unpaid carers. This figure is worked out from the rate of 8,968 carers for every 100,000 residents and the mid-year population of 353,803. The local rate is around nine per cent above the England mean of 8,204 per 100,000. A higher share of carers is not surprising in a district that is more deprived than average. Lower income, poorer health and earlier long-term illness often mean that families step in when formal services are limited or unaffordable. Wakefield’s mix of small towns and rural villages may also encourage family members to look after each other rather than rely on paid help that can be harder to reach.
Despite the heavier caring load, many Wakefield carers say they feel connected. In 2024, 38.4 per cent reported that they had as much social contact as they wanted, almost ten percentage points above the national figure of 29.3. Social links are easier to maintain in a medium-sized district with a population density of 1,044 people per square kilometre; streets are not as isolated as in very rural areas, yet daily travel is simpler than in the large cities. Good community ties may be helping carers to balance their roles and keep loneliness down.
Two thirds of local carers (64.7 per cent) say information about services is easy to find, again outperforming the England average of 59.3. Wakefield Council and voluntary groups appear to have built clear advice routes. However, when we look at formal support that brings money or a personal budget, the picture changes. Only 2.8 carers per 100,000 receive a direct payment, compared with 150 nationally. No activity is recorded for part direct payments or council-managed personal budgets. Universal services such as information and signposting reach 268 carers per 100,000, still below the national mean of 339, while respite for the cared-for person stands at 33 per 100,000, half the England rate of 70.
The data point to a district that relies heavily on unpaid care but offers limited targeted financial support. Low use of direct payments may stem from tight local authority budgets, lack of awareness among carers, or complex application processes. Yet the small number receiving no support at all (33 per 100,000 versus 130 nationally) shows that some form of contact is usually made, even if it does not lead to funded help.
Wakefield’s growing population—up by about 13,500 since 2019—means that the absolute number of carers is likely to rise further. Maintaining current levels of social contact and information quality will become harder unless resources keep pace. The council may wish to widen the take-up of direct payments and respite so that carers get tangible relief, not just advice. This could prevent burnout and reduce longer-term demand for costly residential care. Targeting support to deprived neighbourhoods, where caring duties are most intense, would fit the district’s uneven deprivation profile. In short, Wakefield shows strong community spirit, but formal backing needs to match the scale of unpaid care now and in the future.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Wakefield counts 60 community-based adult social care services and 91 residential care homes. These figures sit very close to the national averages of 63.8 and 91. When set against a 2023 population of about 362,000, the district holds roughly 17 community services and 25 residential homes per 100,000 people. Capacity therefore looks broadly in line with national supply. The area is less densely populated than the England norm and has a higher share of deprived neighbourhoods, so meeting this average level of provision across dispersed and needy communities may already demand extra travel time and care coordination.
Just over one in five Wakefield providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate” (22.2 %), compared with fewer than one in six across England (16.8 %). The gap hints that maintaining quality is harder locally than merely keeping enough beds or services open. Higher deprivation can mean people enter care with poorer health and more complex needs, placing extra pressure on both community and residential settings. In this context the headline capacity figures mask a quality challenge that is likely to affect user experience and outcomes.
The regional care workforce has a turnover rate of 25.2 %, almost identical to the England figure. The vacancy rate is slightly lower than average at 7.7 %, yet 70.5 % of managers say retaining staff is now more difficult and 82.5 % say recruiting staff is more difficult, both a little above national sentiment. This mix suggests that providers may be filling posts but at the cost of greater effort, higher use of temporary staff or faster movement between employers. Financial constraints linked to local deprivation could limit wage growth and training budgets, making it tougher to compete for skilled carers even when a post is technically filled.
On paper Wakefield has enough community and residential providers, but higher deprivation and a scattered settlement pattern mean carers face heavier workloads and longer journeys. These pressures may explain why quality ratings lag behind national norms despite average staffing numbers. Staff churn is not yet worse than elsewhere, yet both managers and inspectors point to strains that may push standards down if left unchecked.
Maintaining present capacity will not be sufficient; commissioners need to focus on quality improvement and workforce support. Targeted training, stronger induction for new recruits and closer supervision could lift inspection outcomes. Because recruitment feels harder than vacancy statistics suggest, investment in career pathways and local colleges could secure a longer-term talent pipeline. Finally, any tendering or contract review should account for extra travel and time linked to lower density and higher need, ensuring providers are paid for the realities of operating in a mixed urban-rural and deprived district.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Wakefield is home to about 362,000 people. The area is less crowded than England as a whole, with 1,044 residents per square kilometre against a national figure of 2,469. It is also more deprived: its average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile is 4.3, below the England mean of 5.9, and the spread of deprivation is wider. These factors often increase need for care and make service delivery harder.
In November 2024, 91 per cent of Wakefield residents left hospital to a care provider judged acceptable by the Care Quality Commission, slightly above the national rate of 89 per cent. This suggests strong partnership working between the NHS and adult social care.
However, 15.7 per cent of discharges were delayed, compared with 12.3 per cent in England. The mean delay was 0.75 days per person, a little higher than the national 0.7 days. Higher deprivation and a mixed urban–rural geography can slow down arrangements for home care, re-ablement, or equipment, leading to extra bed days even when the destination is safe and appropriate.
The 2024 adult social care survey found that 69.8 per cent of respondents in Wakefield were satisfied with the care and support they received, about five points above the England average of 64.7 per cent. This is a positive sign that frontline practice meets most people’s expectations despite higher need.
Another source (NatCen) puts local dissatisfaction at 57 per cent. The wide gap between the two surveys may reflect different questions or sampling, but it does suggest that a significant minority still feel services fall short. Exploring the reasons—such as waiting times, continuity of staff, or cultural fit—could help target improvement activity.
Two-thirds (67.6 per cent) of service users felt it was easy to find information about help, almost identical to the national figure of 68.2 per cent. Given the area’s above-average deprivation, maintaining this level is encouraging, yet nearly one person in three still struggles to navigate the system. Clearer signposting and digital inclusion work could raise confidence.
In 2024 Wakefield recorded 2.8 complaints received and 3.0 decisions made per 100,000 residents. England saw 4.5 and 4.1 respectively. A lower complaint rate may indicate good local resolution, but it might also mean that residents are less aware of formal routes. Ensuring clear guidance on how to escalate concerns, while continuing to solve issues early, would balance transparency with learning.
Wakefield performs well on the quality of destinations after hospital and on headline satisfaction. Yet discharge delays remain above average, and there is mixed evidence on user experience. Rising population and entrenched deprivation are likely to keep demand high. To sustain improvement, the council and partners may wish to:
• shorten the time between clinical readiness and care package start, perhaps by expanding immediate response services;
• analyse the causes behind conflicting satisfaction findings to target support where perception is weakest;
• invest in information and advice, especially in deprived neighbourhoods and for people without easy internet access;
• keep promoting early complaint resolution while making formal pathways more visible.
Continued focus on these areas should help Wakefield turn strong individual indicators into consistently high performance across the whole care journey.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Wakefield’s gross expenditure on adult social care stands at about £174 million. This is equal to £48,135 for every 100,000 residents, a small but notable rise above the England mean of £47,758. The figure tells us that the district is putting slightly more money into care than the average local authority, a choice that seems consistent with the area’s higher levels of need.
Once income from clients and the NHS is removed, the bill that falls on the council drops to £39,839 per 100,000 people, around £144 million in cash terms. That is two per cent lower than the national mean. Wakefield therefore manages to deliver a service that costs roughly the same overall as elsewhere, yet does so with less direct call on its own budget. The council appears skilled at drawing in outside funds to soften the pressure on local taxpayers.
Client contributions amount to £8,297 per 100,000 residents, nearly fourteen per cent above the England figure. Higher charges can arise when more people enter long-term residential care or when charging policies are applied firmly. Despite above-average deprivation, the district has many older homeowners with modest assets; these people often move above the means-test threshold and pay the full fee.
NHS contributions reach £11,345 per 100,000 residents, forty-four per cent higher than the national picture. Such a gap points to strong joint working with the local Integrated Care Board. More patients may be judged eligible for NHS Continuing Healthcare, or extra Better Care Fund money could be supporting hospital discharge and re-ablement schemes. The partnership allows the council to limit its own net spend while still meeting demand.
Wakefield’s population has risen by almost four per cent since 2019, adding new pressure to the social care system. The district is also more deprived than average, with a mean deprivation decile of 4.3 compared with England’s 5.9. Deprivation tends to push up care needs by driving poorer health and earlier disability. Low population density (1,044 residents per km² versus 2,469 nationally) and a largely rural fringe can raise travel costs for home care and social work teams. Taken together, these factors justify the slightly higher gross spend.
The figures suggest a service that relies heavily on user fees and NHS money. This mix keeps council tax demands down but may prove fragile if either income stream falls. Forward planning should therefore test the system’s resilience and examine whether charging rules remain equitable for residents in the poorest wards. Strong relations with health partners will also be vital, as any change in NHS funding decisions would quickly affect local budgets.
Wakefield allocates a little more money to social care than the average council when all sources are counted, yet its own net spending is slightly lower because it secures above-average income from service users and the NHS. This balanced approach fits local levels of deprivation and population growth, but it leaves the system exposed to shifts in external funding.
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