This page provides an overview of social care in Walsall, 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 Walsall. 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 proportion of residents who report a disability is 20.1 %. The England figure is 17.6 %. Walsall therefore has a larger share of disabled people than most places. Part of this gap is explained by local factors: the borough is very dense (2 733 people per km²) and has high deprivation (mean decile 3.8). Areas with these traits often see poorer health and earlier onset of limiting illness.
In 2024 there were 2 855 requests for care from working-age adults. This equals 989 per 100 000 residents, below the national average of 1 143. When a place has more disabled people than average but fewer requests, it can hint at unmet need. Finance may play a part: Walsall is one of the more deprived councils, and residents might delay asking for help because they fear charges or do not know how to claim.
Only 1 260 working-age adults received long-term services in 2024. This is 436 per 100 000 people, again below the England rate of 533. Taken with the high disability rate, this points to a service coverage gap rather than low demand.
Nursing care is used slightly more than average (17.3 vs 13.8 per 100 000). Residential placements are lower (39.8 vs 60.6), and council-commissioned community packages are also lower (211 vs 267). Direct payments show a mixed picture: wholly self-managed budgets sit just below England (111 vs 122), while part direct-payments are higher (55 vs 48). This suggests that Walsall encourages personal budgets but may have fewer council-managed community options. A heavier use of nursing beds may mean people are entering high-cost settings because community help comes too late.
Contact rates for most advocacy topics sit close to, or below, England. However, charging enquiries are nearly double the norm (9.7 vs 5.7 per 100 000). This supports the idea that residents find the local charging rules complex or burdensome. Safeguarding contacts are lower than average, which could mean fewer risks, but could also mean low reporting.
High disability levels together with low service uptake raise concern that some adults are not getting support early. The strong use of nursing care may reflect late intervention, adding cost and reducing independence. High charging enquiries indicate that cost remains a real barrier.
If demand rises in line with population growth (about 4 000 extra residents since 2019) the gap could widen. Targeted outreach in deprived wards, clearer charging advice and an expansion of community packages could help align service use with local need. Monitoring safeguarding contacts will also ensure low figures reflect real safety, not hidden risk.
Walsall is a densely populated, deprived borough with more disabled adults than average. Yet fewer of those adults request or receive formal care. Addressing potential unmet need, simplifying charging and strengthening community support could improve outcomes and control costs over time.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Older people (65 +) make up about 17.5 % of Walsall’s residents. This share has stayed almost flat since 2019 and is just below the England rate of about 18.5 %. The borough therefore has a little younger age profile than the country as a whole.
In 2024, 9,325 people aged 65 + asked the council for care and support. This equals 3,230 requests for every 100,000 residents, much higher than the national figure of 2,438. The high rate sits alongside the borough’s dense, mainly urban setting and its marked deprivation (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3.8 compared with 5.9 for England). Older residents here are more likely to live with long-term illness, to have limited family assets, and to rely on the local state offer. Together these factors can raise the number of formal requests even though the older population share is modest.
By 2024, 3,065 older people were in receipt of adult social care. The rate, 1,062 per 100,000, is only slightly above the national average of 1,003, suggesting that most requests are screened and that the council keeps care packages tightly focused. The mix of service types, however, tells an important story.
Nursing home use is high: 147 users per 100,000 compared with 122 nationally. Residential care is lower than average at 215 per 100,000 against 250. This balance hints at higher clinical need—frailer clients go straight to nursing settings—while people who only need personal care may be supported elsewhere.
Community options are used a lot. Direct-payment only support stands at 71 per 100,000, well above the England rate of 55. Part direct-payment and council-managed personal budgets are also higher. These figures show that Walsall is investing in home-based help and in giving clients control over their package. Yet the absence of cases recorded under “commissioned support only” suggests either data gaps or a deliberate policy to blend personal budgets with other aid.
Figures for 2025 show small numbers but give insight into resident concerns. Requests about charging reach 9.7 per 100,000, far above the national 5.7. In a low-income area this is not surprising: people need clear guidance on what they must pay and on ways to protect limited savings. Other advice topics sit close to national norms.
The data paint a picture of a borough with a younger age profile but high demand for care once people reach later life. Deprivation, poor health and limited informal support likely drive this need. The council’s response leans towards keeping people at home, using personal budgets and only turning to nursing beds for the most complex cases. Continued pressure is probable as the total population edges up and medical advances keep frail residents alive for longer. Tighter housing and low rural space mean that home-care staff will still have short travel times, yet recruitment may remain hard in a competitive labour market.
Maintaining the current balance will require stable funding for community services, clear charging advice and strong links with the NHS to manage high-acuity cases. Without this, the gap between requests and funded packages could widen, risking unmet need among Walsall’s older citizens.
✨ ✅ ❌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 about 26,400 Walsall residents looked after a family member or friend without pay. This equals 9,288 carers for every 100,000 people, above the England rate of 8,204 per 100,000. The figure suggests that one person in ten has a caring role. High deprivation in the borough may help to explain this. Poor health often comes earlier in deprived areas, so more relatives need day-to-day help. Walsall’s crowded housing, with 2,733 people for each square kilometre, can also mean that carers live close to the person they support and take on these duties instead of paid staff.
The 2024 survey shows that only 24.3 % of local carers have as much social contact as they would like. The national picture is 29.3 %. Many carers therefore feel lonely or cut off. Loneliness may rise when caring hours are long or when travel is hard, both common in low-income households.
Just 54.6 % say that it is easy to find information about services, below the England average of 59.3 %. A lack of clear signposting, low digital access, or limited confidence can all play a part. When carers cannot find help, stress builds and their own health may suffer.
Council data for 2024 paint a mixed picture. Respite or other support given to the cared-for person but designed to help the carer stands at 130 per 100,000 residents, almost double the national rate of 70. This suggests that the council puts money into short breaks, allowing carers to rest. In contrast, only 135 people per 100,000 receive information, advice or other universal services, far below the England figure of 339. Fewer carers therefore get early, low-cost advice that could stop problems from growing. Notably, the number of carers recorded as receiving no direct support at all is 62 per 100,000, half of the national level. Some carers may be hidden from the system, or the high take-up of respite could move them out of the “no support” group.
Walsall’s mean deprivation decile is 3.8, compared with 5.9 for England, and the spread of deprivation is wide. Living in deprived, densely built areas often limits informal networks and reduces the time and money that families can spare. These factors likely feed into the low scores for social contact and information. At the same time, the small total population of around 288,700 means that even modest shifts in service supply can change per-capita rates quickly.
The data point to a clear need for better low-level support. Increasing signposting and community groups could lift both the information score and feelings of connection. Because unpaid care is more common than average, a rise in demand for respite is likely as the population ages. Planning for extra respite beds and flexible home-based breaks will help. Finally, tackling digital exclusion in deprived wards should make it easier for carers to find and use help, improving their well-being and allowing them to carry on caring for longer.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Walsall has 50 community-based adult social care services and 57 residential care homes. These numbers are lower than the average council, yet the gap narrows once population size is taken into account. With about 289,000 residents, Walsall holds around 17 community services for every 100,000 people, almost the same as the national rate of 17. However, it offers only 20 residential homes per 100,000 people, while the England figure is roughly 24. This suggests a slight shortfall in bed-based care and a stronger tilt towards support in people’s own homes. In a dense, mainly urban area where most neighbourhoods score high for deprivation, demand for local, flexible help is likely to be strong, so the current mix may reflect both policy choice and land costs. The limited residential stock, though, may force some older or disabled residents to look outside the borough for a place.
Almost one in three care providers in Walsall are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”. At 32 per cent, this share is nearly double the England average of 17 per cent. Poorer ratings can stem from many factors, but workforce strain is a frequent driver. In an area where average household income is low and need is high, providers may struggle to fund training, digital systems, or property upgrades. The result is a care market that looks sufficient in number but fragile in quality.
Staff turnover in Walsall sits at 26.7 per cent, almost identical to the regional norm, yet employers report bigger problems keeping and attracting workers. Over 70 per cent say retention is now “more” or “much more” challenging, and 81 per cent say the same for recruitment, both figures sitting a little above Midlands averages. The vacancy rate tells the wider story: 12 per cent of posts are empty, compared with 8 per cent across England. High demand for care, competition from other low-skill sectors, and travel costs inside a densely built-up borough may all play a part. Persistent gaps in staffing make it hard for services to pass inspections, which reflects back into the high share of weak ratings.
Walsall’s population density (2,733 people per km²) exceeds the England mean and only one per cent of its land is rural. Travel time between clients is therefore short, a factor that supports community-based work. At the same time, the borough’s average deprivation decile of 3.8 places it among the more deprived areas in the country. People in poorer health often need care at a younger age, adding volume and complexity to the caseload. A care market already facing staffing gaps may struggle to meet this need, which could explain why some services fall short on quality.
Walsall appears to have an adequate number of community providers, but a modest shortfall in residential capacity and clear quality concerns across both sectors. Raising care standards will hinge on stabilising the workforce: better pay, travel reimbursement, and career routes could ease the vacancy rate and improve inspection results. Given tight land supply and urban density, extra-care housing and home-first models may offer a realistic way to expand capacity without large new care homes. Targeted support for providers in the most deprived wards may also help narrow the quality gap and ensure that residents can find safe, reliable care close to home.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Walsall resident who left hospital in November 2024 went home or to a care setting judged acceptable by the Care Quality Commission. The local rate was 99.8 per cent, well above the England figure of 89 per cent. Only 10.5 per cent of discharges were delayed, against 12.3 per cent nationally, and the average wait after the planned discharge date was 0.56 days, compared with 0.7 days for England. This shows strong joint working between the hospital trust, the council and community services. Given Walsall’s high population density (2 733 people per km²) and high deprivation (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3.8, where 1 is most deprived), moving people on quickly is important for both patient flow and family wellbeing. The figures suggest that local teams have effective processes even under social and economic pressure.
In the 2024 survey, 60.4 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with the care and support they receive, slightly below the national average of 64.7 per cent. A separate question from NatCen points to 57 per cent expressing dissatisfaction, hinting that opinion is mixed and possibly polarised. The lower satisfaction may link to the area’s deprivation: residents with fewer financial or family resources often need more intensive help and may notice gaps sooner. Staff shortages, felt across many deprived urban councils, could also play a part. Yet 70.3 per cent of service users felt it was easy to find information about services, a little higher than the England rate of 68.2 per cent. Clear information can cushion the effect of service strain, though it does not fully offset concerns about the quality or amount of support received.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 3.12 cases per 100 000 residents in 2024, compared with 4.45 nationally. On the same basis, 2.42 cases were taken to a decision, against 4.12 in England. With a 2023 population of about 288 700, this is roughly nine complaints received and seven decided. The lower rate may reflect good local resolution before issues escalate, or it may show that some residents—especially in poorer neighbourhoods—feel less able to complain. Continual attention to accessible feedback routes is therefore important.
Walsall performs strongly on hospital discharge and keeps formal complaints low, even while serving a dense and deprived urban population. Residents can usually find information, but many are still unsure about the adequacy of day-to-day support. Maintaining discharge performance will need sustained investment in community health and re-ablement teams. To lift satisfaction, the council may need to focus on care worker capacity, cultural competence and consistent quality across neighbourhoods, with extra outreach in the most deprived wards. Addressing these areas would help turn good operational metrics into a better lived experience for all service users.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Walsall Council spent about £130 million on adult social care. This equals £45,150 for every 100,000 residents. The figure is 6 per cent lower than the England average of £47,758 per 100,000. When income from users and the NHS is taken away, net spending stands at £115 million, or £39,752 per 100,000 people. The national net figure is £40,472, so Walsall is only 2 per cent below the average after funding is offset.
Walsall raises far less money from client charges than most councils. Client contributions are £5,398 per 100,000 residents, 26 per cent under the England norm of £7,286. NHS transfers are even further behind: £4,367 per 100,000 against a national £7,878, a gap of 45 per cent. Because outside income is low, the council itself covers a larger share of total costs. This helps keep net spending close to the England mean but may leave less room for growth when needs rise.
Need for care in Walsall is likely to be high. The borough has a mean deprivation decile of 3.8, far below the national 5.9, and large pockets of very deprived neighbourhoods. Poverty often links to poor health, earlier onset of disability and limited family support, all of which increase calls on adult social care. At the same time, Walsall’s population has grown slowly, from 284,600 in 2019 to 288,736 in 2023, so lower spending is not driven by a falling client base. Population density is 2,733 people per square kilometre, higher than the England figure of 2,469. Dense urban areas can make home-care visits easier and cheaper, yet they also bring more complex housing and safeguarding issues.
The 6 per cent shortfall in gross spending may point to tight budgets rather than low need. Three factors might be at play. First, limited NHS pooling means fewer joint services and less money passing through the council’s books. Second, the borough collects modest fees from service users, perhaps because incomes are low or charging policies are cautious. Third, the council may have achieved some efficiency savings, helped by short travel times in a compact urban area. However, efficiencies can only go so far; if demand continues to rise, service quality or eligibility rules could come under strain.
With deprivation high and external funding streams weak, Walsall may need to explore new ways to share costs. Closer integration with the local NHS could unlock extra resources and smooth care pathways. A review of charging policies might also be warranted, though this must balance income against residents’ ability to pay. Finally, robust data on unmet need and outcomes would help judge whether the current spending level is sufficient. Without such evidence, it is hard to know if lower outlay reflects genuine efficiency or masked gaps in support.
Walsall spends slightly less than the national average on adult social care, yet serves a community with above-average need. The council is making up for low external income by funding more from its core budget, but this approach may not be sustainable. Aligning funding flows with the real level of local demand remains a key task for future planning.
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