This page provides an overview of social care in Wandsworth, along with key metrics that could affect social care. Understanding these metrics is important because they help contextualise the challenges with social care provision in each local authority. These statistics are important to keep in mind when reviewing the other pages.
Why are these metrics important? Population size and density can affect the demand for social care services. For example, if a local authority has a high population (relative to other areas), it may need to allocate more resources to meet care needs. Similarly, areas with high population density may require more care services due to the increased number of people living in close proximity. Inversely, areas with a low population density may have fewer care needs, but residents may face challenges accessing services due to the distance between them. Lastly, people in rural areas might live further away from services, which can impact their ability to access care, or make it more expensive to provide.
Understanding these metrics can help local authorities plan and allocate resources effectively.
Deprivation decile is a measure of the level of deprivation in a local authority. It is calculated by ranking areas in England from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived) based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A higher decile indicates lower levels of deprivation, while a lower decile suggests higher levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation levels can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Wandsworth
Deprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Wandsworth
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 Wandsworth. 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 of disability is 14.9 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. This lower share fits with Wandsworth’s young, mobile population and its high housing costs, which often push older or poorer residents elsewhere. The borough is also less deprived than most areas (mean deprivation decile 6.2 against the national 5.9). These factors usually go with better health and therefore fewer people reporting a long-term condition. The picture may not show hidden need, for example among private renters who move often and do not register with local services.
In 2024, 2,900 working-age adults asked the council for care or support. That is 875 requests for every 100,000 residents, one quarter below the England rate of 1,143. Fewer requests match the lower disability figure, yet they also suggest that some people may rely on informal help or private services, both more common in affluent areas.
Wandsworth supports 1,675 adults aged 18-64, or 505 per 100,000 people. This is only a little below the national 533 per 100,000, so once someone asks for help they are almost as likely to receive it as elsewhere.
Only 12 per 100,000 receive nursing care, slightly under the England rate (14). Residential care sits at 63 per 100,000, a touch above the average (61). Community-based care dominates:
• 302 per 100,000 get a council-managed personal budget, higher than the national 267.
• 80 per 100,000 use a direct payment only, well below the England figure of 122.
• 44 per 100,000 mix direct payments with commissioned care, again under the national 48.
The reliance on council-managed budgets may point to limited take-up of direct payments. This could arise from a transient population with less time to organise care themselves, or from a local market short of personal assistants. Encouraging direct payments, together with better information, may give disabled residents more choice.
Request numbers are small, yet a pattern is clear. People ask most often about charging (7.2 per 100,000), above the England norm (5.7). Queries on assessment, care planning, or safeguarding are close to national rates. Extra clarity on charging rules could ease this pressure.
Wandsworth is dense (9,560 residents per km², four times the England average). High density can help community services reach clients quickly, but it also raises housing and workforce costs. There is no rural hinterland, so travel barriers are limited.
The borough has fewer disabled people than most places, yet those who need help receive support levels near the national norm. Priorities should therefore be:
• Find hidden need among renters and new arrivals.
• Grow the supply of personal assistants so more residents can use direct payments.
• Provide clearer advice on care charges.
• Keep an eye on residential placements; if numbers rise further, look at early community interventions.
By acting on these points, the council can ensure that disability support stays fair and sustainable in a fast-changing, high-cost urban area.
✨ ✅ ❌Older People
Just like with Working Age people, knowing how many older people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of the population is 65+ helps understand need and social care provision at a top level.
Jamaican female, blind and in her 40s. She was in an emergency Bed & Breakfast with her Niece, who acts as her unofficial carer, she is unable to work but would like to go to University. She is receiving PIP but not the Daily Living Allowance which she applied for in June 2021. She is vulnerable and has a history of self harm so was assigned a rehab Support Worker. Vanessa supported her using the Chatbot to chase up her PIP Daily Living allowance application, after waiting for several months and they received a reply within a week but was awarded the lower rate.
Another Chatbot letter was sent to request an urgent assessment due to her vulnerability and this was action quickly by the LA. Vanessa also supported her to use the chatbot and ask the Social worker to be moved to a place that supports her needs and rights. As she was having to use a shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen in a place with drug/alcohol abusers and being blind with no carer, this left her vulnerable. The Chatbot was used again to raise this issue and after a few weeks she was successfully moved to a private property in another area.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
As above, it is important to see what type of care older people are being provided because it can help explain where additional work is needed.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The share of residents aged 65 and over is rising slowly. It moved from 9.2 per cent in 2019 to 9.9 per cent in 2023. England as a whole is almost twice as old, with around 18 per cent of people in this age band. The borough therefore still has a young age profile, helped by high housing costs, a large student and professional population, and very little rural land.
Because total population has stayed close to 330,000, the actual number of older residents is now about 33,000. This is small next to many places, yet it is growing. Local services will have to plan for steady, not sudden, pressure from ageing.
In 2024 the council recorded 4,495 requests for support from people aged 65+. This equals 1,356 requests per 100,000 residents, far below the national rate of 2,438. Two explanations stand out. First, there are simply fewer older people who might need help. Second, Wandsworth is slightly better-off than average (mean deprivation decile 6.2). Better health, family support or the means to buy help privately may keep demand on the council low. The gap could also signal unmet need if some residents find it hard to approach services in a fast-moving, densely built borough.
The number of older residents in long-term council-funded care was 2,260 in 2024. That is 682 per 100,000 residents, against an England mean of 1,003. The pattern is uneven:
Nursing home use (100 per 100,000) and residential home use (91 per 100,000) are both lower than average. In contrast, wholly self-directed community care (69 per 100,000) is slightly above the norm. This suggests a clear policy or cultural preference for care at home, backed by direct payments. Good transport links, high population density and a strong voluntary sector can make home support easier to organise than in rural areas.
However, community care arranged by the council alone (401 per 100,000) still sits below the England figure of 508. If the borough wants to keep more residents living at home, it may need to raise this offer as the older group grows.
Very early 2025 numbers on advice and assessment requests remain low. For example, only 1.2 enquiries per 100,000 relate to assessments, against a mean of 1.7. Variations are small and sample sizes tiny, so firm conclusions would be risky, yet they fit the wider picture of modest demand on official services.
Low service use cannot be read as low need alone. Wandsworth has high population turnover, many private renters and no rural isolation, factors that can hide need or push it into private markets. At the same time the borough is less deprived than average, and healthier older people may postpone heavy care until very late life. The steady rise in the share of older residents means that current spare capacity could disappear within a decade.
Planning should keep three points in mind. First, the older population is still small but growing, so scaling community services gradually is sensible. Second, support should stay focused on home-based help, as this already aligns with local preference and urban form. Third, the council should keep testing whether low demand masks unmet need, perhaps by working with GPs, housing associations and community groups to reach isolated residents who may not use digital channels or who fund care themselves until a crisis occurs.
✨ ✅ ❌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 the council recorded about 5,392 unpaid carers for every 100,000 residents. With a local population of roughly 328,000, this equals around 18,000 people who look after a friend or relative. The England rate was 8,204 per 100,000, so Wandsworth lists far fewer carers than most areas. This gap may reflect the borough’s younger age profile, its high housing costs that limit multigenerational living, and the fast turnover of residents in a dense inner-city setting. It might also show that some carers are hidden and do not tell services about their role.
Thirty point eight percent of local carers said in 2024 that they had as much social contact as they wanted, a little above the national figure of 29.3 percent. Living in a compact borough with 9,560 people per square kilometre can make it easier to see friends, use public transport, and join community groups, so day-to-day isolation may be lower than elsewhere.
Sixty percent of carers said it was easy to find information about services, almost the same as the England average of 59.3 percent. The result suggests that signposting is working reasonably well, yet four in ten carers still struggle, so there is room for clearer, simpler advice.
The mix of formal help offered to carers is different from the national picture. Direct payments, at 75 per 100,000 residents, are only half the England rate of 150. Personal budgets managed by the council and combined packages were not reported, so either they are not widely used or the data were not supplied. Information and advice services reach 193 per 100,000, below the national 339, which may help to explain why many carers still find it hard to navigate support.
By contrast, respite or other support given to the person cared for is high at 175 per 100,000, more than double the England figure of 70. The borough therefore leans towards giving the carer a break rather than handing them cash or a budget to arrange help themselves. Only 14 per 100,000 carers received no direct support, far below the national 130, showing that most people who come to the council’s attention do get something.
Wandsworth’s carers appear slightly better connected and better served than average, yet their numbers are low relative to the size of the borough. Services may need to look harder for people who do not self-identify, especially among new arrivals and minority groups. Boosting advice services and widening the offer of direct payments could give carers more choice and control, while maintaining the strong respite programme that seems well suited to life in a high-density urban area. Continued outreach will help ensure that hidden carers are found, supported, and able to stay healthy in a borough that depends on them.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Wandsworth has 34 community-based adult social care services and 29 residential care services. With a 2023 population of about 331,000, this works out at roughly 10 community services and 9 residential homes for every 100,000 residents. The national averages are around 17 and 24 per 100,000 residents. In other words, people in Wandsworth have access to a smaller number of separate providers than people in most parts of England.
The borough is very dense (9,560 residents per km²) and entirely urban. Short travel distances make it easier for one provider to reach many clients, so the local market can function with fewer organisations. High land and property costs may also deter small residential operators, pushing provision towards larger units or community-based support.
Only 3.1 % of registered care providers in Wandsworth are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, far below the England figure of 16.8 %. This suggests a strong focus on quality, good local commissioning, and effective oversight. A tighter market may also create stronger competition, encouraging providers to maintain higher standards to keep contracts and fill beds.
Staff turnover in 2023/24 is 19.0 %, almost identical to the national level, while the vacancy rate stands at 8.4 %, again in line with England as a whole. However, the share of employers who say retaining staff is “more” or “much more” difficult is 56 %, 12 percentage points below the national result. The picture is similar for recruitment challenges (68 % versus 80 %). These figures point to a workforce that is under pressure, but slightly less so than elsewhere.
Urban travel links, a younger labour pool and lower overall deprivation (average decile 6.2 compared with 5.9 nationally) may help employers attract and keep workers. At the same time, housing costs in inner London remain a risk: even modest vacancy and turnover rates can rise quickly if pay fails to keep up with living expenses.
The small number of providers, high quality ratings and relatively stable workforce appear inter-related. Fewer organisations mean commissioners can build closer relationships with managers and focus support on improvement. Consistent staffing, in turn, underpins good inspection results. Nevertheless, limited spare capacity leaves little room for error; the closure of even one large home could reduce residential places by several percentage points.
The borough should continue to monitor market capacity, especially for residential care, where provision per head is only a third of the national level. Rising demand from an ageing population could strain the current model. Encouraging new community providers, supporting flexible home-care models and working with housing planners to secure sites for modern care homes would create headroom.
Maintaining workforce stability will also be key. Local initiatives that link care roles to affordable housing, public transport discounts or training pathways can offset the cost pressures of living in a dense, high-rent area and keep turnover low.
Wandsworth delivers good-quality adult social care with a lean provider base and a workforce that is coping slightly better than average. The challenge is to build future capacity without losing the strengths that come from tight local networks and close oversight.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
About 331,000 people live in Wandsworth, a little below the average English local authority. The borough is very crowded, with 9,560 residents per square kilometre, almost four times the national figure. Deprivation is lower than in many places (mean decile 6.2 against 5.9), yet pockets of need still exist. These factors shape the way care is planned and delivered.
Almost all hospital discharges in November 2024 were to “acceptable” trusts (99.3 per cent compared with 89 per cent nationally). This suggests strong links between the council and its partner hospitals. However, 15.1 per cent of discharges were delayed, above the England average of 12.3 per cent. Dense housing and heavy traffic may slow down home-care set-up and transport, raising the risk of delay even when the overall pathway is safe. The mean length of each delay was 0.69 days, virtually the same as the national 0.70, so problems appear to affect more people rather than lasting longer for each person. Targeted work with community providers could lower the number of cases held up at the last minute.
In the 2024 survey 64.8 per cent of respondents said they were satisfied with their care and support. This is in line with the England score of 64.7 per cent and shows that, despite pressure on services, most residents feel needs are met. A separate NatCen study recorded 57 per cent dissatisfaction; the difference hints at rising expectations in an area with relatively low deprivation. Clearer public messages about what adult social care can and cannot provide may help narrow this gap.
Finding information seems easier in Wandsworth than elsewhere. Three quarters of service users (74.1 per cent) said it was easy to locate advice, six points above the national figure. Good digital access in an urban borough is likely to help, but high ethnic and linguistic diversity means continued work on outreach, translation and face-to-face support is still important.
The council received 3.62 complaints per 100,000 residents in 2024, lower than the England rate of 4.45. Decisions on complaints were likewise fewer (3.92 versus 4.12 per 100,000). Given the high population density, this low level may point to effective local resolution before cases reach the Ombudsman. It may also reflect the stronger satisfaction and information scores noted above.
Wandsworth performs well on the quality of discharge destinations, user satisfaction, access to information and complaint handling. The main risk area is the higher proportion of delayed discharges. Population pressure and the fast turnover typical of inner London increase demand on re-ablement, equipment services and transport. Addressing these pinch points could release hospital beds and further lift user experience.
Continued investment in clear communication and quick local dispute resolution should keep complaint rates low. Monitoring satisfaction through more than one survey source will help the council understand whether expectations are shifting and which groups feel least well served. Overall, the figures show steady quality, with specific operational issues that can be tackled through focused partnership work.
✨ ✅ ❌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 the financial year 2024 Wandsworth Council spent about £121 million on adult social care. This equals £36,613 for every 100,000 residents. After taking income from clients, the net cost falls to about £107 million, or £32,296 per 100,000 people.
The English average gross spend is £47,758 per 100,000 people, around a third higher than in Wandsworth. A similar gap is seen for net spend. Client contributions in the borough are £4,317 per 100,000, whereas the national figure is £7,286. NHS contributions are also below average (£6,520 against £7,878).
Several local factors help explain the lower per-capita outlay. Wandsworth has a young, mobile population by London standards and a high density of 9,560 residents per square kilometre. A younger age mix means fewer people with high-cost care packages, while compact geography reduces travel time for home-care staff and allows greater use of nearby community services. The borough is a little less deprived than the England average (mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 6.2 versus 5.9), which can further limit demand for intensive support.
Because fewer residents need formal care, the council collects less in client fees, so the gap between gross and net spend is narrower than elsewhere. Lower NHS contributions suggest that fewer local packages are jointly funded, again consistent with a population that has less complex health needs.
Although per-capita spending is modest, the large population—about 331,000 people—means the council still manages a sizeable budget. This scale can create economies of scale in commissioning and make it easier to trial new models of care; however, it also raises expectations for service reach and quality.
The fall in population seen between 2019 and 2021 has begun to reverse. If numbers continue to climb, demand could rise faster than the current budget. Housing costs are high, and recruitment of home-care staff in inner London remains difficult, so even a moderate rise in need might strain resources.
Lower income from clients and below-average NHS transfers mean the council relies heavily on its core grant. Statements about uncertainty in government funding suggest that future settlements may not fully reflect local growth or inflation, increasing the risk of unmet need.
Keeping spending sustainable will require continued focus on prevention and early help. Dense neighbourhoods support group services, digital monitoring and rapid response teams, all of which can delay or avoid costlier residential care. Strong links with local NHS trusts will be vital to secure a larger share of joint funding, especially for older adults with complex conditions. Finally, transparent financial planning, shared with residents and providers, will build trust at a time when national allocations are still unclear.
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