This page provides an overview of social care in Warwickshire, 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: North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwick
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: North Warwickshire, Nuneaton and Bedworth, Rugby, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwick
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 Warwickshire. 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
About 16.7 % of Warwickshire residents describe themselves as disabled after age-standardisation. The England average is 17.6 %. This small gap hints that disability is slightly less common in the county. Warwickshire is fairly rural, with only 302 people per square kilometre, and has mid-range deprivation. A spread-out population can support healthier living but can also hide need, because services are farther away.
In 2024, 2,350 working-age adults (18–64) asked the council for care or support. This equals 380 requests for every 100,000 residents in that age band, far below the national rate of 1,143. Fewer requests can signal better general health, good informal support, or barriers to access. Rural travel, limited public transport and low awareness of rights may all lower the number of contacts.
2,515 working-age adults received long-term care during 2024. The rate, 407 per 100,000, again sits under the England figure of 533 per 100,000. Warwickshire therefore supports a smaller share of its disabled working-age population through formal services.
Nursing home use (16.2 per 100,000) is slightly above the England mean of 13.8. This suggests that when care is provided it can be for people with high medical needs. Residential placements are close to the national picture. Community options look different:
• Only 94 per 100,000 use community support paid fully by a direct payment, and 30 per 100,000 use a part direct payment. Both rates trail the national means.
• Council-managed personal budgets in the community reach 210 per 100,000, again lower than England (267).
Lower take-up of direct payments may point to limited brokerage services, low confidence among clients, or fewer local providers that accept personal budgets.
During 2025 the council logged very small numbers of requests for advice or assessment. For example, only 7 people per year (1.13 per 100,000) asked for help with an assessment, while the national rate is 1.72. All six advisory categories sit under the England average, with information-seeking requests less than half of the norm. This pattern strengthens the idea that potential service users may not be reaching the front door of social care.
Population growth of almost 6 % since 2019 will raise future demand. Yet present service contact remains low. The county’s mostly rural character and moderate deprivation can create hidden pockets of need. Some disabled people may rely on family or voluntary groups; others may give up because formal help feels distant. The slightly higher use of nursing care shows that those who do enter the system may already have complex conditions.
Warwickshire may wish to:
• Strengthen outreach, especially in villages and small towns, so that disabled people know how to ask for support early.
• Expand travel and digital solutions to cut the distance between residents and assessment teams.
• Promote direct payments through clear advice and local peer networks, giving disabled adults more control.
• Track demand yearly; if requests start to rise in line with population growth, resources will need to follow.
In short, disability is slightly less common in Warwickshire, but the bigger story is limited contact with adult social care. Better access and more flexible support could stop later, costlier need.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Warwickshire is growing. The county had about 584,000 residents in 2019 and almost 618,000 in 2023. The share of people aged 65 + stayed near 20.6 % over those five years. England stayed closer to 18–19 %. In other words, one person in five in Warwickshire is already an older person, and that share is not falling even while the total population rises. The county is mainly rural, with only 302 residents per square kilometre, and has a little less deprivation than the England average. Rural, pleasant areas often attract older adults who can choose where to live, so the age mix is unlikely to get younger soon.
In 2024 about 11,470 people aged 65 + asked the council for support. This equals 1,857 requests for every 100,000 residents, well below the national rate of 2,438. Two ideas may explain this gap. First, many older residents may be able to pay for their own care, so they do not enter the council system. Second, living in scattered villages can make it harder to find or reach council services, so some need may stay hidden. The low number of older people who asked for advice on legal issues, complaints, or information (all under 1.2 per 100,000 in 2025) points in the same direction. People may not know what is on offer or may solve problems in other ways.
Even though requests are lower, the rate of people who do receive long-term support, 1,024 per 100,000, is a little higher than the England mean of 1,003. This suggests that once someone reaches the social care “front door” in Warwickshire the chance of being found eligible is high. The mix of services also tells a story. Residential care use is 313 per 100,000, clearly above the national 250, and nursing home use is also slightly higher. Direct payments and mixed packages in the community are lower than average. Providing regular home care in a wide rural area is costly and can be hard to staff, so moving into a care home may look more practical to families and to the council. However, home-based care usually costs less than a residential placement in the long term, so the present pattern may press budgets in coming years as the older population grows.
The stable but high share of older residents, together with steady inward migration and low deprivation, points to a population that is living longer and often has resources of its own. Yet the data suggest unmet or unseen need: fewer people ask for help, but a high share are found to need formal care when they do. A rural setting, light deprivation, and possible self-funding may delay contact with services until needs become complex, which then leads to more residential placements.
Keeping pace with future demand will need a stronger community offer. Mobile support teams, good transport links, and clear advice services could help older residents stay at home for longer. Encouraging direct payments or personal budgets may also widen choice in areas where few providers operate. With the older population already above the national norm and still rising in absolute terms, planning for workforce, housing adaptation, and early-help information should start now to keep care both safe and sustainable.
✨ ✅ ❌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 49,700 residents in Warwickshire gave unpaid care. This equals 8,283 carers for every 100,000 people, a little above the England rate of 8,204 per 100,000. Warwickshire’s population is growing (584,000 in 2019 to almost 618,000 in 2023) and is spread across a large rural area. Living far from formal services often means families step in, so a slightly higher share of carers is expected.
Only 24.2 % of local carers said they have as much social contact as they would like, five percentage points below the national average. Long travel times, limited public transport and the day-to-day demands of caring can make meeting friends hard, especially in a county where four in five residents live in rural or semi-rural places. Lower contact raises the risk of loneliness, stress and poor mental health, so this figure should concern service planners.
Just over half of carers (54.1 %) felt it is easy to find information about support, again below the England figure of 59.3 %. Because information hubs are often in larger towns, carers in villages may depend on good digital links or outreach work. Any gaps in broadband coverage or digital skills will therefore hit Warwickshire harder than a more urban area.
Service data for 2024 shows a heavy tilt towards “no direct support” for the carer (465 per 100,000, more than three times the national rate). By contrast:
- Direct payments to carers: 68 per 100,000 (England 150).
- Information, advice and signposting: 82 per 100,000 (England 339).
- Respite or other breaks delivered to the cared-for person: 26 per 100,000 (England 70).
Several other forms of personal budget support were not recorded at all. Taken together, the figures suggest that Warwickshire relies more on carers managing without funded help. This aligns with the low satisfaction in social contact and the difficulty in finding information. Where formal offers are limited or unclear, carers may withdraw, accept informal help only, or feel they must cope alone.
Only two safeguarding cases coded “UT1 – Carers” were recorded in 2025 (0.32 per 100,000, England 0.75). The very small number may mean effective early help, but it could also indicate under-reporting if carers are not known to services.
Warwickshire scores better than average on the Index of Multiple Deprivation (mean decile around 7). Lower deprivation normally reduces care needs, yet the county still has more carers per head than England. This reinforces the idea that geography, age profile and service design, rather than poverty alone, shape demand.
With a rising, dispersed population and a high share of carers, Warwickshire needs to widen access to direct payments, respite and advice. Mobile or digital outreach, stronger community transport and local peer groups could lift social contact. Clearer signposting and proactive identification may also bring hidden carers into view before they reach crisis.
Warwickshire depends heavily on unpaid carers yet gives them less direct help than is typical. Improving practical and emotional support is likely to boost carer wellbeing and, in turn, sustain the wider health and care system.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Warwickshire has 97 community-based adult care services and 166 residential homes. These numbers are well above the average local authority count (63.8 and 91). Yet Warwickshire also has a larger population, now about 618,000. When we set the figures beside population, the county has around 15.7 community services and 26.9 residential homes per 100,000 people. The typical council has about 16.9 and 24.1. In other words, Warwickshire offers slightly fewer community services per head but a little more residential capacity. The rural nature of the county (77 % rural land) may explain the pattern: many small towns require their own care homes because long journeys are hard for frail residents, while some community services may cover wide areas rather than sit in every village.
18.3 % of local providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with 16.8 % nationally. The gap is modest but it still means almost one in five services needs support. Distance between sites, limited public transport and a labour market that pulls staff towards nearby cities could make it harder to keep quality consistent. The county is only mid-range on deprivation, so high poverty is not the main driver. Instead, geography and staffing look more important.
The staff turnover rate in the wider West Midlands is 26.7 %, virtually the same as the England figure. However, 70 % of Midlands employers say it is “more” or “much more” difficult to keep staff, slightly above the national view (68 %). Recruitment feels even harder: 81 % report increased difficulty versus 79.8 % across England. Rural travel time, relatively low public transport, and competition from retail and hospitality in nearby urban areas may all limit the pool of workers willing to take care roles.
Despite these worries, the recorded vacancy rate in Warwickshire is 6.2 %, below the national 8.4 %. Providers seem able to fill posts, but comments on recruitment stress suggest this takes more effort, perhaps by using flexible hours or drawing on part-time workers. Lower vacancies can hold down overtime costs, yet they do not solve turnover. Constant recruitment cycles can still affect training time and, therefore, quality.
The county’s growing and ageing population will push demand higher. Residential supply per head is already above average, so expansion may be needed mainly in home-based services to let people stay in rural communities longer. Targeted quality-improvement work, such as shared training, coaching visits and digital care planning, could help the 18 % of weaker services. Workforce action should focus on travel support, clearer career routes, and links with local colleges to keep new staff in the area.
In short, Warwickshire holds a broad provider base and a comparatively low vacancy level, yet faces persistent challenges around quality and staff stability. Addressing these now will protect capacity and standards as the population continues to rise.
✨ ✅ ❌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 all Warwickshire residents leave hospital from providers that the Care Quality Commission rates as at least “acceptable” (99.8 %, England 89 %). This shows strong joint work between the local NHS and adult social care. Yet 21.2 % of those discharges are delayed, far above the national rate of 12.3 %, and the average wait is 1.34 days, double the England mean of 0.7 days. A large, mostly rural county with only 302 people per km² has longer travel times and fewer nearby care homes than dense urban areas; this can slow the search for the right place or staff. The population has grown by about 6 % since 2019, adding demand that may outpace community capacity and push up delay figures. The message is clear: the quality of clinical care is high, but flow through the system needs fresh attention, especially in remote villages.
Day-to-day satisfaction is a major strength. In 2024, 88.3 % of local survey respondents said they were satisfied with the care and support they receive, well above the England average of 64.7 %. Only 3.08 Ombudsman cases per 100,000 residents reached either “received” or “decided” stage, against national rates of 4.45 and 4.12. Fewer formal complaints alongside high satisfaction suggests that frontline services listen and respond early. Residents do report slightly more difficulty finding information: 67.5 % find it easy, just under the national 68.2 %. For a county where three quarters of the land is rural, digital coverage and clear sign-posting of services are likely factors. Improving this single step could raise satisfaction even further and help reduce avoidable delays.
The contrasting figures—very good personal experience but slow hospital discharge—point to where improvement effort now matters most. People value the care once it is in place. The challenge lies in making that care available fast enough when needs change. Warwickshire is moderately less deprived than England on average, yet the standard deviation of local deprivation scores is also lower than the national one, meaning fewer pockets of extreme need. This may explain why overall satisfaction is high: relative affluence and lower deprivation can ease pressure on social care budgets and staff morale. However, those same rural and ageing communities may require more home visits, longer travel, and flexible transport, all of which can extend discharge times.
First, strengthen discharge pathways. Closer real-time planning with community nursing teams and care home providers in outlying areas could cut the average delay. Second, invest in information access. Simple online directories, mobile-friendly booking, and outreach in rural libraries can lift the “easy to find information” score and may prevent crises that end in delayed transfers. Third, keep a close eye on population growth. Each year Warwickshire adds around 10,000 residents, many in new housing on the edge of market towns. Building extra care schemes and supporting home-care staff recruitment in these growth zones will help keep satisfaction high and reduce reliance on hospital beds.
In summary, Warwickshire offers high-quality, well-liked adult social care, but travel distance, growing demand, and limited rural capacity slow movement out of hospital. Focusing improvement work on discharge logistics and information access should bring the county’s timeliness up to the same strong standard already shown in clinical quality and user satisfaction.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
✨ ✅ ❌?
Warwickshire’s gross adult social care bill is about £45,024 for every 100,000 residents. With a population close to 618,000, this equals roughly £278 million. After income is taken away, net spending falls to about £34,673 per 100,000, or £214 million in cash terms.
The county spends six per cent less than the national average on a gross basis (£45,024 v £47,758 per 100,000). Once income is removed the gap widens to fourteen per cent (£34,673 v £40,472). The reason lies in who else is paying. Service users in Warwickshire contribute £10,351 per 100,000 people, forty-two per cent above the England norm of £7,286. By contrast the local NHS puts in only £5,495 per 100,000, a third below the national figure of £7,878.
Warwickshire is largely rural (about 77 per cent of land area) and a little less deprived than England as a whole. More residents therefore have savings or housing wealth that takes them above the means-test limit; this fits with the high level of client contributions. Stronger client payments mean the council can hold its own net budget down, even though the underlying cost of delivering care across a wide rural area is usually higher.
The lower NHS contribution may stem from fewer jointly funded care packages or slower development of integrated discharge services. This matters because every pound of NHS support that is not secured must be found either by the council or by residents themselves.
The population has risen from 584,000 in 2019 to about 618,000 in 2023, yet per-person spending has not moved above national levels. If Warwickshire’s age profile is getting older—common in rural counties—under-spending could translate into unmet need, hidden family care, or shorter visit times. Travel distances also raise provider costs, so low net spending suggests tight commissioning or limited supply rather than straightforward efficiency alone.
Keeping services sustainable may require three linked actions. First, work with the NHS to lift joint funding, especially for re-ablement and dementia support. Second, test whether rural villages face systematic gaps in home-care hours or specialist provision. Third, give clearer public information on care charges, so households understand why they are asked to contribute more than people elsewhere. Without these steps the current model risks widening inequality between residents who can pay and those who cannot, even in a county that looks relatively prosperous on paper.
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