This page provides an overview of social care in Westminster, 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: Westminster
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: Westminster
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 Westminster. 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 disability rate in Westminster is 15.9 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. A smaller share of local people therefore say they are disabled. Westminster has a young, very mobile population and a high share of healthy working-age adults. These factors usually keep the reported disability rate down. Population density is 9,514 residents per square kilometre, four times the national figure. Living at close quarters can make it easier for services to find and support people, even when the number of disabled residents is lower.
During 2024 there were 1,615 requests for care from adults aged 18–64. This is 764 requests for every 100,000 residents, well below the national rate of 1,143. Fewer requests may arise because many younger disabled residents already have support in place, or because they find other help in a large urban setting. It could also point to hidden need if some groups do not come forward.
Although the number of requests is low, 1,405 working-age adults are receiving council-funded care. That equals 664 per 100,000 people, higher than the national figure of 533. In other words, a bigger share of those who ask for help end up with a service. This suggests that the council is generous in its eligibility decisions, or that the people who do approach the council have more complex needs.
Only 25 people (12 per 100,000) live in nursing care, slightly below the national norm. Residential care is more common: 160 people (76 per 100,000) compared with 61 nationally. The city’s tight housing market may make ordinary housing hard to secure, so residential placements become a practical choice.
Most support is given in the community. Westminster funds 815 people through a council-managed personal budget, equal to 385 per 100,000 – far above the England average of 267. Direct payments, where citizens take the money and arrange their own care, are used less often than elsewhere. The mix shows a policy preference for flexible community support, while still keeping firm oversight of spending.
In 2025 small numbers of residents asked for help with assessment, care planning or charging. Enquiries about assessment (2.4 per 100,000) sit a little above average; care-plan queries (0.5) and charging issues (4.3) are lower. The picture hints at generally clear local processes, though the slightly higher rate of legal enquiries (0.9 versus 0.7) suggests that some people still struggle to understand their rights.
Westminster supports a relatively low share of disabled people but a high share of those who come forward. Services appear to be well funded, with an emphasis on personalised community support. The main risk is unmet need among groups who do not approach the council. Outreach work, especially in deprived neighbourhoods, may help. Continued investment in community-based options is also important, because high housing costs push some residents towards residential care earlier than they might wish.
Low disability prevalence, dense urban living and mid-range deprivation shape Westminster’s adult social care profile. The council is good at converting requests into active support, yet it should keep looking for residents who do not ask for help and make sure they too can benefit.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Westminster has a young age profile. In 2019 only 12.1 per cent of residents were aged 65 plus. By 2023 the share had edged up to 12.4 per cent, yet it still sits well below the national figure of about 18.5 per cent. The slow rise suggests steady ageing, but not a sudden surge in older residents. This pattern fits an inner-London borough that attracts many working-age adults and international migrants. High population density – 9,514 people per square kilometre, nearly four times the England average – also limits the number of large, age-friendly homes, which may encourage some older people to move out on retirement.
In 2024 the council recorded 3,230 requests for care from people aged 65 plus. This equals 1,527 requests per 100,000 residents, far below the England rate of 2,438. Two factors may sit behind this gap. First, the small older population cuts the absolute number of enquiries. Second, Westminster’s residents are relatively mobile and many have strong informal support networks or the means to buy help privately, so fewer approach the council. The local poverty picture is mixed: the mean deprivation decile is 5.45, slightly more deprived than the England mean of 5.9, but pockets of very high affluence and very high need sit side by side. This wide spread (standard deviation 2.51) can make some groups hard to reach, which may also depress recorded demand.
Despite the low request rate, 2,270 older residents were actually receiving long-term care in 2024, a rate of 1,073 per 100,000, fractionally above the national average of 1,003. This tells us that once older people make contact, they have a high chance of meeting eligibility rules, perhaps because those with light needs go elsewhere. It may also indicate efficient triage by the front door team, directing only the most appropriate cases to assessment.
Westminster leans strongly towards community-based support. Only 111 people per 100,000 are in nursing homes and 121 in standard residential homes, both below national norms. By contrast, 678 per 100,000 receive a council-managed personal budget for community services, well above the England figure of 508. Direct payments – full or part – are also more common locally. The shortage and cost of care-home places within the borough, coupled with a population that values independence, likely drive this profile. Community services may also be easier to arrange in a dense urban setting where home-care staff spend less time travelling.
Newer 2025 data show only small numbers of older residents seeking help with assessments, charging, or legal issues. Rates range from 0.5 to 4.3 per 100,000. While absolute numbers are tiny, they suggest that signposting systems are working or, alternatively, that people are unaware of their rights. Monitoring should continue as volumes could rise if economic pressures grow.
The ageing trend is gradual, yet Westminster should still plan for more older people. Limited space and high land values will keep residential expansion difficult, so investment in home-based care, technology, and prevention is essential. The borough should also ensure that deprived groups, hidden within otherwise affluent neighbourhoods, know how to seek support. Maintaining a strong front-door service and expanding culturally sensitive community provision will help meet future demand without over-reliance on scarce care-home beds.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Westminster had about 13,500 unpaid carers. This figure is obtained by applying the reported 6,569 carers per 100,000 residents to the mid-year population of roughly 206,000. The local rate is well below the England average of 8,204 per 100,000. A smaller proportion partly reflects the city’s young, highly mobile population; working-age migrants and students are less likely to take on long-term caring roles. High housing costs may also push families who provide most care to outer boroughs while the cared-for person remains in central London settings such as residential homes.
Only 29.4 per cent of Westminster carers said they have as much social contact as they would like, almost identical to the national figure of 29.3 per cent. Living in Europe’s most densely populated local authority (9,514 residents per km²) does not automatically protect carers from loneliness. Busy streets and expensive leisure spaces can limit genuine connection, especially for carers who cannot leave the person they support for long periods. The result is a need for affordable, local respite and community groups that fit around caring hours.
Sixty per cent of respondents felt it was easy to locate information about services, slightly above the England average of 59.3 per cent. Westminster’s broad use of digital channels and good public transport may help people reach advice centres quickly, yet the borough’s mixed deprivation profile – affluent neighbourhoods alongside some of the most deprived wards in London – means that ease of access is uneven. Carers in areas with lower digital skills or limited English language proficiency may still struggle.
Westminster’s 2024 data show a distinctive support mix. About 880 carers (416 per 100,000) receive a direct payment, almost three times the national rate. This points to a council strategy that prioritises personal choice: cash payments let carers buy the help that best suits their circumstances, an approach that fits a diverse, urban area where commercial care options are plentiful.
Other forms of support are far less common. Fewer than 150 carers rely solely on information and advice, and only around 65 receive no direct support at all, both well below national norms. Conversely, support delivered to the cared-for person, for example overnight respite, reaches only about 20 carers (9.5 per 100,000, compared with 70 nationally). Limited physical space in central London, coupled with high property costs, may restrict the availability of local respite beds, pushing carers towards cash rather than building-based services.
The current model delivers strong personalisation but risks overlooking carers who want practical breaks rather than money. Expanding affordable respite options – perhaps through block-booking beds in neighbouring boroughs – could relieve pressure on families and improve social contact scores. Maintaining clear, multilingual information channels is also vital to prevent inequity between Westminster’s wealthy and deprived communities.
Finally, the relatively low headline rate of carers should not lead to complacency. Dense, inner-city living and high employment churn may mask hidden caring roles. Continued outreach, especially in transient renter communities, will help ensure that all carers are identified and offered support that matches their needs.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Westminster has thirteen community-based adult social care services and eleven residential care homes. The national averages per local authority are about sixty-four and ninety-one. Westminster also has a smaller population than the average council, with about two hundred and twelve thousand people against a national mean of three hundred and seventy-seven thousand. When the raw figures are adjusted for population, Westminster offers roughly six community services and five residential homes per one hundred thousand residents, still below the national supply. This lower rate may reflect the borough’s very high land costs and tight urban space. The area is one of the most densely populated in the country, with over nine thousand usual residents per square kilometre compared with two thousand four hundred across England. Limited room for new buildings can make it hard to open large numbers of care settings, so providers may serve bigger caseloads or cover shorter stays.
Only 8.3 percent of Westminster’s inspected providers are rated “needs improvement” or “inadequate”, about half the England average of 16.8 percent. This suggests that, while there are fewer services, people who receive care are more likely to find it meets national standards. High quality may be helped by close links with local hospitals, good transport, and the presence of several specialist voluntary groups that often cluster in central London.
Staff turnover in 2023/24 stands at 19 percent, almost identical to the England figure. Vacancy rates are 7.7 percent, slightly lower than the national 8.4 percent. Fewer employers report difficulty keeping staff: 56 percent say retention is more challenging, compared with 68 percent across England. Recruitment also seems less strained, though still an issue, with 68 percent finding it harder to hire against 80 percent nationally. Living and travel costs in Westminster are high, yet the borough’s many transport links and cultural attractions may help pull workers in from surrounding areas, easing some pressure.
Westminster is neither strongly deprived nor strongly affluent overall, scoring 5.45 on the national deprivation decile scale where the England mean is 5.9. However, the spread of deprivation is wider than average, showing pockets of deep need beside wealthy neighbourhoods. This mix can create complex demand patterns: some residents buy private care, while others rely fully on council support. Zero rural land means services can reach clients quickly, but urban isolation and high housing costs may raise the need for community outreach and home-care visits rather than new residential beds.
The borough delivers good-quality care with a workforce that, while still under strain, copes slightly better than the national picture. The main gap is capacity. With fewer providers per resident, the council may need to extend existing services, invest in flexible community support, or develop partnerships with neighbouring boroughs. Maintaining quality will depend on continued recruitment incentives and on supporting staff with affordable travel and housing. Careful monitoring is vital, as even small rises in demand—such as the gradual rebound in population since 2021—could stretch the limited supply of places.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
The Care Quality Commission gives Westminster a score of 75 for 2024/25, well above the England mean of 64.7 and graded “Good”. This suggests that local leaders have addressed earlier gaps and are now delivering services that meet or exceed national expectations.
Almost all Westminster residents who leave hospital do so from trusts judged acceptable for quality: 98.4 % compared with 89 % nationally. Safe discharge points to effective joint work between hospitals and adult social care. However, 13.9 % of discharges are delayed, a little higher than the England figure of 12.3 %. The typical delay is shorter, at 0.61 days versus 0.70 days nationally. This pattern implies that, while delays still occur—often in dense urban systems with several providers—staff act quickly once a delay starts, limiting harm and cost.
Only 62.5 % of surveyed users say they are satisfied with their care and support, below the national 64.7 %. A separate NatCen study records 57 % dissatisfaction. In a borough where people live very close together—9 ,514 residents per square kilometre, four times the England average—demand on home-care staff can rise sharply at peak times. Wide income gaps, shown by a higher deprivation spread than average, may also mean that expectations differ across neighbourhoods, pulling overall satisfaction down even when objective quality is good.
Finding advice and guidance appears slightly easier in Westminster: 69.7 % of service users report that information is easy to obtain, compared with 68.2 % across England. Digital literacy is often higher in inner-city areas, and the council’s online offer seems to help residents understand their options, partly offsetting lower care satisfaction.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 4.26 cases per 100,000 residents in 2024, just below the national rate of 4.45. Yet 4.73 cases per 100,000 reached a decision stage, above the England mean of 4.12. Fewer complaints overall but more that need formal judgment may indicate that simple issues are resolved locally, while complex cases move through the full process. Learning from these decisions could further raise the CQC score.
Westminster’s population is smaller than the average local authority but has risen since 2020 and is highly mobile. Moderate deprivation (mean decile 5.45) mixed with very affluent areas creates contrasting needs across short distances. This complexity, combined with dense housing and no rural space, puts pressure on care staff, transport, and housing-based support.
The borough’s above-average quality rating shows clear progress, yet user satisfaction lags behind. Priorities now include trimming the proportion of delayed discharges while keeping delay length low, spreading best practice in person-centred care, and using lessons from Ombudsman rulings to strengthen frontline decision-making. Continued investment in clear information, rapid reablement teams, and culturally sensitive engagement is likely to improve both experience and outcomes in the next assessment cycle.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Westminster spent about £101 million on adult social care. This is equal to £47,989 for every 100,000 people, a little above the England figure of £47,758. After income from clients and the NHS is taken off, the net cost to the council is around £92 million, or £43,826 per 100,000 people. Councils across England spend £40,472 per 100,000, so Westminster’s net spend is noticeably higher.
Westminster is an inner-London borough with very high land and wage costs. Care workers travel through busy streets and often work in costly buildings. These factors push up the price of each service and help to explain the slightly higher gross spend.
The gap grows once we look at money the council gets back. Client charges bring in only £4,163 per 100,000 people, almost half the national rate of £7,286. Many older residents with high assets arrange and pay for their own care, so they never appear in council accounts. Others who do seek help may face high living costs and can pay little. Because of this, Westminster must cover more of the bill from its own budget.
NHS contributions stand at £8,093 per 100,000, a little above the England figure of £7,878. This points to good joint work on hospital discharge and re-ablement. Even so, extra NHS money does not fully fill the gap left by low client income, so the council’s net spend stays high.
Westminster’s population is smaller than the average English council but is growing slowly. The city is less deprived on average, yet deprivation varies widely from street to street. Some residents are very wealthy, while others live in deep poverty. This mix creates both very low and very high care needs, making planning harder.
With 9,514 people per square kilometre, Westminster is one of the most crowded areas in the country. Travel distances are short, but many clients live in tall buildings with limited space for equipment. Providers also face high rents. These urban pressures add to costs and support the need for higher spending.
The figures show a council that must invest more than average to maintain services in an expensive setting. Because client income is low, Westminster relies heavily on its own funds and on NHS support. Any cut in central grant could therefore place services at risk. The council could look at ways to collect fair client charges and make full use of pooled funds with the NHS to protect care.
No data on recent budget cuts is available, and it is unclear whether present funding will meet future demand. Clearer public information would help residents and decision-makers judge the long-term future of social care in Westminster.
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