This page provides an overview of social care in Westmorland and Furness, 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.
NULLDeprivation 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.
NULLDeprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
Many people want care, some receive care, but a significant number go without. What types of care are being requested? What care is actually provided? This section explores the gap between need and provision, the types of care available, and how our own data contributes to the understanding of these challenges.
Access Social Care and other Helplines providers are working to bridge this gap by providing free legal support to people who are struggling to access social care services. This first chart illustrates the types of calls we are getting.
The rest of this page distingushes between the different types of care provided to Working Age People and Older People, as we are able to disaggregate at a greater level of granularity.
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
This plot shows a breakdown of the types of requests for assistance received by Access Social Care and other helplines. Understanding the themes of these calls can identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to housing may indicate a need for more affordable housing options, while a high number of calls related to social care assessments may suggest a need for improved access to care services. The request types are:
Assessments: An assessment is a meeting or form to find out what help someone needs with daily tasks.
Care Plan: A care plan is a written agreement that lists the support you’ll get and who to contact if things change.
Carers: Carers are people who help a disabled or ill person with daily tasks.
Charging: Charging refers to checking if you can afford to pay for some of your care based on your savings.
Information Seeking: Information seeking means getting advice about available care options.
Legal Issues and Complaints: Legal issues and complaints involve reporting problems with your care to the council or an ombudsman.
Safeguarding: Safeguarding is protecting people from abuse or neglect.
Of course, high numbers also mean that people know where to call, and this number can be impacted by advocacy efforts. As a counterpoint, areas with low numbers may indicate a lack of awareness of available services or a need for more outreach to connect people with support.
To protect privacy, our minimum bin size is 5, which means that if we field 1-5 queries on a topic, we display 5.
Are you a helpline and would like to combine data resources? Let us know!
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
Working Age People
Knowing how many people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of people are disabled helps understand need and social care provision at a top level. For example, a high number of people requesting care may indicate a need for additional resources or services, while a low number of people receiving care may suggest a gap in service provision. Understanding these metrics can help identify areas where additional support may be needed.
MW was diagnosed with Functional Chronic Pain, she cannot walk without support, she holds on to her furniture to move around the house. She uses a wheelchair, especially when she goes out, with support from friends and family. She lives on second floor with 5 flights because of the way the building is designed and there is no lift. She never goes out because of the difficulties she experiences with the stairs. She needs help with cooking, cleaning, shopping and showering. She relies on friends and her mum who has knee replacement.
She was referred by the Social Prescriber who referred her onto also referred her to Croydon Adult Support, they told her they are short of staff to allocate her a social worker, so she was placed on a long waiting list. MW case still hadn’t progressed until the Social Prescriber, who had been recently trained on the Care Act, referred her to Access Social Care’s free legal Chatbot letter clinic.
The legal clinic volunteer completed a letter to Croydon Council with MW within a week which was sent to Adult Social Services. Access Social Care then called her after two weeks to complete a follow up survey. MW informed them that she had had an assessment and was waiting to hear back from Croydon following the panel meeting. Social Services has now done the assessment after which the panel offered MW 9 hours of social care support.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
This plot shows the types of care provided to working-age people in Westmorland and Furness. 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 exact share of disabled residents is not recorded in the table, but the England average sits at 17.6 percent. Local social-care activity therefore gives the best guide to need. Westmorland and Furness has a small and slowly growing population – about 228,000 people in 2023, roughly 40 percent below the average local-authority size. Per-capita figures are therefore an essential lens.
In 2024 the council received 1,900 requests from adults aged 18-64. This equals 833 requests per 100,000 residents, well below the national rate of 1,143. Fewer requests can mean lower underlying need, but it can also point to hidden demand. Westmorland and Furness is rural and dispersed, so residents may have to travel far or rely on digital routes to contact the authority. Distance, poor public transport or limited advice services could all suppress the number of formal approaches.
A total of 1,155 working-age adults were in long-term care during 2024, or 506 per 100,000 population. This is slightly under the England figure of 533. The gap is smaller than for requests, suggesting that once people reach the system they are as likely as elsewhere to get help. The conversion from request to service therefore appears efficient, but the low entry rate still limits overall coverage.
Westmorland and Furness shows a clear tilt towards personalised, community-based solutions. Direct payments that are fully self-managed stand at 112 per 100,000, just under the national average of 122, while part direct payments are higher than the benchmark (59 versus 48 per 100,000). Council-managed personal budgets in the community are also slightly above average. In contrast, only 4 residents per 100,000 rely solely on council-commissioned community support, one-thirteenth of the national norm. Nursing and residential placements are modestly below national levels too.
This pattern suggests proactive use of the Care Act personalisation agenda. Giving people more control can improve satisfaction and fit well with a scattered settlement pattern, because care can be organised around local networks rather than fixed services. However, the very low use of commissioned support may expose gaps for those who cannot, or do not wish to, manage their own package. Ensuring choice across all options, especially for people with complex conditions, remains important.
Demand is lower than average, yet population ageing will eventually push numbers up. Early action to improve information, advice and outreach in rural communities could uncover unmet need before crises develop. The council’s focus on personal budgets should continue, but it needs parallel investment in the home-care and community provider market so that people who opt for commissioned services are not disadvantaged. Finally, the steady population trend gives time for planned workforce growth; focusing on up-skilling personal assistants and supporting small rural care agencies will help sustain the current personalised model.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Westmorland and Furness is already an older area and it is ageing further. Between 2019 and 2023 the share of residents aged 65 plus rose from 25.6 % to 26.3 %. England stayed near 18–19 % over the same years. The absolute population grew only modestly, from 226 162 to 228 187, so the rise in the older share is mainly due to people getting older in place and the arrival of retirees rather than natural growth. The pattern is typical of rural districts with good quality of life but limited work for younger adults. In practical terms, more than one in four residents now fall within age groups that often need health or care support.
In 2024 the council recorded 6 280 requests for support from people aged 65 plus. This equals 2 752 requests per 100 000 population, around 13 % above the national rate of 2 438. A higher request rate is expected where the older share is large, but the gap also hints at other local drivers: scattered settlements, limited public transport and a housing stock that can be hard to adapt all push older residents to seek help earlier. It may also reflect good local awareness of how to ask for support.
After assessment, 2 480 older residents are in long-term services, equal to 1 087 per 100 000—about 8 % above the England average of 1 003. The service mix is instructive. Nursing home use stands out at 224 per 100 000, almost double the national rate. Residential care is also high, though less markedly, at 280 versus 250. These figures point to a cohort with greater frailty or to limits in intensive home-care capacity, meaning people move into bed-based settings sooner. Community support shows a different picture. Pure direct payments are slightly below average while mixed packages that blend a direct payment with council-arranged care are higher. Council-managed personal budgets and council-commissioned support only are both lower than England. This suggests local policy encourages older people or their families to take at least partial control of their care, possibly because personal budgets fit well with a dispersed rural geography where commissioned home-care slots are scarce. The very low rate for council-commissioned community support on its own may however mask unmet need if some residents cannot manage a budget themselves.
Roughly four in ten requests in 2024 led to a long-term service. Some requests will have ended with advice, equipment or short-term re-ablement, but the gap may also indicate eligibility thresholds that tighten as budgets stretch. Monitoring outcomes for those whose requests do not progress will be important, especially in an area where family support can be distant.
The combination of a growing older population, high request rates and above-average use of nursing beds points to rising pressure on both the social-care workforce and NHS partners. Strengthening home-based re-ablement and night-sitting services could slow the flow into nursing care. Expanding digital monitoring and volunteer schemes may help residents who choose direct payments but struggle with care finding in remote areas. Aligning housing, transport and prevention programmes with the needs of an ageing, low-density community will be central to keeping future demand at a sustainable level.
✨ ✅ ❌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 area had about 8,855 unpaid carers for every 100,000 residents. With a population close to 227,000, this equals roughly 20,000 people who look after a friend or relative without pay. The rate is higher than the England average of 8,204 per 100,000. Westmorland and Furness has an older, rural population, so families often rely on informal care when formal services are far away or hard to reach. The figure suggests that caring is a normal part of life for many households.
In the 2024 survey 37.8 per cent of local carers said they had as much social contact as they wanted. Nationally only 29.3 per cent said the same. Living in smaller towns and villages can make neighbourly help stronger, and community groups may fill some gaps left by formal services. Good local transport links and digital drop-in sessions may also help people stay in touch even when they live in scattered settlements.
Two thirds (67.6 per cent) of carers said it is easy to get information about support, ahead of the England figure of 59.3 per cent. Local advice centres, libraries and voluntary groups appear to be visible and trusted. Quick access to clear guidance can stop small problems from becoming crises and may explain the above-average feeling of social contact.
The council provides several types of help, measured per 100,000 residents:
• Direct payments made straight to carers: 217 per 100,000, or about 500 people, higher than the national rate. This shows the council is willing to give carers control over the help they buy.
• Part direct payments are rare (11 per 100,000, about 25 people) compared with 45 per 100,000 across England. Carers seem to prefer either full control or none, rather than a mix.
• Council-managed personal budgets are also common (83 per 100,000, around 190 carers), again above average.
• Information, advice and sign-posting reach about 458 per 100,000 residents (roughly 1,050 carers), well above the national figure. This matches the positive view on finding information.
• Respite or other support given to the person cared for stands at 44 per 100,000, only two thirds of the England rate. Fewer short breaks may increase stress for carers over time.
• A striking 1,352 per 100,000 residents—about 3,100 people—are recorded as getting no direct support, ten times the national average. Part of this gap may be due to local recording practice, yet it still hints at a large group whose needs are unmet or who choose to cope alone.
High numbers of unpaid carers and many with no direct support place pressure on voluntary networks and primary care. While most carers can locate advice and feel socially connected, limited respite could lead to burnout, especially in older households. The council may wish to widen break options and explore why part direct payments are unpopular. Better outreach could also convert the “no support” group into users of low-cost preventive services, easing long-term demand on health and social care budgets.
The local population is slowly rising, from 226,000 in 2019 to 228,000 in 2023, and is ageing faster than the national average. Unless formal support grows, the number of unpaid carers—and the risk of strain—will likely continue to climb. Targeted investment in respite, flexible payments and rural transport could protect carers and the people they look after.
✨ ✅ ❌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
In 2024 Westmorland and Furness had 37 community-based adult social care services and 58 residential homes. The area’s population is about 228,000 people, smaller than the average English local authority. When the numbers are set against the population size, there are roughly 16 community services and 25 residential homes for every 100,000 residents. This is almost the same rate of community provision as the England mean and a slightly higher rate of residential places. The figures suggest that, for its size, the area has an adequate spread of providers, even though the headline counts look low next to national totals.
The Care Quality Commission judged 9.5 percent of local providers as needing improvement or being inadequate, well below the national figure of 16.8 percent. Fewer weak ratings point to effective local oversight and possibly stronger peer support between providers. People who use services are therefore more likely to find good or outstanding care close to home, which is important in a large rural authority where long travel times can be a barrier.
Staffing pressures are clear. The turnover rate in 2023/24 stood at 25.4 percent, in line with the England average, yet vacancies were higher at 11.2 percent compared with 8.4 percent nationally. Nearly seven in ten employers said that keeping staff had become more difficult, and more than eight in ten found recruiting harder. The gap between average turnover and above-average vacancies implies that posts stay unfilled for longer once people leave. Geography may play a part; dispersed communities and limited public transport can make care jobs less attractive, while housing costs in tourist areas may deter new workers.
A moderate supply of providers combined with high quality ratings suggests that the market is currently meeting demand, but the workforce data signals future risk. Persistent vacancies can stretch existing staff, raising the chance of burnout and, over time, lowering care standards. Because residential provision per head is slightly higher than average, any fall in staffing levels could quickly affect bed availability, pushing more people toward community services that already run close to the national rate per capita.
Maintaining the present high standard will depend on stabilising the workforce. Actions could include targeted travel support for rural workers, stronger links with local colleges, and shared recruitment campaigns across providers. Given the area’s ageing population profile—more pronounced in rural counties—demand is likely to rise. Commissioners may need to encourage new community services in the most remote settlements so that care remains close to home. Continued monitoring of vacancy trends is essential; if the rate does not fall, quality scores may start to slip, and the council could face higher costs for out-of-area placements.
Westmorland and Furness offers a good level of care relative to its population and enjoys better-than-average quality. The main challenge is staffing, not capacity or standards. Addressing recruitment and retention now will help secure a resilient, high-quality care market for the years ahead.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Westmorland and Furness serves about 228,000 residents, roughly 40 per cent fewer than the average English local authority. Population has risen by only 0.9 per cent since 2019, so demand is growing slowly but is likely to be shaped by an older, rural population that can require more complex care and longer travel times.
The share of hospital discharges sent to “acceptable” trusts stands at 80.1 per cent, eight points below the national figure of 89 per cent. At the same time 16.6 per cent of discharges are delayed, compared with 12.3 per cent across England, and the average delay is 1.2 days versus 0.7 days. Taken together, these numbers signal pressure at the acute-community interface. Geography is a likely factor: long distances between acute sites and people’s homes can stretch community nursing and domiciliary care capacity, making it harder to line up packages of care quickly. A relatively small market for home-care providers may further limit flexibility.
Despite the discharge challenges, people report broadly positive experiences once services are in place. Sixty-five per cent of survey respondents say they are satisfied with their care and support, slightly above the England average of 64.7 per cent. In addition, 74.7 per cent of service users feel it is easy to find information about services, well ahead of the national rate of 68.2 per cent. Good signposting often reflects strong voluntary-sector networks and a culture of personalised support, both common in smaller, community-focused areas.
NatCen research shows that 57 per cent of respondents also express dissatisfaction with social care. Without a national comparator this figure is harder to interpret, but it suggests a polarised picture: while many people are happy, a sizeable minority still feel let down, possibly those affected by the discharge delays described above.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 2.6 complaints per 100,000 residents in 2024, equating to roughly six cases. The England mean is 4.45 per 100,000, or about seventeen cases in an average-sized authority. Decisions issued follow a similar pattern (1.8 per 100,000 locally versus 4.1 nationally). Lower complaint rates can mean quicker local resolution or, conversely, barriers to raising concerns; however, when read alongside the above-average satisfaction scores, the data lean towards effective early resolution.
The main quality risk sits in the timeliness of hospital discharge. Prolonged waits can worsen outcomes for older patients and tie up acute beds. Strengthening the home-care market, expanding reablement teams and trialling “discharge to assess” beds closer to rural communities could help narrow the gap with national performance.
Conversely, information access and overall satisfaction are relative strengths. Preserving these gains will depend on sustaining voluntary-sector partnerships and ensuring digital and face-to-face advice remain available to isolated rural households.
Finally, the low volume of Ombudsman cases should not breed complacency. Maintaining open feedback loops—especially for those experiencing delayed discharge—will ensure that hidden dissatisfaction does not grow.
In summary, Westmorland and Furness delivers care that people generally rate well and that generates few escalated complaints, but systemic discharge delays point to capacity issues in community and home-based provision that merit urgent quality-improvement attention.
✨ ✅ ❌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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The council has not yet published its own figures for 2024. We only hold the national averages: gross expenditure £47,758 per 100,000 people, net expenditure £40,472, client charges £7,286 and NHS transfers £7,878. The absence of local data makes firm comparison hard and also hints at a possible gap in financial reporting in the first full year of the new unitary authority.
Westmorland and Furness had about 228,000 residents in 2023, well below the typical English authority (377,000). If spending simply matched the national rate, gross adult social care cost would be around £109 million (228,000 ÷ 100,000 × £47,758). Net cost after income from charges and NHS support would be near £92 million. These sums are only illustrative, yet they give a sense of the scale of resources likely to be in play.
The area is rural and sparsely populated. Home-care workers often travel long distances, which pushes up unit costs even before inflation is added. At the same time Westmorland and Furness has an older age profile than England as a whole; a large share of residents are over 65 and many are over 85. Older populations usually need more help with daily living, re-ablement and residential care, so demand per person may be higher than the national norm suggested by the £477 per-capita guide figure.
Client contributions average £73 per resident nationally, yet rural districts with modest wages may recover less because fewer clients cross the means-test threshold. If local income from fees is low, the council’s net bill rises even if gross spend stays unchanged. NHS transfers can ease the pressure, but these depend on joint plans and may fluctuate from year to year.
Without clear local data it is hard for councillors, providers and the public to track whether budgets keep pace with need. If real spending falls short of the notional £109 million, services may narrow their offer: shorter home-care visits, longer waits for assessments or tighter eligibility. Any of these would raise the risk of unmet need, hospital delay and carer stress. Conversely, if the council is already investing above the average rate, it needs to show that the extra money is delivering better outcomes, for example by reducing emergency admissions or boosting user satisfaction.
The council should publish full 2024 accounts as soon as possible, broken down by service line and funding source. Transparent figures will support realistic financial planning, stronger partnership with the local NHS and open debate on council tax levels. A clear picture will also help voluntary groups, care homes and home-care agencies plan staffing and investment, improving stability in a labour market that is already tight.
In short, the size and age of the population suggest that Westmorland and Furness is likely to need at least the national average level of social care spending, and probably more. Timely publication of local data will make it possible to judge whether current funding is enough to meet that need and to shape services that are both fair and sustainable.
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