This page provides an overview of social care in Wigan, along with key metrics that could affect social care. Understanding these metrics is important because they help contextualise the challenges with social care provision in each local authority. These statistics are important to keep in mind when reviewing the other pages.
Why are these metrics important? Population size and density can affect the demand for social care services. For example, if a local authority has a high population (relative to other areas), it may need to allocate more resources to meet care needs. Similarly, areas with high population density may require more care services due to the increased number of people living in close proximity. Inversely, areas with a low population density may have fewer care needs, but residents may face challenges accessing services due to the distance between them. Lastly, people in rural areas might live further away from services, which can impact their ability to access care, or make it more expensive to provide.
Understanding these metrics can help local authorities plan and allocate resources effectively.
Deprivation decile is a measure of the level of deprivation in a local authority. It is calculated by ranking areas in England from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived) based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A higher decile indicates lower levels of deprivation, while a lower decile suggests higher levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation levels can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
Deprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
Many people want care, some receive care, but a significant number go without. What types of care are being requested? What care is actually provided? This section explores the gap between need and provision, the types of care available, and how our own data contributes to the understanding of these challenges.
Access Social Care and other Helplines providers are working to bridge this gap by providing free legal support to people who are struggling to access social care services. This first chart illustrates the types of calls we are getting.
The rest of this page distingushes between the different types of care provided to Working Age People and Older People, as we are able to disaggregate at a greater level of granularity.
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
This plot shows a breakdown of the types of requests for assistance received by Access Social Care and other helplines. Understanding the themes of these calls can identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to housing may indicate a need for more affordable housing options, while a high number of calls related to social care assessments may suggest a need for improved access to care services. The request types are:
Assessments: An assessment is a meeting or form to find out what help someone needs with daily tasks.
Care Plan: A care plan is a written agreement that lists the support you’ll get and who to contact if things change.
Carers: Carers are people who help a disabled or ill person with daily tasks.
Charging: Charging refers to checking if you can afford to pay for some of your care based on your savings.
Information Seeking: Information seeking means getting advice about available care options.
Legal Issues and Complaints: Legal issues and complaints involve reporting problems with your care to the council or an ombudsman.
Safeguarding: Safeguarding is protecting people from abuse or neglect.
Of course, high numbers also mean that people know where to call, and this number can be impacted by advocacy efforts. As a counterpoint, areas with low numbers may indicate a lack of awareness of available services or a need for more outreach to connect people with support.
To protect privacy, our minimum bin size is 5, which means that if we field 1-5 queries on a topic, we display 5.
Are you a helpline and would like to combine data resources? Let us know!
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
Working Age People
Knowing how many people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of people are disabled helps understand need and social care provision at a top level. For example, a high number of people requesting care may indicate a need for additional resources or services, while a low number of people receiving care may suggest a gap in service provision. Understanding these metrics can help identify areas where additional support may be needed.
MW was diagnosed with Functional Chronic Pain, she cannot walk without support, she holds on to her furniture to move around the house. She uses a wheelchair, especially when she goes out, with support from friends and family. She lives on second floor with 5 flights because of the way the building is designed and there is no lift. She never goes out because of the difficulties she experiences with the stairs. She needs help with cooking, cleaning, shopping and showering. She relies on friends and her mum who has knee replacement.
She was referred by the Social Prescriber who referred her onto also referred her to Croydon Adult Support, they told her they are short of staff to allocate her a social worker, so she was placed on a long waiting list. MW case still hadn’t progressed until the Social Prescriber, who had been recently trained on the Care Act, referred her to Access Social Care’s free legal Chatbot letter clinic.
The legal clinic volunteer completed a letter to Croydon Council with MW within a week which was sent to Adult Social Services. Access Social Care then called her after two weeks to complete a follow up survey. MW informed them that she had had an assessment and was waiting to hear back from Croydon following the panel meeting. Social Services has now done the assessment after which the panel offered MW 9 hours of social care support.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
This plot shows the types of care provided to working-age people in Wigan. Understanding the types of care available can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of people receiving personal care may indicate a need for more support with daily living activities, while a high number of people receiving respite care may suggest a need for additional support for carers.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The age-standardised rate of disability in Wigan is 20.2 per cent. The England figure is 17.6 per cent. After allowing for age this still leaves Wigan with a larger share of disabled residents. Using the 2022 population of 334,014, about 67,000 people in the borough live with a disability.
Higher disability is not surprising. Wigan is more deprived than the national average: its mean deprivation decile is 4.9 compared with 5.9 for England. Areas with greater deprivation tend to see more long-term ill-health, earlier onset of chronic disease and higher rates of work-limiting conditions. A long industrial history and a dense urban environment (1,750 residents per square kilometre) also add to the burden of ill health.
During 2024, 3,135 working-age adults (18–64) asked the council for social care. This equals 924 requests for every 100,000 residents, lower than the national average of 1,143 per 100,000. Two explanations are likely. First, Wigan’s “deal” model, which stresses community support and self-help, may divert some enquiries away from the formal gateway. Second, there could be hidden or unmet need, especially among residents who live in more deprived neighbourhoods and do not know how to ask for help.
In the same year, 1,980 working-age adults received ongoing support. This is 584 per 100,000, higher than the England figure of 533 per 100,000. Wigan therefore converts a larger share of requests into actual care packages. The pattern of support also matters:
• Community personal budgets, either part or full direct payments, account for the largest group: 1,465 people or 432 per 100,000. This is well above the national rate of 267 per 100,000 and shows a clear commitment to keeping disabled adults in their own homes with maximum choice and control.
• Residential placements total 60 people (18 per 100,000), far below the national average of 61 per 100,000. Nursing placements are equally low. Lower use of institutions fits the local strategy of “home first”.
• A small number, fewer than 20, receive support in prison settings, roughly in line with national patterns.
This mix suggests that Wigan has invested in community teams and direct payment infrastructure. Such investment can reduce long-term costs and improve quality of life yet requires strong brokerage and market shaping.
In 2025 only 34 requests were logged for assessment reviews, charging queries, safeguarding or legal advice, equal to 10 per 100,000. These tiny numbers may mean that issues are resolved early, but they may also indicate under-reporting. A regular user survey could test whether people feel comfortable raising concerns.
Wigan’s high disability rate combined with below-average formal demand points to the need for continued outreach, especially in the most deprived wards. Rising population—up by about 12,800 between 2019 and 2023—will add further pressure. Maintaining the focus on community support looks sensible, but the council should watch for hidden need as welfare reforms, cost-of-living pressures and an ageing cohort of carers may change the picture quickly.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Since 2019 the share of residents aged 65 + in Wigan has been just over 19 %. This is consistently higher than the England average, which has stayed below 19 %. The proportion rose each year until 2022, then slipped a little in 2023, yet the long-term direction is still upward. Because the total population also grew from 326 386 to 339 174, the actual number of older people increased by about 7 000 in five years. Wigan is more densely settled than many towns (1 750 residents per km²) and is more deprived than the national norm. Areas with higher deprivation often see poor health at earlier ages, so a relatively large and growing older group is likely to carry heavier care needs.
In 2024 the council recorded 7 375 requests for adult social care from residents aged 65 +. This is 2 174 per 100 000 older people, lower than the England figure of 2 438 per 100 000. Two things could explain this. First, families may still meet some day-to-day needs themselves, so fewer people contact the council. Second, some older residents may not know that help is available or may be reluctant to ask. A lower request rate in an area with higher deprivation hints that unmet need could exist below the surface.
Despite the lower flow of requests, 3 425 older residents were actually receiving council-funded care in 2024, equal to 1 010 per 100 000. This is very close to the national rate of 1 003 per 100 000. In other words, Wigan converts a larger share of requests into ongoing support: roughly 46 % of requests lead to a service, compared with about 41 % across England. This suggests that when people do present, they often meet eligibility rules, perhaps because they wait until needs are fairly severe.
The mix of services also tells a story. Nursing home use stands at 144 per 100 000, above the national figure of 122, hinting at greater levels of frailty or complex health conditions. Residential home use is almost identical to the England rate. Community care funded through a council-managed personal budget is higher than average (563 versus 508 per 100 000). This shows that Wigan is still trying to keep many people at home, even though the nursing home rate is high. Very few placements are recorded in prison settings, so numbers are marked “NA”.
The 2025 figures on help with issues such as charging, direct payments and safeguarding are small in absolute terms, each below four requests per 100 000 residents. Even so, the pattern mirrors the national ranking: most calls concern charging and safeguarding. Keeping these numbers low will depend on clear information, timely reviews and strong oversight of providers.
Wigan already has a larger older population than average, and that group is still growing. Coupled with high deprivation, this implies rising demand for both health and social care. The council appears effective at moving people from assessment to service, yet the relatively low request rate suggests that some need may remain hidden. Strengthening early-help pathways, expanding outreach in deprived neighbourhoods and supporting carers could prevent later, costlier interventions. At the same time, higher nursing home use signals a need to watch bed capacity, workforce supply and quality standards closely. Maintaining, and where possible expanding, community-based personal budgets may help older residents stay independent for longer and reduce pressure on residential settings.
✨ ✅ ❌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 an estimated 31,500 Wigan residents were providing unpaid care. This equates to about 9,543 carers for every 100,000 people, well above the England figure of 8,204 per 100,000. Wigan’s population is growing slowly and is a little smaller and less densely packed than the average local authority, yet it carries a heavier caring load. One likely driver is deprivation: the borough sits in decile 4.9 compared with the national 5.9, and poorer health or disability often raises the need for informal care. A mainly urban geography (only 14 % rural) may also mean that family members are geographically close and therefore more able, or expected, to help.
Only 24.6 % of carers said they have as much social contact as they would like, five percentage points below the national average. Social isolation can raise the risk of burnout and poorer mental health. A small majority (57.8 %) felt that information about services is easy to find, slightly under the England rate of 59.3 %. Taken together, these results suggest that many Wigan carers cope with a high level of responsibility yet do not always feel connected or well informed.
Wigan appears to favour practical, paid-for support. Around 230 carers per 100,000 receive a direct payment, far above the national norm of 150. This is roughly 780 people in 2024. A similar rate (227 per 100,000, about 770 carers) benefit from respite or other services delivered to the cared-for person; nationally the rate is only 70. By contrast, only 84 per 100,000 (about 285 carers) receive information, advice or signposting, a quarter of the England figure. Fewer carers get no direct support at all (100 per 100,000 versus 130 nationally).
This pattern implies an intentional policy to channel resources into tangible packages that relieve day-to-day caring duties. The lower take-up of information and advice may partly explain why many carers still struggle to find the right help; if advice services are small, awareness and navigation will remain difficult.
In 2025 the council recorded only one safeguarding enquiry that centred on a carer, equal to 0.3 cases per 100,000 people versus an England average of 0.75. Numbers are tiny, yet they hint that either risk is genuinely low or issues are not being identified. Given the high volume of unpaid care, under-identification cannot be ruled out.
Wigan has a larger than average carer population, shaped by above-average deprivation. The council’s emphasis on cash payments and respite is positive, but persistent isolation and information gaps show that carers still need stronger emotional and social support. Expanding community groups, peer networks and clear advice lines could raise the proportion of carers who feel connected.
Future planning should also keep pace with population growth. If current caring rates persist, each extra 1,000 residents adds roughly 95 more unpaid carers. Sustaining high-intensity support will therefore require continued investment and monitoring, especially in deprived neighbourhoods where demand is likely to be greatest.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Wigan has 36 community-based adult social care services and 53 residential care homes. When these are set against the borough’s latest population estimate of 339,000, the supply is roughly 10.6 community services and 15.6 residential homes per 100,000 residents. Across England the average density is about 16.9 and 24.1 respectively, so Wigan offers a slimmer provider base both in absolute and per-capita terms. Population growth of almost 13,000 since 2019 adds further pressure because the number of providers has not expanded at the same pace.
The lower density does not necessarily signal poorer access. Only 14 per cent of the borough is rural, meaning most people live within a short journey of care settings. In more compact urban areas, each provider can cover a larger client pool, so fewer organisations may still meet demand. However, Wigan’s higher deprivation score (mean decile 4.9 versus the England average of 5.9) suggests a population with greater care needs. A lean provider market therefore risks creating pockets of unmet need, particularly in the most deprived neighbourhoods where residents are less able to travel.
Quality appears to be a clear strength. Only 5.6 per cent of local services are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, far below the national figure of 16.8 per cent. This indicates effective local regulation, good management practice and perhaps stronger support from the council. For residents it means a higher chance of receiving safe, compassionate care despite the smaller market.
Workforce indicators paint a mixed, but generally positive, picture. The turnover rate in 2023/24 stands at 25.4 per cent, almost identical to the North West norm. Vacancy rates are notably lower at 4.7 per cent versus the regional average of 8.4 per cent, suggesting that providers are filling posts more successfully than their peers. Low vacancies help maintain continuity of care and sustain the high quality noted above.
Despite this, more than four in five providers report that recruiting staff is “more” or “much more” challenging than a year ago, and about seven in ten say the same for retention. These perceptions are slightly worse than regional averages. They echo national trends of competition with other sectors and rising wage expectations. If vacancies were to rise, the limited number of providers could struggle to absorb staffing gaps, threatening service resilience.
Wigan’s current model delivers high-quality care with comparatively few organisations and a stable workforce. The challenge lies in sustaining this position while the population grows and deprivation remains high. Commissioners may wish to:
• encourage measured expansion of the provider market, focusing on underserved neighbourhoods;
• invest in workforce development to counter future recruitment and retention pressures;
• monitor quality closely, ensuring that larger-scale providers do not compromise standards as demand rises.
Maintaining today’s strong quality metrics while widening access will be key to meeting the borough’s social care needs over the coming years.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Wigan is home to about 339,000 people and the number is rising by roughly 3 % each year. The borough is more urban and more deprived than the England average, yet most user-facing indicators sit at, or a little above, national levels. This balance of challenge and performance is a strong signal that recent quality work is having a positive effect, though one or two pressure points remain.
The proportion of people sent to an “acceptable” trust after a stay in hospital is only 15.8 %, far below the national 89 %. This suggests that many Wigan residents are discharged to hospitals or community units outside the preferred list, perhaps because local beds are full or because specialist services sit in neighbouring areas. Despite this, the flow out of hospital is brisk: only 7.7 % of discharges are delayed, compared with 12.3 % across England, and the average delay is 0.25 days against the national 0.7. In short, people leave hospital quickly but often not to the ideal destination. Maintaining speed while widening the range of high-quality local places should be a priority for the next phase of improvement.
Sixty-six per cent of respondents say they are satisfied with their care and support, just above the England figure of 64.7 %. A larger majority, 71.6 %, find it easy to obtain information about services (national 68.2 %). These results are encouraging because satisfaction normally falls as deprivation rises; Wigan’s success hints at good front-line communication and a service culture that values clarity.
An alternative survey by NatCen records 57 % dissatisfaction. The absence of a direct benchmark makes this hard to judge, yet the contrast with the local authority survey could mean that expectations differ between survey groups. People in deprived neighbourhoods, for example, may feel the system meets basic needs but not wider aspirations. Targeted engagement work may uncover specific gaps.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 4.42 cases per 100,000 residents in Wigan, almost identical to the England norm of 4.45. Decisions were issued on 3.54 cases per 100,000, below the national 4.12. The figures imply that dissatisfaction rarely escalates to formal action, echoing the broadly positive satisfaction scores.
Population density in Wigan is 1,750 residents per square kilometre, lower than the England average of 2,469, yet the borough’s growth rate is faster. Combined with a mean deprivation decile of 4.9 (where 10 is least deprived) and a wide spread of neighbourhood need, demand for timely, local health and care support is set to increase. Lower delays today are therefore a strength to build on rather than a cue for complacency.
Wigan is moving in the right direction: people leave hospital promptly, find information easily, and rarely pursue complaints. The main quality gap is the low share of discharges to preferred trusts, which may expose some residents to fragmented follow-up care. Expanding approved step-down capacity within the borough, and deepening partnerships with adjacent acute trusts, could bring quality and speed into closer alignment. Given rising population and persistent deprivation, sustaining current performance will also depend on steady investment in community services and clear communication with families who are hardest to reach.
✨ ✅ ❌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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Wigan spends £44,295 for every 100,000 residents on gross adult social care. The England figure is £47,758. This means Wigan spends about seven per cent less than the national level before any income is taken into account. After client and NHS income is removed, net spending falls to £36,677 per 100,000 people, nine per cent below the England average of £40,472.
Client contributions bring in £7,618 per 100,000 residents, a little above the England norm of £7,286. NHS partners add a further £9,887 per 100,000, well above the national £7,878. In other words, while the council itself puts in less money than most areas, people who use services and the local NHS top this up. The high NHS share suggests close joint-working, perhaps to speed hospital discharge or fund intermediate care. The higher level of client charges may point to firm charging policies or to a larger number of people who can pay something toward their care.
The choice to spend below the national average sits against a backdrop of relatively high need. Wigan’s mean deprivation decile is 4.9, lower than the England figure of 5.9, so the borough is more deprived. Deprivation is linked with earlier ill health and greater demand for support. Population is also rising: from 326,386 in 2019 to 339,174 in 2023, roughly a four per cent increase. More people, many living in poorer areas, are likely to press services further. Although population density is lower than the England mean (1,750 people per km² against 2,469), the borough is mainly urban, so travel distances are unlikely to be the chief cost driver. The gap between need and council spending therefore raises the risk of unmet need or shorter care packages.
Joint funding with the NHS can soften the impact of lower council spending, but it is rarely enough on its own. If client contributions are already above average, there is limited room to ask residents for still more. A growing and deprived population may therefore meet capped or rationed support. This can cause higher workloads for unpaid carers and may store up costs for health services if needs escalate.
Keeping spending below the England level may help the council balance its budget in the short term, yet it could also weaken the local care market. Providers need stable fees to recruit staff and cover inflation. With no sign of large budget cuts being restored nationally, the council may need to decide whether to raise its own contribution, seek further NHS investment, or accept tighter eligibility. Regular review of activity data, waiting lists and user feedback will be important to judge whether the present funding mix continues to meet local need.
Wigan relies more than many areas on money from service users and the NHS to make its adult social care system work. Given rising demand and higher deprivation, this model may face pressure unless council spending grows or new national funds are released.
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