This page provides an overview of social care in Wiltshire, 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 Wiltshire. 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
Wiltshire had about 518,000 residents in 2023, up by 3 % since 2019. Almost seven in ten people live in rural settings and population density is only 157 people per km², far below the England figure. The county is also less deprived, sitting in decile 7 on average. These factors help to explain why the age-standardised share of disabled residents is 16.4 %, a little below the national 17.6 %.
In 2024, 4,525 working-age disabled people asked the council for support. This equals 874 requests per 100,000 residents aged 18–64, around one quarter below the England rate of 1,143. A smaller disabled population can account for part of the gap, yet geography may also play a part: long travel times and limited public transport can discourage people in rural areas from seeking help until need becomes acute.
Wiltshire supported 2,245 working-age adults during the year, or 433 per 100,000; the national rate is 533. While overall use is lower, the pattern of provision differs:
• Residential care stands at 78.2 per 100,000, higher than the England average of 60.6.
• Nursing care (10.6) is slightly below England (13.8).
• Community packages managed wholly or partly through direct payments reach only 93.6 per 100,000, well under the national 170.1.
• Council-commissioned community support is 18.3 per 100,000, a third of the England figure.
Heavier reliance on residential beds suggests that distance, workforce travel costs and a scattered market make home-based services harder to arrange. Lower take-up of direct payments may also reflect the extra administrative burden placed on individuals in rural settings, especially where advisory services are thin on the ground.
Request rates for assessment (3.7 per 100,000), charging queries (9.1) and legal issues (1.2) all exceed national levels. This pattern indicates that people who do enter the system need considerable guidance on how to navigate charges and their legal rights, possibly because self-funding remains common in a relatively affluent area. By contrast, contacts about carers, mental capacity and safeguarding sit below the England mean, which is consistent with lower deprivation and fewer risk factors for abuse or neglect. Nonetheless, Wiltshire’s dispersed population can hide problems, so proactive safeguarding visits remain important.
Absolute demand is growing slowly in line with population growth, but per-capita use of care remains modest. The challenge is to avoid hidden unmet need while shifting the balance of care away from residential settings. Expanding community-based providers, improving public transport links for care staff and strengthening support for direct payment users would fit Wiltshire’s geography and aspirations for personalised care. At the same time, the council should build on its strong information offer, ensuring that advice on funding and legal matters reaches people earlier, not only once needs have escalated.
In short, Wiltshire’s relatively healthy, rural and affluent profile keeps formal disability support rates low, yet the county must adapt services so that geography does not become a barrier to independence for disabled adults.
✨ ✅ ❌Older People
Just like with Working Age people, knowing how many older people are requesting social care, how many people are recieving care and what percent of the population is 65+ helps understand need and social care provision at a top level.
Jamaican female, blind and in her 40s. She was in an emergency Bed & Breakfast with her Niece, who acts as her unofficial carer, she is unable to work but would like to go to University. She is receiving PIP but not the Daily Living Allowance which she applied for in June 2021. She is vulnerable and has a history of self harm so was assigned a rehab Support Worker. Vanessa supported her using the Chatbot to chase up her PIP Daily Living allowance application, after waiting for several months and they received a reply within a week but was awarded the lower rate.
Another Chatbot letter was sent to request an urgent assessment due to her vulnerability and this was action quickly by the LA. Vanessa also supported her to use the chatbot and ask the Social worker to be moved to a place that supports her needs and rights. As she was having to use a shared bathroom, toilet and kitchen in a place with drug/alcohol abusers and being blind with no carer, this left her vulnerable. The Chatbot was used again to raise this issue and after a few weeks she was successfully moved to a private property in another area.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
As above, it is important to see what type of care older people are being provided because it can help explain where additional work is needed.
ASCFR and SALT Data Tables 2023-24 Sheet T34
The share of people aged 65 and over in Wiltshire has risen from 21.5 per cent in 2019 to 22.6 per cent in 2023. The England mean stayed near 18.5 per cent. Population counts also grew, from 503,000 to 518,000, so the number of older people increased in both absolute and relative terms. Wiltshire is mostly rural (69 per cent of residents live in rural areas) and has low deprivation. These traits often attract people who have retired and also support longer life. The trend points to steady upward pressure on health and care services.
In 2024 there were 10,515 requests for adult social care from people aged 65 plus. This equals 2,030 requests per 100,000 residents, below the England figure of 2,438. A lower request rate, despite a larger older share, can have more than one meaning. Some older people may be healthier or receive unpaid help from family. Yet rural distance, limited public transport and low population density (157 residents per km² versus 2,469 nationally) can also make it harder to ask for help, hiding unmet need.
A total of 4,575 older people were getting long-term care, equal to 883 per 100,000, again below the national average of 1,003. The mix of services is telling. Use of nursing homes is slightly higher than average (142 per 100,000 versus 122), while residential care is close to the norm. In contrast, most community-based options show markedly lower take-up. Direct payments, part-direct payments and council-managed personal budgets all sit well below national rates. This pattern can point to a shortage of home-care workers in rural zones or to limited awareness of flexible support packages. More reliance on nursing beds may also show people entering services later, when needs are already high.
Small but useful figures for 2025 show that Wiltshire received more calls for help about assessments, charging and legal issues than the England mean, when adjusted for population. Higher enquiry rates can signal that residents find the system complex or that proactive outreach is encouraging people to seek guidance. Safeguarding and mental-capacity queries are slightly below average, which may reflect fewer serious risk cases or, again, under-reporting in sparsely populated areas.
Wiltshire’s older population is growing faster than the national pattern, yet recorded demand for care is lower. Good health, stronger family networks and lower deprivation all play a part, but geography is equally important. Dispersed settlements limit access to community services, and this can push some people towards institutional care when needs escalate. At the same time the rise in advice requests hints at gaps in understanding of how to arrange and pay for support.
Keeping pace with demographic change will require a shift towards easily reachable, community-based options. Investment in home-care workforce capacity, transport links and digital contact routes could help older residents obtain help earlier and remain independent for longer. Clearer information on charging and personal budgets may also reduce late crisis admissions to nursing care. Monitoring future request rates will show whether new measures are closing any hidden gap between need and uptake.
✨ ✅ ❌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 Wiltshire had about 42,000 unpaid carers, or 8,234 for every 100,000 residents. This rate is a little higher than the England figure of 8,204 per 100,000. Wiltshire’s large and growing population, together with its older age profile, helps to explain the high count. The county is also 69 % rural, so many families may rely on informal help when formal services are harder to reach.
Only 19.7 % of Wiltshire carers said in 2024 that they have as much social contact as they would like. Nationally the figure is 29.3 %. Rural living can limit public transport and community venues, so carers may feel cut off even in a county that is, on average, less deprived than most (mean deprivation decile 7.0). A gap of almost ten percentage points suggests a clear risk to mental health and resilience.
Despite the challenge above, 65.5 % of local carers said it is easy to find information about support, ahead of the England rate of 59.3 %. This may reflect effective online advice or the work of community hubs. Good signposting is important in a dispersed area, yet it is not translating into higher social contact, so carers might know where to look but still lack the time or transport to join groups.
Wiltshire gives direct payments to carers at 107 per 100,000 people, below the national rate of 150. Use of “information, advice and other universal services” is also low at 87 per 100,000 against 339 for England. By contrast, support delivered to the cared-for person, such as respite stays, stands at 80 per 100,000, slightly above the England average of 70. These figures point to an approach that puts more emphasis on giving carers a break through services to the cared-for person than on cash or advisory support given straight to the carer.
Only two recorded “UT1 Carers” cases in 2025 (0.39 per 100,000, compared with 0.75 nationally) suggest fewer crises or safeguarding issues. This may be linked to Wiltshire’s lower overall deprivation and the greater use of respite, which can stop situations from becoming unsafe.
The county has many carers and they can usually find information, yet too few feel socially connected. Lower take-up of direct payments and advisory services may leave carers without flexible help that fits their daily lives, especially when distances are long. Strengthening local peer groups, expanding transport options, and making direct payments easier to use could lift wellbeing. Continuing to fund respite is sensible, but widening the menu of support should help more carers stay healthy and able to carry on in their role.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
?
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.
?
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
Wiltshire has 108 community-based adult social care services and 159 residential care services. With a mid-2023 population close to 518,000, this works out at about 20.8 community services and 30.7 residential homes for every 100,000 residents. Using the national averages and the average county size (about 377,000 people), England as a whole offers roughly 16.9 community services and 24.1 residential homes per 100,000 people. Wiltshire therefore provides a wider choice of both community and residential care.
Two factors help to explain this high supply. First, the county is largely rural: almost 69 % of residents live in rural areas, far above the national figure of 35 %. Small, scattered settlements often need several small providers rather than a few large ones. Second, Wiltshire is less deprived than most areas (mean deprivation decile 7.0 versus 5.9 for England). A stronger local economy can attract operators and help them remain viable even in remote villages.
Only 15.7 % of Wiltshire providers are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, slightly below the national level of 16.8 %. Quality is therefore in line with, and a little better than, the England picture. The broad market described above may support quality: residents and commissioners can choose between several providers, giving services an incentive to maintain standards.
Staff turnover in 2023/24 was 26.1 %, almost identical to the regional and national rate. Vacancy levels are also comparable: 8.3 % in Wiltshire versus 8.4 % nationally. At first sight this suggests staffing is no worse than elsewhere. However, 76.7 % of Wiltshire employers say retaining staff is now “more” or “much more” difficult (regional figure 68.1 %), and 89.5 % report greater difficulty in recruiting (regional figure 79.8 %).
The tension between normal vacancy numbers and high reported difficulty may reflect geography. A low population density of 157 residents per square kilometre creates long travel times, pushing up recruitment costs and discouraging potential applicants who lack a car. Housing in attractive rural areas can also be expensive, making it hard for care workers on modest wages to live near their workplace.
Wiltshire enters 2024 with a larger and slightly higher-quality care market than the average county. This is positive for choice and safety. Yet the stability of that market cannot be taken for granted. Providers are signalling rising concern about both recruiting and keeping staff, even though vacancies have not yet climbed. Should labour pressures intensify, rural homes and community agencies could face sudden gaps in rotas, leading to unfilled care packages or longer waits for residential placements.
Continued investment in local training, transport support for care workers, and digital solutions that reduce travel could help maintain the current supply. Close monitoring of recruitment data will be important so that commissioners can intervene early, before quality begins to dip or capacity shrinks.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
Wiltshire has a large and growing population of about 518,000 people. Most residents live in rural places and the county is, on average, less deprived than England as a whole. These facts shape how adult social care works. Long travel times, small villages and a spread-out workforce can make day-to-day delivery harder, even when the area is not very poor.
The Care Quality Commission scored the council 67 out of 100 for 2024/25. This is above the England mean of 64.7 and falls in the “Good” band. The score shows that core systems are in place and people usually receive safe care. It also suggests that managers are already making improvements, though some weak points remain.
Two out of three service users (67.1 %) said they were satisfied with their care and support, again slightly above the national rate. Most users (70.7 %) also felt it was easy to find information about services. These results matter in a rural county: clear advice reduces wasted journeys and prevents people feeling lost in the system. Together they point to effective sign-posting and front-door services.
However, a separate NatCen survey found that 57 % of people were dissatisfied with social care more broadly. This mixed message hints at rising expectations. In a county with relatively low deprivation, residents may judge services against higher personal standards, so goodwill can fall quickly when delays appear.
Almost every hospital discharge for Wiltshire residents (99.9 %) comes from a trust classed as “acceptable”, far above the England mean of 89 %. Quality at the point of discharge is therefore strong. The difficulty lies in what happens next. Thirteen and a half per cent of discharges were delayed, compared with 12.3 % nationally. When a delay occurs, the average wait was 1.24 days, nearly twice the England figure of 0.7 days.
The rural setting helps to explain this gap. Home care staff may need to drive long distances, and step-down beds are thinly spread. A bigger population increases the absolute number of cases, so any bottleneck shows up quickly. Longer delays feed frustration, which may explain the high dissatisfaction seen by NatCen.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman received 4.05 complaints per 100,000 people in Wiltshire, slightly below the national rate. Yet 4.25 decisions per 100,000 were issued, a little above the mean. This pattern suggests that the council is open to external review and takes unresolved cases through to a formal outcome rather than turning them away. Transparent handling of complaints supports the “Good” CQC grade and builds trust.
The main quality gap now lies in the flow out of hospital. Investment in community re-ablement teams, better transport links for care staff and more step-down options in market towns could shorten waits. Maintaining clear information channels is also key, as users already value easy-to-find advice. Given the county’s lower deprivation, residents expect prompt and flexible help; meeting that standard will protect the strong satisfaction scores and keep the CQC rating in the “Good” band or higher.
✨ ✅ ❌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.
✨ ✅ ❌?
In 2024 Wiltshire spends £43,118 for every 100,000 residents on adult social care in total. The national figure is £47,758. With a population of about 518,000, this gives an estimated gross bill of £224 million. The lower spend per head suggests that Wiltshire supports its residents with slightly fewer council pounds than the average authority.
After income is taken into account, the cost that falls on the council is £37,114 per 100,000 residents, compared with £40,472 across England. The gap of roughly eight per cent mirrors the difference seen in gross spend, so it is not simply an accounting shift.
Client contributions stand at £6,004 per 100,000 residents, below the national £7,286. A less deprived population (mean deprivation decile 7 versus 5.9 nationally) means more people have savings or pay privately, which can reduce the flow of fees into council budgets. Lower contributions can therefore sit alongside lower public spend without necessarily signalling fewer services.
NHS money tells a different story. Wiltshire receives £13,928 per 100,000 residents from the health service, far above the England average of £7,878. The extra £6,050 per 100,000 converts to approximately £31 million a year. Strong joint funding may be a practical response to the county’s large rural area; pooling budgets can keep people out of hospital and cut travel time for staff.
Wiltshire has just 157 residents per square kilometre, compared with 2,469 for England, and almost seven in ten people live in rural communities. Travel distances raise unit costs, yet spend per head is still lower than average. This could point to efficient commissioning, but it might also hide unmet need if care workers cannot cover the full area.
Lower deprivation often delays entry into publicly funded care, as families rely on private or informal help for longer. That helps explain why both gross and net council spending are below average. However, rural counties usually have an older age profile, and the population is growing year on year. If the number of older residents rises faster than budgets, demand pressure will build.
The present mix of lower local spend and higher NHS contributions appears to work, but it leaves the council exposed to any future shift in health funding. Regular checks on waiting times, market stability and user outcomes are needed to ensure that a lean budget is not masking hidden gaps in provision. Greater transparency on the level of funding judged necessary for good care would help residents understand the choices being made and prepare for possible changes ahead.
✨ ✅ ❌