This page provides an overview of social care in Wolverhampton, along with key metrics that could affect social care. Understanding these metrics is important because they help contextualise the challenges with social care provision in each local authority. These statistics are important to keep in mind when reviewing the other pages.
Why are these metrics important? Population size and density can affect the demand for social care services. For example, if a local authority has a high population (relative to other areas), it may need to allocate more resources to meet care needs. Similarly, areas with high population density may require more care services due to the increased number of people living in close proximity. Inversely, areas with a low population density may have fewer care needs, but residents may face challenges accessing services due to the distance between them. Lastly, people in rural areas might live further away from services, which can impact their ability to access care, or make it more expensive to provide.
Understanding these metrics can help local authorities plan and allocate resources effectively.
Deprivation decile is a measure of the level of deprivation in a local authority. It is calculated by ranking areas in England from 1 (most deprived) to 10 (least deprived) based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A higher decile indicates lower levels of deprivation, while a lower decile suggests higher levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation levels can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Wolverhampton
Deprivation rank is a measure of the relative deprivation of a local authority compared to other areas in England. It is calculated by ranking areas from 1 (most deprived) to 32,844 (least deprived) Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOA), which can be thought of as “small areas”. This rank is based on factors such as income, employment, education, and health. A lower rank indicates higher levels of deprivation, while a higher rank suggests lower levels of deprivation. Understanding deprivation ranks can help local authorities identify areas that may require additional support and resources to address social care needs.
IMD 2019 for the Lower Tier Local Authorities: Wolverhampton
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 Wolverhampton. 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
An age-standardised rate of 19.5 % of residents say they are disabled. The England average is 17.6 %. Wolverhampton therefore has a larger share of disabled people than most places. The city is small in size but very dense and more deprived than average. High poverty and poor housing often lead to poorer health, so the higher rate is not surprising.
During 2024 there were 2,435 requests from adults aged 18 – 64. This equals 894 requests for every 100,000 residents, well below the national rate of 1,143. Fewer requests, despite a higher disability rate, may point to hidden or unmet need. Some people may rely on family or community help, or they may find the system hard to approach. It may also reflect strict local eligibility rules.
Once people enter the system, service reach looks similar to the national picture. Wolverhampton supports 1,450 working-age adults, or 532 per 100,000 people; the England mean is 533. This suggests that most who ask for help do get support. The gap therefore lies earlier in the pathway, at the point of first contact.
The pattern of provision is mixed. Nursing home places (26 per 100,000) are roughly double the national figure, hinting at higher levels of complex need. In contrast, residential placements are lower than average (42 vs 61 per 100,000). Community support is split. Direct-payment only cases broadly match national levels, but fully council-managed personal budgets are much lower, and council-commissioned support only is much higher (121 vs 58 per 100,000). This suggests the council favours arranging services on behalf of clients rather than handing over budget control. Given local deprivation, many people may feel uneasy about managing money themselves, so direct commissioning may feel safer.
Recorded requests for help with assessments, care plans, charging, and safeguarding are all below national norms, each sitting at or below one request per 100,000 residents. Lower volumes can mean good early signposting, but together with the low request rates for formal care they are more likely to reflect barriers to access. Limited awareness, language issues, or low trust in services often occur in dense, deprived urban areas.
The city has gained about 9,000 residents since 2019 and remains fully urban. Rising numbers, coupled with an already high disability rate, will place extra pressure on services. If hidden need is uncovered the workload could grow quickly.
The council may wish to invest in outreach and first-contact teams, making it simpler to ask for help. Extra nursing capacity seems sensible, but the balance between residential and community support should be monitored. Encouraging more personal budget take-up could offer choice, yet any shift must reflect the financial confidence of local people. Finally, high deprivation scores underline the link between poverty and disability, so joint work with housing, employment and health partners will be key.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Wolverhampton has a young age structure. Between 2019 and 2023 the share of residents aged 65 + fell a little from 16.5 % to 16.4 %. England as a whole moved from 18.4 % to 18.5 % in the same period. The city is also growing: the total population rose by almost 9 000 in five years and now stands at about 272 000. Density is high—3 798 people per km² compared with the England average of 2 469—and the city is entirely urban. Wolverhampton is more deprived than most places (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3.5 versus the national 5.9). These factors shape both need and service use.
In 2024 there were 4 995 requests for social care from residents aged 65 +. This equals 1 834 requests per 100 000 older people, well below the England mean of 2 438. A smaller older population explains part of the gap, yet the per-capita rate is also lower. Possible reasons include stronger informal support, lower awareness of formal services, or barriers linked to deprivation, language and culture. Monitoring is needed to ensure that unmet need is not hidden.
Despite fewer requests, 3 085 older residents were in long-term care during 2024. That is 1 132 per 100 000, about 13 % above the England norm of 1 003. This suggests that once someone does come forward, their needs are often complex and meet the eligibility threshold.
Nursing home use is 145 per 100 000, higher than the national 122. Residential home use is also slightly above average (261 versus 250). Community care shows a mixed picture. Direct-payment-only cases are common (77 versus 55), showing some appetite for personal control. Part direct payments are a little below average (20 versus 22), while council-managed personal budgets are markedly lower (369 versus 508). By contrast, council-commissioned, support-only community packages are high (261 versus 137). Taken together, this indicates a service model that still leans on traditional forms of provision, with fewer bespoke, budget-managed options than seen elsewhere.
During 2025 the council logged only 11 enquiries from older residents about assessments, care plans, charging, information, legal issues and safeguarding. Rates ranged from 0.37 to 1.10 per 100 000, all lower than national norms. Low numbers could mean good front-line communication and early resolution, but they might also signal a lack of awareness of rights or routes to complain. Given the city’s high deprivation, proactive outreach is advisable.
Wolverhampton’s older population is smaller than average yet shows relatively high use of long-term care, especially nursing and residential places. High deprivation may drive poorer health and earlier loss of independence, which explains the intensive packages seen. At the same time, lower request rates and few advice enquiries raise questions about access and voice.
To balance demand and resources, the council could widen early-help and reablement services, promote personal budgets in the community, and strengthen information channels in deprived neighbourhoods. Doing so may delay entry to costly institutional care and ensure that everyone who needs support feels able to ask for it.
✨ ✅ ❌When government support falls short, unpaid carers step in to provide care. However, many struggle with burnout, financial pressure, lack of social contact, and a lack of support. This section explores the number of unpaid carers, their increasing workload, and what forms of support are available.
Carers play a vital role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. The percentage of carers receiving direct payments highlights financial empowerment, the number of carers accessing services reflects local authority outreach, and the number turning to charities underscores unmet needs. Together, these data points reveal systemic strengths and weaknesses: low direct payment uptake may push carers toward charities, while effective services can reduce dependence on charitable support. Understanding these metrics enables targeted interventions to ensure carers receive the recognition and resources they deserve.
Unpaid carers play a crucial role in supporting vulnerable adults, often stepping in to provide care when professional services are unavailable or insufficient. Understanding the number of unpaid carers in a local authority can be complicated. On the one hand, a relatively high proportion might be indicative of not enough being done by the local authority, and/or a strong community. On the other hand, a relatively lower number can mean good service provision, lower need, lower availability to look after family, or a problem with reporting.
Still, understanding the number of unpaid carers is a baseline number that must be considered.
NOMIS NM_2213_1
These values are widely considered to be an underestimate. See this report from Carers UK for more information.
August 2021 - Patient with dementia who lives in a shared lives setting. Carer had been requesting respite from the council since September 2020. Croydon Social Prescriber helped with a referral to the local authority in March 2021. Assessment conducted, with the promise they would come back with support, which did not happen. 25 August, social prescriber used the chatbot to find the right legal wording for the situation. The email was sent at 4.52pm that day. At 5.12pm the council contacted the carer to discuss the respite. This was the impact of one letter, addressed to a senior team.
This case study is based on real data from Croydon. Have a story to tell? Let us know, and we might display it here!
Social contact is important for carers’ well-being, as it can help reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness. Understanding the level of social contact that carers have can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a low level of social contact may indicate a need for more social activities or support groups for carers, while a high level of social contact may suggest that carers have a strong support network.
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 11
The type of support available to carers can vary significantly, impacting their ability to provide care effectively. Understanding the types of support available can help identify areas where additional resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers receiving respite care may indicate a need for more support with caregiving responsibilities, while a low number of carers receiving financial support may suggest a need for additional financial assistance.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T47
Access to information is crucial for carers to navigate the social care system effectively. Understanding how easy it is for carers to get information can help local authorities identify areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of carers finding it difficult to get information may indicate a need for improved communication and support services, while a low number of carers finding it difficult to get information may suggest that existing services are effective.
Would you like social care information? Try our Chatbot!
Survey of Adult Carers in England (SACE) - question 17
Note: these values are a work in progress… expect these numbers to go up
Access Social Care and other Helplines help people with information, advice, and support related to social care. Understanding the types of calls received by carers can highlight areas where additional support and resources may be needed. For example, a high number of calls related to financial support may indicate a need for more financial assistance for carers, while a high number of calls related to respite care may suggest a need for additional support with caregiving responsibilities.
It is important to note that, just as in the previous section, low numbers of requests might indicate that people don’t know where to get help, don’t feel they can get (or deserve) help, or other outreach problems. This is particularly important because we often work with people where the role of a carer is not recognised, or where the carer themselves does not recognise their role.
Access Social Care casework, AccessAva data, and helpline partner submissions
In 2021 about 22,800 people in Wolverhampton gave unpaid care. This equals 8,647 carers for every 100,000 residents, a little above the England rate of 8,204. Wolverhampton is a dense, very urban city with high deprivation. Poor health often appears earlier in such places, so families may need to step in sooner. The city is also smaller than the average local authority, so even a modest rise in illness shows up clearly in a per-capita figure.
By 2024, 31.9 % of Wolverhampton carers said they had as much social contact as they wanted. The national figure is 29.3 %. Living in a compact city can help people meet friends and reach support groups by bus or on foot. Local community centres and faith groups are common in Wolverhampton’s neighbourhoods and may offer easy, low-cost places to meet. Still, two in three carers do not get enough contact, so loneliness stays a major risk.
Just under six in ten carers (59.2 %) felt it was easy to find information on services, almost the same as the England average. This suggests council web pages, helplines and leaflets work as well as those elsewhere, yet a large minority still struggle. Low income, limited digital skills and language barriers—issues linked with deprivation—may block access for many families.
The 2024 data show a clear pattern. Around 2,060 carers per year (756 per 100,000 residents) only receive information or advice; this is more than twice the national rate. Direct financial help is also common: about 430 carers get a full direct payment and 375 get a part direct payment, the latter rate being three times the England figure. In contrast, far fewer carers rely on council-managed personal budgets (≈45 people) or on services commissioned only by the council (≈100 people).
This mix points to a policy that favours light-touch, flexible support. Advice and small cash sums cost less than organising home-care packages, so they stretch a budget further in a deprived area. They also let carers choose what works best for their family. The higher take-up of respite or other help delivered to the cared-for person (≈365 carers, nearly double the national rate) suggests the council tries to give carers short breaks rather than long formal packages.
Wolverhampton has more carers per head than much of England, and most of them live in areas of poverty. The city is managing this need by giving widespread information and flexible cash, while offering fewer fully managed services. This approach seems to keep basic satisfaction steady and social contact slightly better than average. However, the heavy reliance on unpaid care and light support could raise the risk of carer burnout, especially as the population grows and ages.
Future plans may need to balance low-cost, self-directed help with more structured respite and home-care options. Better outreach—through libraries, GP surgeries and community hubs—could reach the 40 % who still cannot find the right information. Extra focus on peer support groups may also lift social contact without large extra cost. Finally, close monitoring of carer health and wellbeing is vital, because a small rise in need can quickly strain both families and services in a high-deprivation city.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Wolverhampton has 60 community-based adult social care services and 66 residential care homes. The raw numbers are slightly below or close to the national averages (63.8 and 91 respectively), yet the city serves a smaller population. When adjusted for population size, there are about 22 community services and 24 residential homes per 100,000 residents. England as a whole has roughly 17 and 24 per 100,000. In other words, Wolverhampton offers a relatively rich supply of community support and a typical level of residential places once its mid-sized population is taken into account. This is helpful in an urban area with very limited rural space and a high population density of almost 3,800 people per km², because short travel distances make community services practical and cost-effective.
Nearly three in ten local providers (29.1 %) are rated as “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, compared with only 16.8 % across England. The quality gap is therefore pronounced. A high supply of services is not converting into consistently good care. Wolverhampton is the 13th most densely populated local authority outside London and sits in the third most deprived decile on average. Areas with high deprivation often see greater and more complex care needs, which can stretch providers and make regulatory standards harder to meet. The data suggest that quality assurance and targeted improvement programmes should be a priority, especially in neighbourhoods where deprivation is deepest.
Staffing challenges mirror the quality picture. The turnover rate in 2023/24 was 26.7 %, almost identical to the regional average, yet vacancies were higher at 10.5 % versus 8.4 % nationally. In survey work, 70.3 % of employers in the Midlands described retaining staff as “more” or “much more” difficult, and 81.4 % said the same about recruitment. A tight labour market, rising living costs and competition from retail and hospitality in a dense urban setting are likely drivers. Persistent vacancies mean remaining staff carry heavier workloads, an issue that can directly affect care quality and inspection outcomes.
Wolverhampton’s growing population (up 9,300 since 2019) and its complete absence of rural districts place unique demands on social care. High density brings advantages for community-based models, yet it also concentrates socio-economic pressures. The relatively generous per-capita supply of services shows that commissioning has kept pace with demand, but the elevated rate of poor inspection outcomes points to stress inside many organisations. Workforce instability appears to be a key thread linking supply, quality and user experience.
Local policy may need to focus on three strands: first, strengthening provider quality through mentoring, peer review and targeted capital investment; second, easing recruitment and retention with career pathways, housing incentives and closer ties to further-education colleges; and third, ensuring community services continue to expand so that residential care remains a genuine last resort rather than the default. Addressing these issues is essential if Wolverhampton is to turn its broad service base into consistently high-quality, person-centred care.
✨ ✅ ❌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
[1] "No data available for this local authority"An ombudsman is a person who has been appointed to look into complaints about companies and organisations. The number of cases received and decided by the Ombudsman is important because it provides insight into the volume of complaints about a local authority’s social care services and how effectively these complaints are being addressed. The number of cases received indicates the level of dissatisfaction or systemic issues within a council’s care provision, while the number of cases decided shows how efficiently the Ombudsman is processing and resolving complaints. A large gap between the two may suggest delays in complaint handling, leaving individuals waiting.
It is important to note that contacting the Ombudsman is widely considered a last resort, often discouraged, and sometimes penalised.
Almost every patient registered to Wolverhampton is now sent home from an “acceptable” NHS trust. In November 2024 the rate stood at 99.9%, well above the England figure of 89%. Timeliness is also positive. Only 11.8 % of local discharges were delayed, a little below the national 12.3 %. When a delay did occur, the average extra wait was about half a day (0.52), compared with 0.7 days across England. For a city of 272,000 people that is densely built-up and more deprived than most areas, keeping beds free is hard. These results suggest that the council and NHS partners have tightened joint working, perhaps through earlier planning, rapid reablement at home, or better use of community beds. Shorter stays reduce risks of infection and free staff time for new admissions.
Service users are less happy than the national picture. In the 2024 adult social care survey 59.9 % of respondents said they were satisfied with the help they receive; the England rate was 64.7 %. Another study by NatCen found 57 % of local people dissatisfied. Taken together, these figures point to an experience gap rather than a data blip. They sit alongside a below-average score on finding information: 65.5 % felt it was easy to locate advice about services, while 68.2 % felt so nationally.
Low satisfaction may reflect the city’s wider context. Wolverhampton has no rural hinterland, a population density of 3,798 persons per km², and high deprivation (average Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 3.5 versus 5.9 for England). High demand, complex needs and limited informal support can stretch front-line teams. Residents may also face digital exclusion or language barriers when searching for information, explaining why a third still struggle to navigate the system.
The smoother discharge pathway shows that the local system can mobilise quickly around a clear target. Yet satisfaction scores remind leaders that efficiency alone does not guarantee a good day-to-day service. Shorter stays save money, but if home care is rushed or care plans are unclear, people may still feel unsupported. Similarly, faster turnover can place pressure on community teams, reducing the time they spend listening to individual concerns.
Wolverhampton should keep the strong focus on discharge but pair it with work on communication and personalisation. Simple steps—clearer written information, outreach in community centres, and staff training in strength-based conversations—could lift satisfaction without large extra cost. Given the city’s deprivation profile, extra effort to reach carers who lack digital skills or speak English as a second language is vital. Monitoring whether better information flows translate into higher satisfaction will show if quality is rising in ways that citizens recognise.
✨ ✅ ❌We need to understand how much money is being spent on social care, and what this provides. First, let’s look at values reported by local authorities.
Gross Current Expenditure (2023-24) captures the total operational cost of services, indicating overall demand and financial commitment. This includes spending on residential and non-residential care, direct payments, and other social care services. Understanding gross expenditure helps assess the scale of social care provision and financial pressures on local authorities.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
This figure reflects the net cost of social care provision to the local authority, indicating the extent of financial support required to meet service demands. Understanding net expenditure helps assess the financial sustainability of social care services and the commitment level of the local authority.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Client Contributions, otherwise known as “Charging”, show the extent to which service users offset costs. Understanding client contributions helps assess the financial burden on individuals and the local authority, highlighting the need for fair and equitable funding mechanisms.
It is important to note that not all local authorities charge for social care services, and that charging can be a barrier to accessing care for some individuals.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Income from NHS reflects external funding and collaboration with the health sector. Understanding NHS contributions helps understand the level of integration between health and social care.
ASCFR/SALT Sheet T3
Budget Cuts indicate financial constraints and potential service reductions. Sometimes, budget cuts are explicit, but other times, they aren’t mentioned directly, making tracking this information difficult to access.
As such, this data is not consistently available for all local authorities.
Access Social Care have made a series of Freedom of Information requests about the government’s own assessment of sufficiency of social care funding. The social care sector is in crisis, yet the government refuses to disclose how it determines funding sufficiency. Without transparency, there is little accountability, no independent scrutiny to improve decision-making, and government trust heavily impacted. Evidence from across the sector indicates a severe funding gap, but without open data, meaningful reform remains impossible. True solutions require honesty about the scale of the problem to then work towards a fair and equitable funding model.
The government appears to know how much money is required for social care, and yet they are not making that known.
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In 2024 Wolverhampton spends about £51,053 for every 100,000 people on adult social care before income is taken off. This is around 7 % more than the England figure of £47,758. After client and NHS income are removed the council still spends about £41,916 per 100,000 people, 4 % above the national level of £40,472.
With a local population close to 272,000, the gross cash bill is roughly £140 million and the net bill about £115 million. The city therefore puts a little more money into care, even though it is smaller than the average council.
Clients in Wolverhampton pay about £9,136 per 100,000 people, one quarter more than the national norm of £7,286. This can mean two things. First, more residents may be getting chargeable services because need is higher. Second, the council may be collecting charges efficiently to fill gaps.
NHS support tells a different story. Local NHS bodies contribute only £4,004 per 100,000 people, roughly half the England average of £7,878. Less joint funding can push extra cost onto the council budget and may also slow down integrated care work.
Need in Wolverhampton is likely to be high. The area is almost fully urban, with 3,798 people per km², far denser than the England figure of 2,469. High density often brings more demand for home care, re-ablement and safeguarding. At the same time the city is one of the most deprived in the country: its average deprivation decile sits at 3.5, while England stands at 5.9. Poorer areas tend to have worse health, earlier disability and fewer unpaid carers, all of which raise the public cost of care.
The population has also grown steadily from 263,000 in 2019 to 272,000 in 2023. More residents, even if the rise is moderate, still add pressure to budgets that have not kept pace with inflation.
The council seems to recognise the scale of local need and is spending slightly above the national rate. Yet low NHS contributions suggest a gap in joint planning. Better pooled budgets could ease pressure on the council and improve the flow from hospital to community care.
Higher client charges may help close the funding gap, but they can place strain on households already facing deprivation. Careful means-testing and debt advice will be important.
Finally, no data on recent budget cuts is available, and local leaders say central government knows the real cost of care. Clearer, longer-term funding signals would allow Wolverhampton to plan for its growing, densely packed and deprived population.
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