This page provides an overview of social care in York, 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 York. 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 share of residents who report a disability is 16.8 per cent. The England average is 17.6 per cent. York therefore has a slightly smaller disabled population. This fits with the city’s low deprivation level—its mean deprivation decile is 7.6, well above the national figure of 5.9—and with its large student and working-age workforce. Better health and higher incomes often delay the onset of long-term illness, so fewer people tell the census that they are disabled.
In 2024, 1,190 working-age adults asked the council for support. This equals 575 requests for every 100,000 residents, about half of the national rate of 1,143. York’s smaller pool of disabled people explains some of the gap, yet the difference is bigger than the prevalence data alone would predict. It may point to better informal support from family or to stronger voluntary groups that solve problems before people turn to statutory services.
During the same year 935 adults were in receipt of care packages, or 452 per 100,000. The national rate is 533 per 100,000, so again use is lower. The mix is instructive. Residential placements run at 63 per 100,000, slightly above the England figure of 61. Community support funded through council-managed personal budgets is 215 per 100,000, well below the national 267. Direct-payment-only packages are absent. In short, fewer working-age disabled residents receive support at home, and a slightly larger share live in residential settings.
The pattern could reflect supply rather than need. York has a tight housing market and high rents; finding suitable adapted homes is hard. Residential homes may therefore become the default, even for people who would prefer to live independently. The lack of direct payments could point to cautious commissioning or limited brokerage services that help citizens employ personal assistants.
Contact with advice teams is low overall, but the mix again hints at unmet need. Queries about assessments stand at 4.4 per 100,000, over twice the England figure of 1.7. Calls about carers and about charging for services are also higher than average. These topics often arise when families look after disabled relatives at home and need clarity on eligibility or costs. The pattern supports the earlier view that many residents rely on informal care but seek guidance when that support becomes hard to sustain.
York’s population is just over 206,000 and is growing slowly. Density is 746 usual residents per square kilometre, far below the England mean of 2,469. Services therefore cover a wide area, raising travel costs for home-care staff. Only 17 per cent of residents live in rural communities, so most care is delivered in an urban setting, yet not at inner-city density. These geographic factors may also drive the higher use of residential care, as it is sometimes cheaper to bring people to one site than to send workers across the city.
York’s lower disability prevalence and relatively affluent profile reduce headline demand, but the service mix shows possible pressure points. Expanding direct payment support and investing in adapted housing could help more disabled adults live independently. Advice lines already pick up early signs of stress among unpaid carers; strengthening that front door may prevent later crises. Finally, monitoring the balance between residential and community care will be important as the population ages and expectations of personalised support rise.
✨ ✅ ❌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
Between 2019 and 2023 the share of York residents who are aged 65 plus rose gently from 18.9 per cent to 19.3 per cent, then levelled off. In every year the proportion sat about half a percentage point above the England average. With total population climbing to 206,780 in 2023, this means roughly 40,000 older citizens now live in the city. York is therefore slightly “older” than the country as a whole, although the gap is small. The city is also less densely populated (746 residents per km²) and markedly less deprived (mean Index of Multiple Deprivation decile 7.6 versus 5.9 nationally). A lower level of deprivation often correlates with better health and longer periods of independent living, factors that can dampen demand for formal care.
In 2024 there were 4,605 requests for support from people aged 65 plus, equal to 2,227 per 100,000 residents. This rate sits about nine per cent below the national figure of 2,438 per 100,000. Given York’s higher proportion of older people, the lower rate of requests suggests that many residents may be coping without statutory help, perhaps thanks to stronger informal networks, healthier ageing or easier access to voluntary services. The picture is consistent with the city’s relatively low deprivation and its mix of urban and rural communities, which tends to foster neighbourly support but can also hide unmet need when services are further away.
A total of 1,625 older residents were in receipt of long-term support during 2024. This equates to 786 per 100,000 people, well below the England rate of 1,003 per 100,000. Across all settings—nursing homes (104 per 100,000), residential homes (210), and community-based packages (430)—York sits under the national benchmark. The gap is widest for community services, where the city issues fewer managed personal budgets and direct payments than average. A smaller caseload could point to healthier older residents, efficient early-intervention, or, conversely, barriers to accessing care in dispersed rural pockets. Monitoring waiting times and outcomes would help confirm which interpretation is correct.
Data for 2025 show that older people in York seek advice on assessments at a rate of 4.4 per 100,000—more than double the national norm. Requests for help with safeguarding, legal issues, and complaints are also higher than average, while enquiries about direct payments and charging are close to national levels. This pattern hints that residents are relatively confident in asking for procedural guidance but may find the care system complex. The contrast between high information-seeking and low uptake of long-term care strengthens the hypothesis that navigation, rather than pure demand, limits service use.
York’s steady, slightly above-average share of older residents will persist, so the city must plan for continued pressure on health and social-care budgets. Yet current demand is muted compared with national figures, owing in part to low deprivation and possibly to better underlying health. Maintaining this advantage will require investment in prevention—such as falls services, digital monitoring, and community transport—so that older people stay well for longer.
The data also highlight the importance of clear, joined-up advice. Strengthening first-contact teams, simplifying assessment pathways, and extending outreach into rural areas could convert information-seekers into timely recipients of support, preventing escalation to costlier residential care. Finally, the lower use of direct payments suggests an opportunity to promote personalised options, aligning with York’s emphasis on choice and independence.
York is already an older-than-average, comparatively affluent city. Older residents ask for help and information at healthy rates but enter formal care less often than their peers elsewhere. By focusing on preventive services and clearer navigation, the council can support a growing older population while keeping long-term care needs manageable.
✨ ✅ ❌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 York recorded about 7,365 unpaid carers per 100,000 residents, roughly 9 % below the England rate of 8,204. With a mid-sized population of just over 200,000 and lower deprivation than average (mean decile 7.6), the city may have fewer people living with long-term illness or poverty-related need, which can reduce caring duties. However, the figure only counts carers known to services, so a lower rate can also signal hidden need among families who are coping alone.
The latest survey suggests 28.9 % of carers feel they have as much social contact as they want, fractionally below the national 29.3 %. Although the gap is small, it matters because isolation is a consistent risk for carers. York’s modest population density (746 residents/km² versus 2,469 nationally) means support groups and respite venues can be farther apart, making informal contact harder even in an urban authority.
Positively, 62.6 % of carers in York say it is easy to find information about services, three points above the England average. This suggests the council’s digital and face-to-face signposting is working, helped by relatively high education levels linked to lower deprivation. Maintaining clear, single-front-door routes remains important, especially while social contact scores lag.
York issues direct payments at 193 per 100,000 people, well above the national 150. This pattern fits with local policy that promotes choice and control. In contrast, only 2.4 per 100,000 carers receive council-commissioned support without a personal budget, far below the England rate of 102. Information and signposting activity (222 per 100,000) is also lower than the national 339. Taken together, the data imply a deliberate shift: York encourages carers to manage their own support rather than rely on traditional commissioned services. While empowering for confident carers, the model risks excluding people who lack the time or skills to arrange help.
The 2025 return records three cases (1.45 per 100,000) under the “Carers UT1” category, double the national rate. Although the numbers are tiny, they may point to complex situations reaching statutory thresholds. Early attention to such cases could prevent escalation.
York’s carers benefit from good information and widespread use of direct payments. The main challenges are hidden caring roles and persistent feelings of isolation. To address them, the council could widen proactive identification—working with GPs, employers and community groups—while strengthening locality-based peer networks so that carers do not have to travel far for social contact. Increasing investment in universal information services would also help people who are not ready to take on a personal budget. Continuous monitoring of the small but rising number of higher-risk cases will ensure resources remain aligned with need.
Overall, York’s relatively affluent, compact population supports a preventative, personalised approach, yet sustained effort is required to make sure all carers, not only the most confident, can benefit.
✨ ✅ ❌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
York has 36 community-based adult social care services and 37 residential care homes. At first sight these numbers look small when set against the national averages of 63.8 and 91. Yet York’s population is also much smaller than the average English local authority. When the figures are adjusted for size, York has about 17 to 18 providers per 100,000 residents for both service types. This is almost identical to the national rate for community services (around 17 per 100,000) and only modestly lower than the national rate for residential homes (about 24 per 100,000). In other words, people in York can reach a community service just as readily as the average English citizen, but they have fewer residential options. The city’s relatively compact geography – 746 residents per square kilometre compared with the national 2,469 – means that travel times to each home are likely to be shorter than in many shire areas, partly offsetting the smaller choice.
Almost one in five York providers (19.2%) are rated “requires improvement” or “inadequate”, slightly above the England figure of 16.8%. The gap is small yet important. York is an affluent authority (average deprivation decile 7.6), so higher need is unlikely to be the main driver. A more plausible explanation is workforce pressure. Although the city’s vacancy rate is lower than the national level (6.4% versus 8.4%), managers still report great difficulty in filling posts: 82.5% say recruiting is “more” or “much more” challenging, above the national 79.8%, and 70.5% say retaining staff is harder, again above the benchmark. These perceptions suggest that vacancies are being held down only by constant effort, and that quality may slip when even a few posts remain unfilled.
Annual staff turnover stands at 25.2%, almost identical to the national average. York therefore loses one in four care workers each year. In a tight local labour market, finding replacements quickly is costly and can disrupt continuity of care. The lower headline vacancy rate hints that providers manage to fill posts faster than their peers, but they may be doing so by hiring people with less experience or by relying on agency staff. Either route can depress inspection ratings if induction, supervision and culture do not keep pace.
The main gap lies in residential capacity. A lower number of homes per resident can limit choice for people with complex needs, who often need a specific setting rather than any available bed. With York’s population growing again after a brief fall in 2020-21, demand for beds is likely to rise. Commissioners may wish to encourage new specialist provision, possibly by supporting smaller providers to scale up.
On quality, a city with relatively low deprivation should aspire to inspection outcomes that are comfortably better than average. Targeted help for the minority of struggling services, alongside joint work on recruitment campaigns, apprenticeship schemes and housing support for key workers, could lift standards. Keeping vacancy levels low is already a local strength; turning that strength into greater stability and higher quality will be the next test for the sector.
✨ ✅ ❌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 all people who leave hospital in York are sent to a service that the Care Quality Commission says is suitable. In November 2024 the rate was 96.5 per cent, above the England figure of 89 per cent. This suggests that the council and the local NHS trust work closely and plan well for discharge. The city’s size helps: with around 207,000 residents, managers can know the main providers and keep pathways clear.
However 13.9 per cent of discharges were delayed, slightly higher than the England rate of 12.3 per cent. The typical delay in York was 0.61 days, shorter than the national 0.7 days. In practice, more people experience a hold-up, but each hold-up is brief. One reason may be the mixed urban–rural geography. Only 17 per cent of residents live in rural areas, yet arranging transport and community services for these households can still add an extra day. Continued work on rapid home-care start times could cut the number of delays without needing more hospital beds.
In the 2024 survey, 65.1 per cent of adult social care users in York said they were satisfied with the help they receive, close to the England average of 64.7 per cent. York is less deprived than most places, with a mean deprivation decile of 7.6 compared with 5.9 nationally. Families may therefore be better able to top up council services, which can raise satisfaction. The city is also more compact than many large shire counties, so visiting staff spend less time travelling and more time with clients.
A separate NatCen question recorded 57 per cent who were dissatisfied. The wording differs from the main survey, so direct comparison is hard, yet it hints that a sizable group feels expectations are not met. This may reflect rising demand from an ageing population rather than poor practice. York’s older age profile brings more long-term conditions, so even good services can seem stretched.
Finding information matters too. Sixty-nine per cent of users said it is easy to locate advice, slightly above the national rate of 68.2 per cent. York’s strong digital offer and the presence of several well-known voluntary groups probably help. Maintaining up-to-date online directories and simple paper leaflets will keep this advantage, especially for residents without internet access.
York performs well on the core tests for quality improvement. Hospital discharges are generally safe, delays are short, and most users report positive experiences. The challenge is consistency: cutting the proportion of delayed discharges and closing the gap between satisfied and dissatisfied respondents. Given the city’s relatively small, affluent and compact population, targeted investment in community reablement teams and clearer communication about what social care can and cannot provide should deliver quick gains. Continuous joint planning with the hospital trust will be essential to keep the high standard already achieved.
✨ ✅ ❌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 the City of York Council spent an estimated £90 million on adult social care. This represents £43.7 million for every 100,000 residents, around eight per cent lower than the England average (£47.8 million). Once income from clients and partner bodies is taken off, the net cost falls to about £73.5 million, equal to £35.5 million per 100,000 people and 12 per cent below the national figure.
The shortfall in overall spending is partly balanced by the way York funds its services. Client charges bring in £8.2 million per 100,000 residents, roughly 13 per cent above the national norm. NHS contributions stand at £9.4 million per 100,000—almost one-fifth higher than the England rate. Together, these two streams supply about £36 million, nearly half of all gross spend, so the council depends less on its own revenue than many authorities.
York is one of the least deprived places in England (average deprivation decile 7.6 against 5.9 nationally). Residents are therefore more likely to hold savings or property, making means-tested fees more collectable and explaining the high level of client income. Lower deprivation also tends to come with lower rates of multiple long-term conditions, which can reduce demand for intensive care packages and help contain gross costs.
The city’s population, about 207,000, has grown only modestly—around 1.4 per cent since 2019—so demographic pressure is limited for now. Density is 746 residents per square kilometre, far below the England average of 2,469. York is predominantly urban yet compact; travel distances for home-care providers are manageable, while the market is not as dispersed as in fully rural counties. These factors can keep unit costs lower and may partly explain the below-average expenditure.
Although spending is leaner than average, the strong inflow of NHS money suggests effective joint working, perhaps through the Better Care Fund or discharge schemes. This integration can ease pressure on hospital beds without forcing the council to expand its own budget heavily.
However, the gap between York’s net spend and the national benchmark has widened at a time of high inflation and rising wage bills. If price growth continues, providers may struggle to remain viable on current fees, and any downturn in residents’ ability to pay charges could erode a key source of income. In addition, an ageing population could increase demand faster than recent trends suggest.
York is presently delivering adult social care with below-average public spend, offset by above-average contributions from clients and the NHS. This model fits a relatively affluent, compact city, but it leaves limited headroom for shocks. Close monitoring of waiting lists, provider stability and the volume of unmet need will be essential to maintain service quality while keeping expenditure at its present level.
✨ ✅ ❌