Three in five social care service users in London are happy with their care, new figures show. A national survey of social care users found 60.4 per cent of 11,905 respondents in London said they were satisfied with the care they received, a figure which was similar to the average across London.
Across England, 65.4 per cent of recipients of care said they were satisfied with the service they get. However, this ranged from 88.3 per cent in Warwickshire, to 52.3 per cent in Trafford, suggesting significant regional variation. ADASS, a membership organisation that represents those working in adult social care, said this variation “needs to change”, but warned things are “likely to get worse”.
Melanie Williams, president of ADASS said: “It’s positive to hear social care is working well for many people that can access it, but this report confirms variation exists in care and support according to where people live and that needs to change. It also shows carers are under great pressure, often being forced to pick up the pieces due to a care system which isn’t fully meeting people’s needs.”
Those receiving care in the City of London were the most satisfied
(Image: Getty Images)
Across London as a whole, service users were most satisfied in the City of London, with 67.3 per cent saying they were happy with their care. On the flipside, the lowest level was in Southwark, with 53.8 per cent. In total, 16 London boroughs were above the London average when it came to satisfaction with social care:
London boroughs with above-average social care satisfaction (per cent)
- City of London – 67.3
- Kensington and Chelsea – 66.4
- Richmond – 65.4
- Enfield – 65.2
- Wandsworth – 64.8
- Waltham forest – 64.7
- Redbridge – 64.5
- Barking and Dagenham – 63.6
- Tower Hamlets – 63.4
- Westminster – 62.5
- Hounslow – 62.1
- Sutton – 61.8
- Haringey – 61.7
- Newham – 61.4
- Havering – 61.3
- Lewisham – 61.1
The data, from the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework, also asked service users a series of questions about their quality of life, inviting them to give a score out of 24. In London, care services received an average score of 18.5.
As well as those who receive care the survey was also open to carers themselves, and of the 5,130 carers who took part in London, just 33 per cent said they were satisfied with social services. Across London as a whole, carers in the City of London were the most satisfied, with 46.7 per cent expressing a positive attitude towards social services. The least satisfied were in Harrow, where only 22.1 per cent said they were happy.
Ms Williams said changes made in the recent Budget to employers’ National Insurance contribution and National Living Wage increases could further harm the social care sector, creating a shortfall of around £1.3bn. She added: “Fewer people will be able to draw on care and support to help them stay independent and well, including a reduction in support for family carers.”
She welcomed the Government’s plan for a National Care Service, but warned it needs to be “fully funded”, and “co-produced with people with lived experience of care and support”.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said tackling the changes facing adult social care was vital to the Government’s plans for growth. They said: “That is why we are taking the first steps towards building a National Care Service by introducing legislation that will establish the first ever fair pay agreement for care professionals and increasing the Carer’s Allowance earnings threshold by over £2,300 – the biggest rise since the 1970s. Alongside this, we are giving local authorities an additional £3.5 billion in 2025-26, including a £680 million increase in the social care grant to support the sector.”
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