Southend adult social care and adult carers surveys

Southend adult social care survey

This report details findings from the Personal Social Services: Adult Social Care Survey 2024/25 for Southend-on-Sea City Council Adult Social Services. The national survey takes place every year by councils with Adult Social Care responsibilities.

The survey seeks the opinions of service users aged 18 and over in receipt of long-term support services funded or managed by social services and is designed to hep the adult social care sector understand more about how services are affecting lives to enable choice and for informing service development. The survey is carried out at the beginning of each year with national results published in the autumn: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/personal-social-services-adult-social-care-survey

A random selection of adults who were supported by Adult Social Services over the last 12 months were invited to participate in the survey. For example, these adults might live in a care home, attend a day centre, have a care worker or use other support services. Survey packs were issued in January 2025, with reminders sent out to non-respondents in February 2025. The survey was undertaken by Direct Data Analysis on behalf of Southend’s Adult Social Care Department.

Surveys Sent 957
Completed Responses 328
Response Rate 34.3

The proportion of surveys sent to our service users by their demographics

Gender Proportions
Male 41%
Female 59%
Age Band Proportions
18-24 5.7%
25-34 6.9%
35-44 6.8%
45-54 6.4%
55-64 10%
65-74 13.9%
75-84 21.4%
85+ 28.8%
Support Setting Proportions
Community 87.3%
Residential / Nursing Care 12.7%
Primary Support Reason Proportions
Physical Support 66.4%
Sensory Support 0.5%
Support with Memory or Cognition 2.8%
Learning Disability Support 22.1%
Mental Health Support 7.8%
Social Support 0.4%

ASCOF Results

This survey is used to populate the following outcome measures in the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework: ASCOF.

Measure Result
1A - Social care related quality of life 19.3%
3A - The proportion of people who use services who have control over their daily life 78.6%
5A part 1 - The proportion of service users who report that they have as much social contact as they would like 48.2%
1B - Adjusted Social care related quality of life - impact of Adult Social Care services 0.407%
1D - Overall satisfaction of people who use services with their care and support 66.3%
3C part 1 - The proportion of service users who find it easy to find information about services 72.3%
4A - The proportion of people who use services who feel safe 75.9%

The definitons for these outcomes measures can be seen on the Department of Health's website Adult social care outcomes framework: handbook of definitions

Question responses

The survey consisted of 23 questions with respondents able to select a variety of answers. The following shows the proportion of responses for each question.

Percentages are rounded to one decimal place; the percentages given for each question may therefore not add up to 100%. The proportions have been calculated by weighting the response data using eligible population fingures, to estimate the proportion of the population who hold these views.

Question 1 combined - Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the care and support services

Extremely or very satisfied 66.3%
Quite satisfied 24.3%
Neither satisfied or dissatisfied 5.7%
Quite dissatisfied 2.7%
Extremely or very dissatisfied 1.1%
Total respondents 100%

Question 2a - Thinking about the good and bad things that make up your quality of life, how would you rate the quality of your life as a whole?

So good, it could not be better or very good 33.1%
Good 31.4%
Alright 25.0%
Bad 6.8%
Very bad or so bad, it could not be worse 3.7%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 2b - Do care and support services help you to have a better quality of life?

Yes 94.7%
No 5.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 2c - Which of the following statements best describes how much choice you have over care and support services you receive?

I do have enough choice over care and support services 62.1%
I don't have enough choice over care and support services 27.3%
I don't want or need choice about care and support services 10.7%
Total respondents 100%

Question 3a - Which of the following statements best describes how much control you have over your daily life?

I have as much control over my daily life as I want 36.9%
I have adequate control over my daily life 41.7%
I have some control over my daily life but not enough 14.6%
I have no control over my daily life 6.8%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 3b - Do care and support services help you in having control over your daily life?

I do not need care and support services to help me have control over my daily life 13.2%
Yes 76.8%
No 10.0%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 4a - Thinking about keeping clean and presentable in appearance, which of the follwoing statements best describes your situation?

I feel clean and am able to present myself the way I like 55.9%
I feel adequately clean and presentable 37.4%
I feel less than adequately clean or presentable 5.9%
I don’t feel at all clean or presentable 0.8%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 4b - Do care and support services help you in keeping clean and presentable in appearance?

I do not need care and support services to help me keep clean and presentable 19.3%
Yes 68.4%
No 12.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 5a - Thinking about the food and drink you get, which of the following statements best describes your situation?

I get all the food and drink I like when I want 66.0%
I get adequate food and drink at OK times 28.5%
I don’t always get adequate or timely food and drink 5.0%
I don’t always get adequate or timely food and drink, and I think there is a risk to my health 0.6%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 5b - Do care and support services help you get food and drink?

I do not need care and support services to help me get food and drink 18.6%
Yes 61.9%
No 19.5%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 6a - Which of the following statements best describes how clean and comfortable your home is?

My home is as clean and comfortable as I want 67.2%
My home is adequately clean and comfortable 28.4%
My home is not quite clean or comfortable enough 4.1%
My home is not at all clean or comfortable 0.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 6b - Do care and support services help you in keeping your home clean and comfortable?

I do not need care and support services to help me keep my home clean and comfortable 19.8%
Yes 52.7%
No 27.6%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 7a - Which of the follwoing statements best describes how safe you feel?

I feel as safe as I want 75.9%
Generally I feel adequately safe, but not as safe as I would like 20.7%
I feel less than adequately safe 2.2%
I don’t feel at all safe 1.2%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 7b - Do care and support services help you in feeling safe?

Yes 84.2%
No 15.8%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 8a - Thinking about how much contact you've had with people you like, which of the following statements best describes your social situation?

I have as much social contact as I want with people I like 48.2%
I have adequate social contact with people 31.6%
I have some social contact with people, but not enough 12.7%
I have little social contact with people and feel socially isolated 7.5%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 8b - Do care and support services help you in haveing social contact with people?

I do not need care and support services to help me have social contact with people 27.7%
Yes 44.1%
No 28.2%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 9a - Which of the following statements best decribes how you spend your time?

I'm able to spend my time as I want, doing things I value or enjoy 45.3%
I'm able to do enough of the things I value or enjoy with my time 27.0%
I do some of the things I value or enjoy with my time but not enough 20.2%
I don’t do anything I value or enjoy with my time 7.5%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 9b - Do care and support services help you in the way you spend your time?

I do not need care and support services to help me in the way I spend my time 25.8%
Yes 43.6%
No 30.6%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 10 - Which of these statements best describ how having help to do things makes you think and feel about yourself?

Having help makes me think and feel better about myself 60.3%
Having help does not affect the way I think and feel about myself 29.6%
Having help sometimes undermines the way I think and feel about myself 7.7%
Having help completely undermines the way I think and feel about myself 2.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 11 - Which of these statements best describes how the way you are helped and treated makes you think and feel about yourself?

The way I'm helped and treated makes me think and feel better about myself 59.7%
The way I'm helped and treated does not affect the way I think or feel about myself 30.9%
The way I'm helped and treated sometimes undermines the way I think and feel about myself 8.5%
The way I'm helped and treated completely undermines the way I think and feel about myself 0.9%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 12 - How often do you feel lonely?

Often or always 8.6%
Some of the time 29.4%
Occasionally 21.7%
Hardly ever 21.5%
Never 18.8%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 13 - In the past year, have you generally found it easy or difficult to find ifnroation and advice about support, services or benefits?

I've never tried to find information or advice 45.3%
Very easy to find 15.1%
Fairly easy to find 24.1%
Fairly difficult to find 9.9%
Very difficult to find 5.6%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 14 - How is your health in general?

Very good 15.6%
Good 27.0%
Fair 43.7%
Bad 10.9%
Very bad 2.8%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 15 - By placing a tick in one box in each group below, please indicate which statements best describe your own health state today.

A - Pain or discomfort

I have no pain or discomfort 41.5%
I have moderate pain or discomfort 47.5%
I have extreme pain or discomfort 10.9%
Total respondents 100.0%

B - Anxiety or depression

I am not anxious or depressed 50.8%
I am moderately anxious or depressed 41.5%
I am extremely anxious or depressed 7.7%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 16 - Please place a tick in the box that best describes your abilities for each of the following questions.

A - Do you usually manage to get around indoors (except steps) by yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 58.2%
I have difficulty doing this myself 19.4%
I can't do this by myself 22.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

B - Do you usually manage to get in and out of a bed (or chair) by yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 62.0%
I have difficulty doing this myself 16.0%
I can't do this by myself 22.0%
Total respondents 100.0%

C - Do you usually manage to feed yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 84.2%
I have difficulty doing this myself 10.4%
I can't do this by myself 5.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

D - Do you usually deal with finances and paperwork - for example, paying bills, writing letters - by yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 26.9%
I have difficulty doing this myself 13.0%
I can't do this by myself 60.1%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 17 - Please place a tick in the box that best describes your abilities for each of the following questions.

A - Do you usually manage to wash all over by yourself, using either a bath or shower?

I can do this easily by myself 37.6%
I have difficulty doing this myself 24.8%
I can't do this by myself 37.6%
Total respondents 100.0%

B - Do you usually manage to get dressed and undressed by yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 51.3%
I have difficulty doing this myself 18.7%
I can't do this by myself 30.0%
Total respondents 100.0%

C - Do you usually manage to use the WC/toilets by yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 67.8%
I have difficulty doing this myself 10.6%
I can't do this by myself 21.7%
Total respondents 100.0%

D - Do you usually manage to wash your face and hands by yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 75.8%
I have difficulty doing this myself 9.0%
I can't do this by myself 15.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 18 - How well do you think your home is designed to meet your needs?

My home meets my needs very well 64.2%
My home meets most of my needs 26.5%
My home meets some of my needs 8.2%
My home is totally inappropriate for my needs 1.1%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 19 - Thinking about getting around outside of your home, which of the following statements best describes your present situation?

I can get to all the places in my local area that I want 34.9%
At times I find it difficult to get to all the places in my local area that I want 19.9%
I am unable to get to all the places in my local area that I want 15.8%
I do not leave my home 29.3%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 20 - Do you receive any practical help on a regular basis from your husband/wife, partner, friends, neighbours or family members?

Yes, from someone living in my household 40.1%
Yes, from someone living in another household 43.1%
No 27.0%

Question 21 - Do you buy additional care or support privately or pay more to 'top up' your care and support?

Yes, I buy some more care and support with my own money 33.4%
Yes, my family pays for some more care and support for me 6.5%
No 61.2%

Question 22 - Did you have any help from someone else to complete this questionnaire?

No, I did not have help 29.6%
I had help from a care worker 24.6%
I had help from someone living in my household 19.1%
I had help from someone living outside my household 26.8%
Total respondents 100.0%

Question 23 - What type of help did you have?

I didn't have any help 29.3%
Someone else read the questions to me 48.7%
Someone else translated the questions for me 18.6%
Someone else wrote down the answers for me 28.1%
I talked through the questions with someone else 20.6%
Someone answered for me, without asking me the questions 6.6%