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 2025-26 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 2026, with reminders sent out to non-respondents in February 2026. The survey was undertaken by Direct Data Analysis on behalf of Southend’s Adult Social Care Department.

Surveys Sent 957
Completed Responses 302
Response Rate 30.8

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

Gender Proportions
Male 42.1%
Female 57.9%
Age Band Proportions
18-24 5.9%
25-34 7.7%
35-44 6.3%
45-54 7.1%
55-64 9.4%
65-74 14.2%
75-84 22.0%
85+ 27.3%
Support Setting Proportions
Community 87.3%
Residential / Nursing Care 12.7%
Primary Support Reason Proportions
Physical Support 66.5%
Sensory Support 0.7%
Support with Memory or Cognition 2.3%
Learning Disability Support 21.0%
Mental Health Support 8.6%
Social Support 0.9%

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 78.0%
5A part 1 - The proportion of service users who report that they have as much social contact as they would like 43.0%
1B - Adjusted Social care related quality of life - impact of Adult Social Care services 0.396%
1D - Overall satisfaction of people who use services with their care and support 66.6%
3C part 1 - The proportion of service users who find it easy to find information about services 66.8%
4A - The proportion of people who use services who feel safe 74.1%

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 66.6
Quite satisfied 26.2
Neither satisfied or dissatisfied 4.6
Quite dissatisfied 1.2
Extremely or very dissatisfied 1.4
Total respondents 100.0

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 32.2
Good 29.7
Alright 27.0
Bad 8.9
Very bad or so bad, it could not be worse 2.1
Total respondents 100.0

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

Yes 92.4
No 7.6
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 59.7
I don't have enough choice over care and support services 28.5
I don't want or need choice about care and support services 11.8
Total respondents 100.0

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 39.3
I have adequate control over my daily life 38.7
I have some control over my daily life but not enough 16.0
I have no control over my daily life 6.0
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 8.5
Yes 80.9
No 10.6
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 56.4
I feel adequately clean and presentable 37.1
I feel less than adequately clean or presentable 5.8
I don’t feel at all clean or presentable 0.7
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 69.2
No 11.4
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 64.8
I get adequate food and drink at OK times 29.3
I don’t always get adequate or timely food and drink 5.6
I don’t always get adequate or timely food and drink, and I think there is a risk to my health 0.3
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 17.4
Yes 62.3
No 20.3
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 66.6
My home is adequately clean and comfortable 27.9
My home is not quite clean or comfortable enough 5.2
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 16.7
Yes 57.7
No 25.7
Total respondents 100.0

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

I feel as safe as I want 74.1
Generally I feel adequately safe, but not as safe as I would like 19.5
I feel less than adequately safe 5.1
I don’t feel at all safe 1.3
Total respondents 100.0

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

Yes 84.9
No 15.1
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 43.0
I have adequate social contact with people 37.6
I have some social contact with people, but not enough 13.2
I have little social contact with people and feel socially isolated 6.2
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 26.2
Yes 45.9
No 27.9
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 41.1
I'm able to do enough of the things I value or enjoy with my time 30.6
I do some of the things I value or enjoy with my time but not enough 19.9
I don’t do anything I value or enjoy with my time 8.3
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 23.3
Yes 48.8
No 27.8
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 58.7
Having help does not affect the way I think and feel about myself 26.0
Having help sometimes undermines the way I think and feel about myself 12.4
Having help completely undermines the way I think and feel about myself 2.9
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 60.9
The way I'm helped and treated does not affect the way I think or feel about myself 28.0
The way I'm helped and treated sometimes undermines the way I think and feel about myself 9.3
The way I'm helped and treated completely undermines the way I think and feel about myself 1.8
Total respondents 100.0

Question 12 - How often do you feel lonely?

Often or always 6.8
Some of the time 16.8
Occasionally 31.5
Hardly ever 19.6
Never 25.2
Total respondents 100.0

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

I've never tried to find information or advice 44.3
Very easy to find 14.9
Fairly easy to find 22.0
Fairly difficult to find 13.3
Very difficult to find 5.5
Total respondents 100.0

Question 14 - How is your health in general?

Very good 14.0
Good 24.7
Fair 44.6
Bad 13.0
Very bad 3.7
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 36.1
I have moderate pain or discomfort 53.3
I have extreme pain or discomfort 10.6
Total respondents 100.0

B - Anxiety or depression

I am not anxious or depressed 52.5
I am moderately anxious or depressed 40.4
I am extremely anxious or depressed 7.0
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 60.8
I have difficulty doing this myself 16.2
I can't do this by myself 23.0
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 62.7
I have difficulty doing this myself 14.9
I can't do this by myself 22.4
Total respondents 100.0

C - Do you usually manage to feed yourself?

I can do this easily by myself 82.8
I have difficulty doing this myself 10.4
I can't do this by myself 6.8
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 25.9
I have difficulty doing this myself 14.9
I can't do this by myself 59.2
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 38.9
I have difficulty doing this myself 19.4
I can't do this by myself 41.7
Total respondents 100.0

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

I can do this easily by myself 49.2
I have difficulty doing this myself 19.7
I can't do this by myself 31.0
Total respondents 100.0

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

I can do this easily by myself 67.2
I have difficulty doing this myself 11.1
I can't do this by myself 21.8
Total respondents 100.0

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

I can do this easily by myself 77.7
I have difficulty doing this myself 8.9
I can't do this by myself 13.4
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 56.5
My home meets most of my needs 33.4
My home meets some of my needs 9.2
My home is totally inappropriate for my needs 1.0
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 31.6
At times I find it difficult to get to all the places in my local area that I want 22.4
I am unable to get to all the places in my local area that I want 15.7
I do not leave my home 30.4
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 42.0
Yes, from someone living in another household 43.7
No 23.4

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 34.3
Yes, my family pays for some more care and support for me 10.2
No 57.2

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

No, I did not have help 24.0
I had help from a care worker 21.8
I had help from someone living in my household 19.9
I had help from someone living outside my household 34.4
Total respondents 100.0

Question 23 - What type of help did you have?

I didn't have any help 23.7
Someone else read the questions to me 49.4
Someone else translated the questions for me 14.3
Someone else wrote down the answers for me 32.6
I talked through the questions with someone else 27.8
Someone answered for me, without asking me the questions 9.3