The first survey of its kind in England today paints a mixed picture of how adults using social services feel about their care – from control of their own lives to how safe and clean they feel.

More than 60,000 people aged 18 and over, who receive wholly or partially-funded support from social services, responded to the survey; Personal Social Services Adult Social Care Survey, England 2010-11.

Provisional results for 2010-11 – focusing on either end of the scale of positive and negative views - show that among respondents:

Satisfaction and quality of life

• 62 per cent say they are extremely or very satisfied with the care and support services they receive, while three per cent are dissatisfied.
• 26 per cent say life is “so good, it could not be better” or “very good”, but seven per cent say their life is “bad”, and three per cent say life is “very bad” or “so bad it could not be worse”.
• 57 per cent say the way they are helped and treated makes them think and feel better about themselves; but 11 per cent say the way they are helped and treated sometimes or completely undermines the way they think and feel.

Control and safety

• 30 per cent say they have as much control of their daily life as they want, while five per cent say they have no control.
• 62 per cent feel as safe as they want. Five per cent feel less than adequately safe, while two per cent do not feel safe at all.

Cleanliness and food

• 55 per cent feel clean and are able to present themselves the way they like, while four per cent feel less than adequately clean or presentable. One per cent don't feel at all clean or presentable.
• 63 per cent say they get all the food and drink they like, when they want. Four per cent don't always get adequate or timely food or drink, while one per cent don't always get adequate or timely food and drink and think this is a risk to their health.

NHS Information Centre chief executive Tim Straughan said: “Rather than measuring the quantity of care delivered, this report focuses on the quality of the care received from the perspective of those who actually receive it.

“The results give cause for thought – as while they show the majority of those responding to the survey are happy with the care they receive, there are noticeable minorities that have low views both of the service they receive and aspects of their life.

“It is compelling to note that, for example, ten per cent of respondents feel life is bad, very bad or so bad it could not be worse, and eleven per cent say the way they are helped and treated sometimes or completely undermines the way they think and feel.”

The provisional report is available at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/provadultsocialcaresurvey1011

Final results from the survey are expected to be published in December 2011.

Notes to editors

1. The NHS Information Centre for health and social care (The NHS IC) is England's authoritative, central, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researcher, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS IC also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
2. The User Experience Survey Programme operates on an annual basis and is used to target areas of particular interest within Adult Social Services. Opinions are sought over a range of service areas to gain an understanding of service users' views rather than measuring quantities of care delivered. This survey is the first of its kind to cover all service users aged 18 and over receiving services funded wholly or in part by Social Services, and aims to learn more about whether or not the services are helping them to live safely and independently in their own home and the impact on their quality of life. Services received could include residential or nursing care, home care, day care, meals, short term residential care, professional support, equipment, direct payments or a personal budget. A personal budget is a pool of money that can be managed by the service user or the council on their behalf to purchase services for the User.
3. The information is provided at council level for all Councils with Adult Social Services Responsibilities (CASSRs) in England and is provisional. Councils were asked to conduct a survey of all users receiving social services including those in residential or nursing care homes. Guidance was issued to councils on the methodology to be used to ensure comparability. This survey was mainly conducted using a postal questionnaire sent out to service users although councils were able to use face to face interview or a telephone interview if requested by the service user. However of those where method of collection is known less than one per cent received an interview (either face to face or telephone). Councils were provided with a sample questionnaire which is reproduced in Appendix C of the report, although councils were able to include additional questions and local branding. An easy-read version of the questionnaire was made available for councils to send to service users with a Learning Disability. There was also a separate version available for service users in a care home which had slightly modified wording for questions about the “home”.
4. The population sample was defined as those people receiving services on 30 September 2010 who had the capacity to consent to take part in the survey. 61,100 out of a sample of 150,800 recipients of care and social care services responded to the survey, Figures presented are therefore subject to some sampling error.
5. For media enquires please call 0845 257 6990 or contact mediaenquiries@ic.nhs.uk