Latest social care statistics on referrals, assessments and packages of care are published today (18 December) by The NHS Information Centre for health and social care (The NHS IC). The provisional data for councils within England for the period of 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 show that:

• An estimated 2.1 million contacts from new clients were made to councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) in England in 2007-08. This figure has shown an increase of 2 per cent from 2.0 million in 2006-07.
• There were an estimated 661,000 new clients for whom the first assessment was completed during 2007-08. This is an increase of 2 per cent from 650,000 in 2006-07.
• An estimated 1.8 million clients were receiving services during 2007-08, this is unchanged from 2006-07. Of those receiving services an estimated:
  • 1.53 million received community based services (up 1 per cent from 1.52 million in 2006-07)
  • 199,000 received independent sector residential care (a decrease of 2 per cent from 203,000 in 2006-07)
  • 25,000 clients received Local Authority staffed residential care (down 10 per cent from 28,000 in 2006-07)
  • 102,000 received nursing care (down 3 per cent from 105,000 in 2006-07)
• 27 per cent (477,000) of the 1.8 million clients receiving services during 2007-08 were new clients.

Commenting on the report, Robert Lake, Interim Director For Social Care Delivery at The NHS IC said; “These provisional figures help paint a picture of how social care services are working and will be useful not only for local social care providers, but also for the Commission for Social Care Inspection when monitoring the performance of social services across councils.”

The full report can be found online at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/commcarestats0708rapc

The NHS IC is also issuing today a report on “Personal Social Services Survey of Adults Receiving Community Equipment and Minor Adaptations in England, 2007-08” which is available online at www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/pssadultsequip0708

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The NHS Information Centre is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with more than 300 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, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work.
   
   The NHS Information Centre 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. Final data is expected to be published in February 2009.
3. For media enquiries please call 0845 257 6990 or contact:
   Fraser Woodward on 07983 629448 (fraser.woodward@ic.nhs.uk)
   Sarah Dahlgren on 0113 254 7272 (sarah.dahlgren@ic.nhs.uk)