Survey paints mixed picture about social services support
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.
