Skip to content
In this section
Share this page

Adult social care

Leicester Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (JSNA). Health and social care needs associated with Adult Social Care, 2018.

Who’s at risk and why?

Support available from ASC can be offered to any adult over 18 years who is assessed as having an eligible need. This includes:

  • older people (65+);
  • people with physical and/or sensory disabilities;
  • people with learning disabilities;
  • people with mental health difficulties;
  • people with HIV/AIDS;
  • people with drug or alcohol problems;
  • people with a long-term or terminal illness;
  • those caring for people who are in any of these groups.

The level of need in the population

During 2016/17 just under 13,000 requests for support was received by ASC services in Leicester City, with over 4,500 people receiving long term support. Around 40% of males and 60% of females received long term support and a majority of these clients were of White and Asian/Asian British ethnicity. The main reasons for accessing long term support for those aged between 18-64 were learning disability support and physical support. For those aged 65 years and over, the main reasons for accessing long term support was physical support and mental health support.

Current services in relation to need

Leicester has the following features in relation to people using the adult social care services:

  • A relatively high number of people receiving self-directed support and direct payments
  • A relatively high number of adults with a learning disability in paid employment but a relatively low number of people in contact with mental health services in paid employment (there are some data issues with this second indicator and so this cannot be stated reliably)
  • Relatively low numbers of adults aged 18-64 admitted to residential or nursing care but a relatively high number of older people aged 65+ admitted
  • A low relatively low number of people using services who feel safe but a similar number to other areas of people that say those services make them feel safe and secure

Projected services use and outcomes in 3-5 years and 5-10 years

Leicester’s adult population is set to increase over the coming years. This is the case for the population overall and those that may need support from ASC. Like many areas across the Country, the Council will need to manage this increased need (and therefore predicted increased demand for services) with decreasing budgets available to fund services. This means that the Council will either need to restrict the numbers of people that can receive services, restrict the type or level of service on offer or work creatively to find lower cost ways of meeting needs or preventing escalation of need.

Unmet needs and service gaps

From April 2015, a national eligibility criteria has been established through the Care Act 2014. All councils are now obliged to apply the following criteria:

  • Needs which meet the eligibility criteria: adults who need care and support
  • Outcomes for adults with care and support needs
  • Needs which meet the eligibility criteria: carers
  • Outcomes for carers with support needs

Leicester is currently reviewing the offer made to carers to ensure that its duties under the Care Act are complied with. This may lead to an increase in services provided to carers and work to project this is currently underway.

Recommendations for consideration by commissioners

The predicted growth in people needing ASC support into the future coupled with the reduction in funds available to local authorities, presents a major challenge. Commissioners will therefore need to support people in making positive choices about how they live their lives, in order to remain healthy and able for as long as possible and to find new ways of supporting them when they need some extra help. It is expected that more people will be supported to live at home into the future and services will increasingly be focused on helping them to remain independent and to gain or retain life skills and links with their local community.

Onward journeys