Today, Care England warns that the alarming drop in public satisfaction is a direct consequence of the deepening crisis in social care, one that the Government has failed to address. New findings from the British Social Attitudes survey, released by the Nuffield Trust and The King’s Fund, reveal that public satisfaction with social care has plummeted to just 13%, the lowest since records began. As the leading voice of care providers, Care England urges the Government to take these stark figures as a clear signal that the status quo is no longer tenable.
Key Findings from the Survey:
- Only 13% of respondents said they were satisfied with social care services – the lowest figure on record.
- 57% reported being either ‘quite dissatisfied’ or ‘very dissatisfied’ with social care.
- Why is Satisfaction so Low?
- Poor pay, working conditions, and lack of training for social care staff (57%)
- Difficulty accessing support (56%)
- Insufficient help for unpaid carers (49%)
- Who is Most Dissatisfied?
- Older people were more dissatisfied, with 63% of over-65s expressing frustration compared to 55% of younger respondents.
- 64% of those who had direct experience with social care in the past year were dissatisfied, compared to 49% who had not used it.
Professor Martin Green OBE, Chief Executive of Care England, reacted to the findings:
“This is yet another wake-up call, but how many more do we need before the Government finally takes action? These statistics aren’t just numbers – they represent real people, families, and care workers who are being let down every single day. Older and disabled people are going without the support they desperately need, unpaid carers are at breaking point, and care providers are struggling to stay afloat. The system isn’t under strain – it’s breaking.”
“Let’s be absolutely clear: this dissatisfaction is not a reflection of the services delivering care. It is a symptom of a system that is chronically underfunded, poorly regulated, and undermined by years of inaction. Care providers and staff work tirelessly, often going above and beyond despite impossible conditions, but they are being set up to fail by a government that refuses to tackle the fundamental issues inflicting the entire sector.”
Professor Green issued a direct call to action ahead of the upcoming Spending Review:
“The Government cannot keep kicking this can down the road. We need a proper funding settlement, which allows fair pay for care workers, and establishes a system that puts people before bureaucracy. If they fail to act now, we will see even more providers collapse, more people stranded without care, and more families left to pick up the pieces. Enough is enough – social care needs action, not more empty promises.”
Care England is urging ministers to prioritise social care funding in the Spending Review, tackle workforce shortages, and deliver long-overdue reforms to prevent the sector from falling into complete crisis.