Adult Social Care Personal Experience Survey
The annual NHS Digital Personal Experience Survey will be sent, by post, from 12 January 2026. The people who receive it have been randomly selected from those who receive care funded by Peterborough City Council. The deadline for the survey to be completed is 30 January 2026. This is an important opportunity for people to have their say about what is working and what we could do better to improve the quality of our care and support services. We will be publishing the results of the survey later this year.
Adult Social Care Personal Experience Survey 2024
Every year the government asks councils to carry out a national survey of people receiving long term adult social care that is funded by the council.
On this webpage you can find the results for Peterborough City Council.
The results were published nationally by NHS Digital in October 2024. You can view them here.
We sent out 1258 Surveys by post and received back 441 responses, a response rate of 32%. This was much lower than response rate than for the survey undertaken in 2023, which had a response rate of 36%.
Alongside the nationally prescribed questions, we included some local questions following consultation with the senior management team and our partnership and engagement forums. These local questions focussed on whether services were respectful of cultures and beliefs. There was also a question about how people prefer to contact local services.
In 2024 571 (45%) of those receiving a survey were aged 18-64, a slight reduction in percentage from (46%) in 2023.
In 2024 49% of the returned surveys were from adults aged 18-64, the same percentage as 2023.
The proportion of those surveyed who are female has always been larger than the proportion who are male. However, the 2024 survey saw a small reduction in the percentage of female respondents at 59% compared to 62% in 2023.
The respondents to the survey were largely white at 86%, with 8% being Asian, 4% being other ethnicities and the rest not being stated.
The most common primary support reason was 'learning disability' at 35%, an increase on 33% in the 2023 survey.
The next largest was 'personal care support' 30%, followed by 'access and mobility' at 21% and 'mental health' at 7%.
The responses to the survey and the analysis will be used to inform our service improvement and service development work.
We also share with staff and stakeholders, including the Care Quality Commission.
We are currently working with our Adult Social Care Forum and Partnership Boards to explore issues relating to accessing information and advice and feeling safe. This
will be to determine what actions might be taken to improve experience in these areas.
The Adult Social Care Survey feeds a number of national indicators within the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF). These are national performance indicators for Adult Social Care.
Experience worsened in 4 areas in 2024 compared to 2023. The lowest performing area was the question relating to feeling safe. For this metric the council ranks 137th out of 153 councils.
| Indicator name | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2020 | Eastern Region 2024 | Similar Councils 2024 Median | England 2024 | 2024 rank |
|
Social care-related quality of life score (Score out of 24) |
18.9 | 19.2 | 19.1 | 19.4 | 19.1 | 19.1 | 19.1 | 93 |
|
The proportion of people who use services who have control over their daily life |
77.1 | 79.2 | 75.9 | 79.0 | 78.1 | 78.7 | 77.6 | 89 |
|
The proportion of people who use services who reported that they had as much social contact as they would like |
41.1 | 45.9 | 38.9 | 48.0 | 44.4 | 44.3 | 45.6 | 121 |
|
Overall satisfaction of people who use services with their care and support |
62.8 | 61.7 | 66.8 | 63.0 | 65 | 64.5 | 65.4 | 100 |
|
The proportion of people who use services who find it easy to find information about support |
68.9 | 68 | 64.1 | 72.0 | 67.5 | 69.5 | 67.9 | 72 |
|
The proportion of people who use services who feel safe |
64.8 | 68.7 | 66.8 | 73.0 | 71 | 70.7 | 71.1 | 137 |
Assessing Needs
The survey has a range of questions linked to how well the recipient feels they are able to undertake day to day tasks. There was decline in positive responses for all of the areas covered in 2024, which reflects increasing levels of need for people receiving council funded support.
| Daily Task | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | England | Region |
| Getting around outdoors | 53.7% | 55.5% | 52.1% | 52.2% | 53.1% |
| Getting in and out of bed/ a chair | 54.2% | 57.6% | 54.2% | 55.2% | 56.1% |
| Feeding myself | 76.6% | 78.5% | 76.2% | 76.8% | 78.2% |
| Dealing with finances and paperwork | 14.2% | 17.8% | 15% | 19.5% | 20.4% |
| Washing all over, bathing or showering | 32.0% | 33.8% | 31.4% | 32.1% | 31.4% |
| Getting dressed / undressed | 39.9% | 46.1% | 42.1% | 42.4% | 43.6% |
| Using the toilet | 57.5% | 62.8% | 56.2% | 58.9% | 60.2% |
| Washing face and hands | 65.3% | 72.5% | 66% | 69.3% | 71.2% |
The responses in respect of daily living tasks were also less positive than regional and national averages in all areas, this was a direct change from the previous year where they were more positive. This does seem to evidence the increasing levels of need which our staff have been reporting.
The survey also explores how well the respondent feels that their housing meets their needs. The percentage who stated that their home met most or all their needs decreased slightly from 88.4% to 87.1% but this is higher than the regional (86.6%) and England (85.0%) average.
Supporting People to Live Healthier Lives
The survey asks several questions linked to the respondent’s perceived health and wellbeing. The responses for 2024 worsened in 7 of the 9 areas including health in general. The table shows the percentage answering positively.
| Health and Wellbeing areas covered | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | England | Region |
| Keeping clean and presentable | 63.1% | 60.1% | 60.4% | 56.8% | 57.8% |
| Getting enough food and drink | 68.7% | 67.1% | 66.8% | 63.4% | 64.5% |
| Clean and comfortable home | 71.7% | 66.0% | 64.4% | 65.7% | 64.3% |
| Contact with people you like | 41.7% | 47.8% | 44.4% | 45.6% | 44.4% |
| Never / hardly ever feeling lonely | NEW | 38.9% | 33.4% | 36.6% | 37.0% |
| Good health in general | 46.3% | 44.0% | 43.7% | 42.2% | 40.2% |
| Not pain or discomfort | 38.1% | 36.0% | 36.0% | 37.0% | 36.4% |
| No anxiety or depression | 50.8% | 51.8% | 49.6% | 49.3% | 50.8% |
| Getting around outside the home | 20.8% | 38.7% | 40.3% | 49.1% | 48.6% |
Equity in Experience
There are some general outcome related questions within the survey, which link also to how accessible services are, or how services support people’s outcomes and experience. The following table shows four experience and outcome measures. Two of the four improved from 2023, and Peterborough responses remained more positive that the region and
England in 3 out of 4 areas. However, Peterborough respondents were less positive about the choice they had over care and support.
| Experience of outcomes | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | England | Region |
| Good quality of life overall | 67.7% | 65.9% | 66.4% | 62.4% | 60.5% |
| Choice over care and support | 71.7% | 73.1% | 68.2% | 70.3% | 72.7% |
| Control over daily life | 78.7%7 | 81.2% | 80.3% | 77.6% | 8.1% |
| Doing things I value and enjoy | 73.7% | 69.4% | 71.2% | 69.1% | 68.9% |
The following metrics reflect how respondents experience of support and how they felt this affected their outcomes.
| Experience of outcomes | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | England | Region |
| Care and support aids with control | 89.4% | 90.2% | 90.4% | 88.8% | 89.4% |
|
Having help makes me feel better about myself |
91.6% | 87.2% | 85.2% | 84.9% | 84.9% |
|
How I am helped and treated makes me feel better about myself |
89.9% | 87.2% | 87.0% | 86.5% | 87.2% |
| Easy to find information and advice | 65.9% | 67.5% | 71.2% | 67.9% | 67.5% |
|
Care and support helps in how I spend my time |
69.8% | 70.2% | 75.8% | 69.3% | 63.1% |
Peterborough respondents answered more positively than the England or regional average, in all areas excepting how they were helped and treated, where the answers were more positive than England overall but slightly less positive that the region.
Care Provision, Integration and Continuity
The survey provides a number of responses around how care and support services help people’s experience in day-to-day life.
| Experience of care and support | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | England | Region |
| Overall extremely / quite satisfied | 89.7% | 89.6% | 87.4% | 88.7% | 88.8% |
| Care and support help quality of life | 93.7% | 94.6% | 91.4% | 91.3% | 92.3% |
| Help keeping clean and presentable | 90.2% | 88.9% | 88.3% | 88.2% | 89.7% |
| Help to get food and drink | 86.0% | 81.7% | 84.2% | 83.3% | 81.3% |
|
Keeping home clean and comfortable |
74.1% | 75.8% | 77.5% | 74.7% | 71.5% |
| Having social contact with people | 67.2% | 69.5% | 71.1% | 67.1% | 67.8% |
| Help with how you spend your time | 69.8% | 70.2% | 75.8% | 69.3% | 63.1% |
A slightly higher percentage of Peterborough respondents felt services helped them with all of the tasks asked about than the England averages. The percentage feeling helped by services had increased since 2023 for all tasks excepting keeping clean and presentable.
In respect of being satisfied with the care and support services received the percentage who answered that they were either extremely, very or quite satisfied had decreased from 89.6% to 87.4%, and had fallen below the England and region overall. The percentage being extremely or very satisfied had increased from 63.2% to 65.1%.
Safe systems pathways and transitions
The survey asks respondents how safe they feel overall and a breakdown of responses is shown in the table below.
| How safe you feel | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | England | Region |
| I feel as safe as I want | 69.2% | 70.5% | 68.4% | 71.1% | 71.0% |
|
Adequately safe but not as safe as I would like |
23.7% | 22.8% | 22.9% | 23.3% | 23.6% |
| Less than adequately safe | 4.3% | 5.5% | 6.9% | 3.7% | 3.8% |
| I don’t feel safe at all | 2.9% | 1.1% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.6% |
A lower percentage of respondents than the previous year stated that they felt as safe as they wanted.
Key themes from comments relating to feeling safe.
1. Fear of Falling: Many respondents expressed concerns about falling, both inside and outside their homes. .
2. Concerns About Intruders: Some individuals reported feeling unsafe due to the fear of intruders.
3. Health and Mobility Challenges: Health issues and mobility challenges were frequently mentioned as factors that make individuals feel unsafe.
4. Mental Health Concerns: Mental health issues also contributed to feelings of unsafety.
Safeguarding
There was a slight decrease in the percentage of respondents who felt that services helped them to feel safe, this remained lower that the England and regional averages.
| Services help me to feel safe | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | England | Region |
| Yes | 84.7% | 86.9% | 86.8% | 87.8% | 88.2% |
Several comments highlighted problems with care and support services, which contributed to feelings of unsafety. For instance, one respondent noted, "The Manager, basically says one thing and does not follow through." However, many noted a mixed picture with many good staff mentioned.
Local Question
Members of our Adult Social Care Forum and Partnerships Boards also wished to understand how people prefer to contact the council or other services providers. The following local question was therefore included:
| How do you prefer to contact the council or other services? | 2024 | 2023 |
| Somebody else does this for me | 57.3% | 51.2% |
| Telephone call | 46.9% | 44.0% |
| Posted letters | 23.4% | 23.5% |
| 13.0% | 10.8% | |
| Text | 5.7% | 4.7% |
| Online chat | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Online forms | 0.5% | 0.9% |
NOTE: multiple options were allowed.
Over 50% of respondents relied on somebody else to contact services for them, and this had increased in the current year. Of those who made contact themselves the preference was telephone or posted letters. The preference for telephone had increased from last year whereas the preference for post had decreased very marginally. Preferences for email had increased, although still below post and telephone. Online forms were the least popular option.
In addition to the prescribed national questions Local Authorities can choose additional, where they think these may add value. In collaboration with members of our Adult Social Care Forum and Partnership Boards the following three local questions were included in the survey.
In addition to the prescribed national questions Local Authorities can choose additional, where they think these may add value. In collaboration with members of our Adult Social Care Forum and Partnership Boards the following three local questions were included in the survey.
Do your care workers support you in a way that respects your background?
| Answer | 2024 | 2023 |
| Always | 68.6% | 72.3% |
| Most of the time | 22.8% | 20.1% |
| Some of the time | 3.3% | 4.7% |
| Never | 5.4% | 3.1% |
Do your care workers support you in a way that respects your religious beliefs?
| Answer | 2024 | 2023 |
| Always | 67.0% | 70.4% |
| Most of the time | 22.2% | 20.3% |
| Some of the time | 2.3% | 3.3% |
| Never | 6.6% | 5.9% |
Do your care workers support you in a way that respects your cultural beliefs?
| Answer | 2024 | 2023 |
| Always | 68.1% | 71.6% |
| Most of the time | 24.3% | 20.6% |
| Some of the time | 2.7% | 4.7% |
| Never | 4.9% | 3.1% |
On the whole respondents answered positively in respect of the way care workers respected their backgrounds, cultures and beliefs. However, in all areas the “Always” response had declined from the previous year. The responses around respect for religious beliefs were the least positive with 6.6% feeling that care workers never supported them in a way that respected their religious beliefs.
Generally comments were that the respondents did not feel these questions were applicable to them, particularly in relation to religion.
Alongside any support provided or funded by the council 29.5% of respondents said that they brought additional care and support with their own money, an increase from 27.6% the previous year.
8.9% stated that their family paid for additional care and support for them, this was an increase from 5.8% the previous year.