Key facts

• an estimated 2 million contacts from new clients were made to councils with adult social services responsibilities (CASSRs) in England in 2006-07. This figure has remained stable since 2005-06
• there were an estimated 650,000 new clients for whom the first assessment was completed during 2006-07. This number is very similar to that in 2005-06
• an estimated 1.77 million clients were receiving services during 2006-07, a rise of 1 per cent since 2005-06
• 48,000 adults received direct payments during the year, a rise of 28 per cent from 37,000 in 2005-06
• in respect of waiting times around 31 per cent of all new older clients aged 65 and over had their assessment completed within 2 days of first contact, 62 per cent were assessed within 2 weeks and 79 per cent were completed within 4 weeks. This is an increase on the 2005-06 figure of 75 per cent complete within 4 weeks
• 79 per cent of new clients aged 65 and over had received all services specified in their care plan within 2 weeks of their completed assessment with 89 per cent waiting up to 4 weeks. This latter figure has improved from 84 per cent in 2004-05
• around 393,000 carers were offered an assessment or review between 1 April 2006 and 31 March 2007, of which 353,000 (90 per cent) were taken up. Around 108,000 of these carers were assessed or reviewed separately from the client they care for
• of the 353,000 carers assessed or reviewed, an estimated 315,000 carers (89 per cent) received a service following a carer's assessment or review compared to 85 per cent in 2005-06.

Summary

This national summary contains England information and will be followed-up by the full national report in spring 2008 which will contain detailed information at council level.