People four times more likely to receive social care depending on where they live

That is what the figures seem to say. Look at data on home care for your local authority and you will find huge variations in the level of provision of care from one ward to another. Why is this happening?

Are some areas receiving too little attention? Are others taking more than their fair share of resources? Are privileged individuals receiving beneficial treatment? Is there an ethnic bias? Do some communities have a louder voice? Is the apparent inequality proof of inefficient commissioning and waste?

These are the sort of questions that any commissioner might reasonably ask – or be asked. But getting an answer is not easy. At Dr Foster, we recently examined the disparity in home care rates for several authorities. By benchmarking different communities, we were able to see if the differences in home care provision were explained by differences in the population. For example, older people generally have greater needs, so areas with higher numbers of older people have much higher needs.

Our analysis showed that that it was perfectly normal for there to be a four fold variation in demand for home care. However, we also found that high levels of home care are not always where you might expect them.

Commissioners need this sort of intelligent information. They need to be able to tell which figures show the true picture and which give a false impression. They need to be able to know when they are comparing likeforlike, and when they are not. They need to be able to understand the impact of demographics on demand for services and where that demand is not being met. If authorities are going to reduce inequalities, they must first be able to identify them.

Dr Foster is expert in providing this level of understanding. In recent months, we have looked at issues including: the impact of social circumstances on suicide rates; the causes of rising emergency hospital admissions; and the needs of different communities for supported housing.

Our approach is to work in partnership with Local Authorities to help them make the most of the wide range of information available to them. The aim is to give commisioners the information they need to tailor their services to the needs of individual neighbourhoods.

Dr Foster already works with commissioners in most Primary Care Trusts in England. We are now working with a growing number of local authorities to support joint commissioning across health and social care.

To use budgets efficiently, authorities need to allocate resources effectively, improve outcomes and reduce costs. It is not about cutting services but about making sure the right services are in the right place, supportingthe right people.

Dr Foster provides access to comprehensive intelligence on the wellbeing of local communities through its product Population Care Manager. This intelligence highlights specific needs. It provides you with the information you require to develop efficient, targeted programs and underpins world class commissioning.

For more information, please contact:
Philip Moore, Dr Foster Research - Local Government
E: philip.moore@drfoster.co.uk
T: 07500 012 565
W: www.drfoster.co.uk/localgovernment