St Helens Adult Social Care survey highlights strong satisfaction and continued improvement
St Helens Borough Council has released the findings of its 2024-25 Adult Social Care Survey, showing strong satisfaction levels among residents who use care and support services, along with clear year-on-year improvements across several important areas of wellbeing.
Article date: 2 December 2025
Conducted between January and February 2025, the survey was sent to 3,090 Adult Social Care service users across the borough, with St Helens surpassing the average response rate of its statistical neighbours.
The national survey asked people about their experience of services, their quality of life, safety, independence, choice and control, health, and access to information. The results offer an essential insight into how well services are performing and how effectively they are meeting the needs of vulnerable residents.
Welcoming the survey finding, Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Borough Council's Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care & Health, said:
"These survey results are extremely encouraging and reflect the dedication of our workforce, our partners, and the people we support. The findings show a consistent picture of a service that is improving, listening, and delivering for residents - complementing our Adult Social Care Strategy - 'Enabling People to Live Healthier, Happier Lives (2024-2027)' which was coproduced with people who had lived experience of using services and was a driving force in our recent 'Good' CQC inspection.
"We are pleased that so many local people feel safer, more in control, and well supported by the care they receive. We are committed to being a council working 'with you, for you,' and these results demonstrate the real progress we are making together."
High Satisfaction with Care Services
Satisfaction with care services in St Helens remains high and continues to climb. This year, 92.7 per cent of service users said they were satisfied with the support they receive, up from 87.8 per cent last year and above England, North West and statistical neighbour averages. Notably, 73.9 per cent reported being very or extremely satisfied—significantly higher than national and regional results.
Improved Quality of Life
A total of 62.1 per cent of service users rated their quality of life as good, very good, or "so good it could not be better," broadly in line with national averages. Crucially, 94.4 per cent said that care and support services help them have a better quality of life—three percentage points higher than England, the North West, and statistical neighbours.
Choice, Control, and Daily Life
Most residents feel they have sufficient choice and control over the support they receive. This year, 69 per cent said they had enough choice—above the national average—and 81.3 per cent said they had as much or adequate control over their daily life.
Better Access to Information and Advice
Access to information and advice has improved significantly. Of those who tried to find information, 74 per cent said it was easy or very easy to do so—an increase of six percentage points from last year and higher than national and regional averages.
Social Contact and Loneliness
Social connection remains stable and slightly improved. This year, 77.8 per cent said they had as much or adequate social contact, above national averages. Just 5.8 per cent reported feeling socially isolated. Loneliness levels also continue to fall, with 7.9 per cent saying they often or always feel lonely—down from 11.1 per cent last year and below England and North West figures.
Feelings of Safety
Perceptions of safety have risen significantly. This year, 74.2 per cent of respondents felt as safe as they wanted—up from 67 per cent in 2023-24 and above national comparators.
Health and Daily Activities
While residents in St Helens continue to report poorer overall health than those elsewhere, with 33 pe cent rating their health as good or very good, the survey highlights improvements in independence and daily activity.
A total of 72.6 per cent said they were able to spend their time doing things they value or enjoy—up from 65.7 per cent last year and higher than England, North West, and statistical neighbour averages.
Homes, Help, and Additional Support
More than half of respondents (56.1 per cent) said their home was well designed to meet their needs, and 87.3 per cent reported receiving regular practical help. Meanwhile, 47.1 per cent said they or their families purchased additional care or support, down from 52.3 per cent last year.
St Helens Borough Council supports more than 3,800 adults with long-term social care needs, with an additional 3,850 supported to live independently in their own home.
For more information on St Helens Borough Council adult social care services, visit: www.sthelens.gov.uk/socialcare
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