Torbay Council: local authority assessment

Demographics

Torbay is a unitary authority in the South West of England. It has a population of 140,126, making it one of the smallest local authorities in England. It has an index of multiple deprivation (IMD) score of 8, with 1 being least deprived group and 10 in the most deprived group. Compared to other local authorities in the South West region it has the highest IMD score, meaning Torbay is more deprived overall than its regional neighbours.

The population is made up of 17.71% age 0-17 (national average 20.78%); 55.01% age 18-64 (national average 60.48%); 27.29% age 65 and over (national average 18.73%). There is a very high proportion of people over 65 in Torbay, than national average, a lower working age population and a lower population of young people and children. The majority ethnic group is White 96.12% (national average 81.05%) with the next ethnic group being Asian and Asian British 1.6% (national average 9.61%), followed by Mixed or Multiple at 1.5%. The overall health index score (2021) showed the local authority had a value of 95.7 which indicates worse overall health than the national average (which would see a value of 100).

Torbay is part of ‘One Devon’ integrated care system alongside Plymouth and Devon local authorities and partner NHS organisations. The ICB is very large compared to the size of the local authority. Since 2005 Torbay Council has contracted the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to deliver its social care services under a comprehensive Section 75 arrangement (A Section 75 agreement is a legal arrangement under the National Health Service Act 2006 that allows NHS bodies and local authorities in England to pool budgets, delegate functions, and integrate services, especially in areas like adult social care, public health, and children’s services), with the local authority retaining some strategic commissioning functions. 

There is a minority Conservative administration, with a leader and cabinet model of governance. 

A new Director of Adult Social Services has been appointed in recent months.

Financial facts

• The local authority estimated that in 2024/25, its total budget would be £262,017,000.00. Its actual spend for that year was £252,700,890.00, which was £9,316,110.00 less than estimated.  

• The local authority estimated that it would spend £66,276,000.00 of its total budget on adult social care in 2024/25 Its actual spend was £67,255,890.00, which is £979,890.00 more than estimated.  

• In 2024/25, 26.61% of the budget was spent on adult social care.  

• The local authority has raised the full adult social care precept for 2024/25, with a value of 2%. Please note that the amount raised through ASC precept varies from local authority to local authority.​  

• Approximately 3520 people were accessing long-term adult social care support, and approximately 2210 people were accessing short-term adult social care support in 2023/24. ​Local authorities spend money on a range of adult social care services, including supporting individuals. No two care packages are the same and vary significantly in their intensity, duration, and cost.  

This data is reproduced at the request of the Department of Health and Social Care. It has not been factored into our assessment and is presented for information purposes only.