Sandwell compared with all councils in England
Compared with the 130 councils in England.
- Residents
- 352,918 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,244 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Sandwell sits
7
measures in the bottom quarter
4
measures below the middle
10
measures in the top half
Sandwell compares worst with all councils in England on:
- stage 1 housing complaints answered in time (77th of 82; 1st is highest)
- household waste reused, recycled or composted (112th of 128; 1st is highest)
- enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents (112th of 130; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- prevention cases ending with a home secured (3rd of 127; 1st is highest)
- families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more (28th of 123; 1st is lowest)
- council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard (20th of 83; 1st is lowest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Sandwell | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 29.8% | 59.0% | Bottom quarter 97th of 126 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Sandwell | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 4.3 | 4.8 | Top half 52nd of 130 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 48.7 | 41.2 | Below the middle 84th of 130 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 13.3% | 15.2% | Below the middle 66th of 115 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 58.3% | 75.6% | Bottom quarter 85th of 104 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Sandwell | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | 67.0% | 66.5% | Top half 37th of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | 68.9% | 66.5% | Top half 25th of 82 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | 75.0% | 72.2% | Top half 28th of 82 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | 58.7% | 56.2% | Top half 33rd of 82 | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | 75.7% | 83.1% | Below the middle 62nd of 83 | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | 1.1% | 4.1% | Top half 20th of 83 | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | 38.2% | 73.6% | Bottom quarter 77th of 82 |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Sandwell | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 93.2% | 94.8% | Below the middle 96th of 130 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Sandwell | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 35.5 | 18.1 | Bottom quarter 103rd of 130 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 4.3 | 37.5 | Bottom quarter 112th of 130 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 26.8% | 37.7% | Bottom quarter 112th of 128 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Sandwell | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 1.7 | 2.8 | Top half 43rd of 126 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 1.0% | 13.6% | Top half 28th of 123 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 86.6% | 51.7% | Top half 3rd of 127 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 25.7% | 34.9% | Bottom quarter 97th of 127 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Sandwell | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 94.8% | 92.5% | Top half 44th of 130 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Sandwell’s children's services good at its last full inspection, in October 2025.
- Outstanding
- 39 of the 130 councils in England
- Good
- 56 of the 130 councils in England, including Sandwell
- Requires improvement
- 24 of the 130 councils in England
- Inadequate
- 11 of the 130 councils in England
Over time
Sandwell against the median of all councils in England.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Sandwell: 29.8%
- Median (all councils in England): 59.0%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Sandwell: 4.3
- Median (all councils in England): 4.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Sandwell: 26.8%
- Median (all councils in England): 37.7%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Sandwell: 35.5
- Median (all councils in England): 18.1
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Sandwell. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.