Living Well at Home UKClear, practical guidance for later life
Practical guide

By Does Your Duck Quack

How to complain about home care and social care in the UK

Complain about home care by recording what happened, asking for a clear remedy and using the correct regulator and ombudsman route in your nation.

Checked: 12 October 2026 · Next review: 12 April 2027 · Applies to: UK, with nation notes
How this guide was prepared

Purpose: how to guidance · Level: detailed

Checked by: Does Your Duck Quack. Sources are linked below; seek professional advice for individual circumstances.

The short answer

What to do first

Complain about home care by recording what happened, asking for a clear remedy and using the correct regulator and ombudsman route in your nation.

Start here: Deal with missed medicines, food, toileting, transfers or other immediate risks first. Call 999 for immediate danger and use safeguarding routes for suspected abuse or neglect. Record dates, what happened, the agreed care plan, who was contacted and the effect on the person. Respect their wishes and consent; do not promise that a complaint will be secret.

Visual guides

See the decision at a glance

Complaints ladder
  1. Raise it with the providerState what happened, the desired remedy and any immediate safety action; keep dates and copies.
  2. Contact the commissionerIf care was arranged by a council, trust or NHS body, use its complaint and safeguarding routes.
  3. Use the correct national routeRegulators and ombudsman or review bodies differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
  4. Emergency or crimeCall 999 for immediate danger and contact police or safeguarding services for suspected abuse or crime.
Social-care contact finder
  1. Assessment or fundingUse the council adult social care service in Great Britain or the HSC trust in Northern Ireland.
  2. Provider qualityContact the provider first, then the commissioner, safeguarding service or correct national regulator as appropriate.
  3. Unresolved complaintUse the ombudsman or review body for the relevant nation after completing the required local process.
Social-care complaints by nation
  1. EnglandProvider or council process, then the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman where applicable.
  2. ScotlandProvider or council process, then the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman; the Care Inspectorate accepts care concerns.
  3. WalesProvider or local-authority process, then the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales; CIW accepts concerns.
  4. Northern IrelandProvider or HSC process, then the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman; RQIA accepts concerns.

Scope of this guide

This guide helps you understand the options and questions to ask. It is not personal medical, legal or financial advice. Check the official sources for your nation and seek qualified help for high-stakes decisions.

Who this guide is for

People receiving home care and representatives with permission who need to raise a concern, seek a remedy or alert a regulator.

A complaint can concern lateness, missed care, medicines, dignity, staff conduct, charges or failure to follow the care plan. Complaining should not reduce care quality or lead to retaliation. A regulator may assess service quality while an ombudsman considers an eligible complaint or service failure; their roles differ.

Practical steps

1. Make the person safe and record what happened

Deal with missed medicines, food, toileting, transfers or other immediate risks first. Call 999 for immediate danger and use safeguarding routes for suspected abuse or neglect. Record dates, what happened, the agreed care plan, who was contacted and the effect on the person. Respect their wishes and consent; do not promise that a complaint will be secret.

2. Complain clearly to the provider and commissioner

Write a focused complaint stating the outcome or remedy wanted. Keep copies, ask for the complaints policy, acknowledgement and response deadline, and make the person’s consent clear if acting for them. Where relevant, complain to the council, HSC trust or NHS commissioner as well as the provider.

3. England: council, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and CQC

Start with the provider and commissioning council. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can consider eligible adult social-care complaints, including many self-funded care complaints, after local steps. CQC receives concerns and uses them to regulate services, but does not resolve every individual dispute. Raise abuse or neglect with the council safeguarding team.

4. Scotland: provider or partnership, SPSO and Care Inspectorate

Complain to the provider and the council or health and social care partnership when it arranged the service, and request a written response. The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman considers eligible public-service complaints after local procedures. Care-service concerns may also be made to the Care Inspectorate. Raise immediate abuse or danger with adult protection services or police; call 999 for immediate danger.

5. Wales: provider or local authority, Public Services Ombudsman and CIW

Use the provider and local authority social-services complaint procedure; state the impact and remedy sought. The Public Services Ombudsman for Wales may consider eligible unresolved complaints about public bodies and certain care services. Care Inspectorate Wales accepts concerns about regulated services. Use safeguarding, social services or police for abuse or neglect, and call 999 for immediate danger.

6. Northern Ireland: provider or HSC trust, NIPSO and RQIA

Complain to the provider and relevant HSC trust when it arranged or delivered care, and ask for the HSC complaints procedure and written outcome. The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman may investigate eligible unresolved public-service complaints. RQIA accepts concerns about regulated services. Report immediate danger to 999 and suspected abuse or neglect to the HSC trust adult safeguarding service or police.

Questions and checks

Common questions

Should I complain to the care agency or the council first?

Usually tell the provider what went wrong and what would put it right, so it has a chance to respond. If the council or Trust arranged or funds the service, contact that body too, especially when the care plan or commissioning decision is involved.

What can the care regulator do about my complaint?

The regulator checks whether registered services meet standards and may use information to decide what inspection or regulatory action is needed. It may not be able to resolve your individual dispute or secure a personal remedy. England uses CQC, Scotland the Care Inspectorate, Wales Care Inspectorate Wales and Northern Ireland RQIA.

Which ombudsman deals with a home-care complaint?

England’s Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman handles eligible complaints about councils and many care services. Scotland uses the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman for public services; Wales uses the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, including some independent care complaints; Northern Ireland uses NIPSO for eligible public-body complaints. Follow the local process first.

Can someone complain on behalf of a person receiving care?

A person can usually ask someone they trust to help, but the service may need the person’s permission before discussing private information. Explain what the person wants, how they wish to be involved and what information may be shared. in writing.

Before you act

Write down the outcome you want, the names and dates involved, and the evidence or documents you already have. Ask for important decisions, costs and next steps in writing. If information is unclear, ask which nation’s rules are being used and when the decision will be reviewed.

If there is a delay or disagreement

Keep a short factual record of calls, letters and missed actions. Ask for the responsible person, the written reasons, the complaints or review route and any deadline. Immediate health or safety risks should be escalated separately rather than waiting for a routine complaint.

Differences across the UK

Social-care complaint, regulator and ombudsman routes differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The right route also depends on who arranged or funded care. Follow the nation-specific steps below; use safeguarding and emergency routes separately if someone is unsafe.

Primary sources

The publisher checked this guide against the 14 official sources below. This is an editorial source check, not approval by a clinician, lawyer or benefits adviser.

Editorial note: By Does Your Duck Quack.