How to complain about care to your local council
If you want to challenge a decision regarding your care or have a complaint about the care you’ve received, you have...

You have a right to complain if you aren’t happy with the care you’re receiving at home.
It’s vital that you’re comfortable with the care you receive and confident that it’s right for you. You should feel safe and the care should meet your needs. However, unfortunately you may come across issues such as:
If you’re unhappy with your care, first try to resolve it by having an informal conversation with the council if they fund or arrange your care. Even if you're meeting the full cost of the care yourself, you should still approach the council if they're arranging your care for you, as they're responsible for your care.
If you're making private, self-funded arrangements that don't involve the council, approach the care agency providing your care.
If that doesn’t work, ask for a copy of the council or agency’s complaints procedure, which they are required to have, and make a formal complaint.
If you’re not happy with the outcome of the complaints procedure, ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to investigate further.
If you’re paying for your own care, ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman about its independent complaints review service.
You can also inform the , which regulates social care services in England. While they can’t help you directly, they may decide to investigate the care provider or enforce changes as a result.
Your local council is required to provide an independent advocacy service to assist you to make a complaint.
You can also contact your local ̽»¨ÊÓƵ or call ̽»¨ÊÓƵ's Advice Line on 0800 678 1602, who'll be able to advise you about your complaint.
If you experience any kind of mistreatment by someone who is caring for you, contact your local council. They have a duty to follow up concerns.
You can also contact ̽»¨ÊÓƵ Advice on 0800 169 65 65 or call the confidential helpline to discuss the situation.
Find out more about protecting yourself and others from abuse
We offer support through our free advice line on 0800 678 1602. Lines are open 8am-7pm, 365 days a year. We also have specialist advisers at over 120 local ̽»¨ÊÓƵs.
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