Start with the care home: the official advice in every UK nation is to raise the problem with the home first where you can. If that does not put things right, in England the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can investigate complaints about all adult care services, whoever pays, usually within 12 months of when you first knew about the problem. In Wales it is the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales; in Scotland you can go straight to the Care Inspectorate; in Northern Ireland the Ombudsman can look at care arranged through an HSC Trust. If someone is in danger, contact the police.
Each part of the UK has its own ombudsman and regulator with different powers: some investigate individual complaints, others use what you tell them to plan inspections. The order and the timing matter, because the English ombudsman says it has to close most of the cases it receives for reasons such as the 12-month limit.
This guide sets out the routes for residential and nursing homes as published by the regulators, the ombudsmen and legislation.gov.uk as of 28 September 2026. It is general information, not legal advice. If a resident was hurt, see also nursing home negligence claims.
Step 1: complain to the care home
In England, Regulation 16 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires every registered provider to operate an accessible system for receiving and responding to complaints, and any complaint must be investigated and acted on. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) says you can ask to see the procedure and should contact the provider in the first instance. Raising a problem with the home is often the quickest way to resolve it.
Put the complaint in writing and keep copies of your letters or emails and the replies. Explain what has gone wrong, how it has affected you and what outcome you want, such as an apology, an explanation or a policy change, and ask when you should expect a reply. You can usually complain for a relative if you have their permission or a legal right to act for them. To see the care records, a resident can ask for copies of their personal information with a subject access request; organisations usually have one month to respond.
In England the home also has a duty of candour under Regulation 20: as soon as reasonably practicable after a notifiable safety incident, it must tell the resident, or in some cases a person lawfully acting for them, give an account of the facts, say what further enquiries it will make and apologise, then confirm this in writing.
Where to go next in each UK nation
If the home's answer does not resolve it, the next step depends on the nation and on who arranges or pays for the care:
| Nation | Next step after the home | Time guide |
|---|---|---|
| England | Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, whoever pays; the council too if it arranges or funds the care. Tell the CQC as well. | Usually within 12 months of first knowing; up to 16 weeks is a reasonable time for a reply |
| Wales | Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, including self-funded care. Tell Care Inspectorate Wales. | Within a year of knowing; 12 weeks is a reasonable time for a final reply |
| Scotland | The Care Inspectorate, directly or after the home. | Raise it as soon as you can |
| Northern Ireland | The HSC Trust if it commissioned the care, then the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman. Tell RQIA. | Usually within six months of becoming aware; the ombudsman within 6 months of the final notice |
Care home complaint route finder
Indicative only. It follows the routes and time limits published by the regulators, the ombudsmen and nidirect, and the legislation cited here, as of 28 September 2026; a limit of a number of months is shown ending the day before, to be safe. It is not legal advice. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
England: the ombudsman, the council and the CQC
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) can look at care in a residential or nursing home arranged directly by someone with their own or their family's money, bought with money from the council, or provided or arranged by a council. Complaints can be about poor-quality care, fees and charges, poor complaint handling, delay, assessments of need, and safety and safeguarding.
It usually looks at a complaint only after the council or care provider has had a fair chance to deal with it, and thinks up to 16 weeks is a reasonable time for a reply. Complain to it within 12 months of when you first knew about the problem; the law sets 12 months beginning with the day of first notice, but lets the ombudsman disapply the time limit. It may not look at a problem you are already taking to court. If it finds fault, it can ask the home or council to apologise, improve its procedures or make a payment, though it cannot make them follow its recommendations.
If the council arranges or funds the care, you can complain to the council as well; under the Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009, a complaint to a council or NHS body must normally be made not later than 12 months after the matter or after it came to your notice. For health complaints, the LGSCO points to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, which investigates complaints about the NHS in England; as of 28 September 2026 it says it will become the Public Service Ombudsman from 1 October 2026, with the same role. The two ombudsmen have a joint team for complaints that cover both health and social care.
The CQC says it is not able to take forward complaints on your behalf, but you should still tell it about poor care, because the information helps protect others. See also claims against social services and the NHS complaints procedure.
Abuse, neglect or someone in danger
If you think a crime has been committed or someone is in danger, the CQC says to contact the police. In England, tell the council as well: under section 42 of the Care Act 2014, where it has reasonable cause to suspect that an adult with care and support needs is experiencing, or is at risk of, abuse or neglect and cannot protect themselves, it must make whatever enquiries it thinks necessary. In Wales, contact your local social services safeguarding team immediately and let Care Inspectorate Wales know. In Scotland, the Care Inspectorate refers adult protection issues to social work agencies or the police.
In England and Wales it is a criminal offence for a care worker to ill-treat or wilfully neglect a person in their care (section 20 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015).
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Wales. Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) says services are required by law to have an easily accessible complaints procedure and that it is usually best to raise concerns with the manager or a senior person first; Llais can support you. CIW cannot look into individual complaints, but your feedback helps it decide when to inspect. If you are still unhappy after the service has investigated, contact the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, which can look at self-funded care in a care home, both personal and nursing care. It thinks 12 weeks is a reasonable time for a final reply and expects you to complain within a year of knowing about the issue.
Scotland. The Care Inspectorate has a statutory duty to deal with complaints about registered care services, such as inadequate standards of care or unsafe care practices. Raising it with the manager first can help, but you can complain to the Care Inspectorate directly by online form, email or phone, confidentially or anonymously. It will not deal with a request for compensation, issues that are in court, or complaints about social work decisions or contracting with a care service.
Northern Ireland. nidirect says to complain to the home first, usually within six months of becoming aware and normally no longer than 12 months after the event, and to contact the complaints manager of the HSC Trust if it commissioned the care. A social care complaint should get a full response within 20 working days. RQIA does not have the legal powers to investigate individual complaints but uses the information in its inspections, and the Patient and Client Council offers a freephone support service. If you are not happy with the final decision, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman investigates complaints about care homes, but its powers over independent providers cover services under an arrangement with a health and social care body, such as a Trust-commissioned place. The Trust or provider must send a written notice within 2 weeks of its complaints procedure ending, and you have 6 months from the day that notice is sent to go to the Ombudsman.
When a complaint becomes a claim
A complaint can bring an explanation, an apology, changes at the home and sometimes a recommended payment, but it is not a court claim: the Care Inspectorate will not deal with a request for compensation, and the English ombudsman may not look at a problem already before the courts. If a resident was injured or became ill because of poor care, a claim has its own time limit; in England and Wales it is usually three years from when the cause of action accrued, or from the date of knowledge if later. See care home fall claims, pressure sore claims and claim time limits, and if the resident died, inquests and fatal accident claims.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I complain to about a care home?
The home first. If that fails, go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in England, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, the Care Inspectorate in Scotland, or the HSC Trust and then the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman where the Trust arranged the care.
Can the CQC investigate my complaint about a care home?
No. The CQC is not able to take forward complaints on your behalf, but it wants to hear about poor care. In England the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigates individual complaints about adult care, including self-funded care.
How long do I have to complain about a care home?
In England, usually within 12 months of first knowing about the problem for the ombudsman, and normally within 12 months for a council or NHS body. In Wales, within a year of knowing. In Northern Ireland, usually within six months to the provider and 6 months from the final notice to the Ombudsman.
Can I complain on behalf of my mum or dad?
Usually yes, with their permission or a legal right to act for them. A subject access request can also be made for someone else if you can prove you have their permission, for example with written permission or a power of attorney document.
Can a care home complaint get me compensation?
An ombudsman can ask a home to make a payment but cannot make it follow its recommendations. If a resident was injured or died because of poor care, a legal claim is separate and has its own time limits, usually three years in England and Wales.
Official places to complain or raise a concern
- Care Quality Commission (England): give feedback on care
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (England): adult social care complaints, including self-funded care
- Care Inspectorate Wales and the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales: concerns, then complaints
- Care Inspectorate (Scotland): complaints about registered care services
- nidirect and NIPSO (Northern Ireland): the provider or HSC Trust, then the Ombudsman
Related guides: nursing home negligence claims, care home fall claims, pressure sore claims, the NHS complaints procedure and claims against social services.
Official sources used for this guide: CQC; LGSCO fact sheet; Regulations 16 and 20 of the 2014 Regulations; Local Government Act 1974, section 34D; Care Act 2014, section 42; Care Inspectorate Wales; Public Services Ombudsman for Wales; Care Inspectorate; nidirect; Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. This guide is general information about the law in the UK, not legal advice; the law can change, so check your own position with a regulated solicitor.