How do I complain about a care home?
Short answer
Start with the home’s own complaints procedure — every registered home must have one and must respond in writing. Then escalate: the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for council-arranged care, the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman for NHS-funded care, and the CQC for regulatory concerns.
Complaints about care homes work best in the right order, and with the right body. Skipping the internal stage usually sends you back to it, while relying on the CQC alone rarely resolves an individual grievance.
Stage one: the home
Every registered care home must have a complaints procedure and must respond in writing. Put your complaint in writing too: set out the incidents with dates, who was involved, what you have already raised verbally, and the outcome you want — an apology, a change of practice, a refund, or a specific action.
You can complain on a resident’s behalf with their consent. If they lack capacity, you can complain in their best interests without explicit consent, and the home should accept it.
Stage two: the ombudsman
- Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman — for council-arranged or council-funded care, and for self-funded care in a registered home.
- Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman — where the care is NHS-funded, for example under continuing healthcare.
The LGSCO can recommend an apology, a financial remedy for the injustice caused, procedural changes or staff training. It cannot fine a provider or remove its registration — that is the CQC’s role.
Where the CQC and the police fit
The CQC receives concerns and uses them for regulatory purposes — inspections, ratings and enforcement — but it does not investigate individual complaints or obtain redress for one family. Report to it anyway: patterns of concern drive inspections.
Go straight to the police where you suspect a criminal offence — physical assault, sexual abuse, theft or financial fraud. Call 999 if there is immediate danger, or 101 otherwise, and report to the council’s safeguarding team at the same time. A council must make section 42 enquiries where it suspects abuse or neglect of an adult with care and support needs, and that enquiry is led by the council, not the home.
If you fear retaliation against your relative, say so. Penalising a resident because a complaint was made breaches CQC standards, and you can raise concerns anonymously with the CQC or through safeguarding.
Related guides
Care Home Complaints
If you or a family member are unhappy with the care received in a care home, you have the right to complain. Care homes are required to have a complaints procedure. If the complaint is not resolved internally, it can be escalated to the Care Quality Commission and, in relation to council-arranged care, to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
5 min
Safeguarding Adults
Adult safeguarding is the process of protecting adults who have care and support needs from abuse or neglect. If you are worried about yourself or someone else, you have the right to report concerns to the local council, which has a legal duty to investigate. Acting early can prevent serious harm.
6 min
Changing Your Care Provider
You have the right to change your care provider if you are unhappy with the care you receive. The process depends on whether care is council-funded or self-funded, and whether you are changing a home care agency or moving care homes. This guide explains your rights and the practical steps involved.
5 min
Care Home Closures, CQC Enforcement and Your Rights as a Resident
More than one in eight English care homes are rated 'requires improvement' or 'inadequate' by the Care Quality Commission, and dozens close every month — sometimes with only days of notice. This guide explains what CQC enforcement looks like in practice (special measures, conditions on registration, urgent suspension), what your rights are as a resident or relative when a home is failing or closing, who pays for an emergency move, and how to challenge a council's choice of replacement placement. It also covers what to do if neglect or abuse is happening now and you need to act before any inspection finds it.
12 min
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