Complaining about a residential care or nursing home

Independent advocates are trained professionals or volunteers. They work with you to get your voice heard and stand up for your rights.  

Advocacy (Disability Rights UK) 

By law, local councils must provide an advocate. This may be a Care Act advocate. You can contact your local council to request one. Advocates are free.

A Care Act advocate from your local council

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

There are things you can do if you want to complain to the care home.

Speak to the manager first

If you can, tell the manager at the care home about your concerns. They should be willing to discuss the problem with you. They may try to resolve the problem informally. If they do not, you need to follow the complaints procedure. 

Follow the complaints procedure

All residential care and nursing home providers must have a complaints procedure. This explains how you can raise concerns. Ask them to give you a copy so that you know the process you need to follow and what to expect.

The complaints procedure should also be:

• on the provider’s website
• part of the information pack you received on moving in

Complaints procedures vary depending on the care home. But it can help to include this kind of information in your complaint:

• a clear explanation of your complaint and why you are making it
• dates and times of events when you were unhappy with the care received
• details of staff involved if you know them
• any actions you have taken to raise concerns
• how you want the complaint resolved and by when 

You can ask a friend or family member to help you with this. If they do, make sure they keep copies of emails or letters they send.

The home should contact you to let you know their decision and explain how they made it.

There are things you can do if you have been through the care home's complaints procedure but you: 

• disagree with their final response or decision 
• feel your complaint has not been taken seriously 

What you can do depends on how your care is funded.  

Who pays for residential care 

What to do if the council pays for care

Complain directly to the local council that funds the placement at the home. You can find information on how to do this on the council website.

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

If the local council fails to resolve your complaint adequately, you can ask the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to investigate. The Ombudsman is the final stage for complaints about social care providers, including care homes.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

It may be possible to get support from an advocate to contact the Ombudsman.

Get help from an advocate

What to do if the NHS pays for care

If you are disabled and have a primary health need, your care might be funded through NHS continuing healthcare (CHC).

You can find out who to complain to by checking:

• the home's complaints procedure
• a letter from your local health authority about your CHC funding

If you have made a complaint but still feel it has not been resolved, you can complain to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

It may be possible to get support from an advocate to contact the Ombudsman.

Get help from an advocate

What to do if the council and NHS pay for care

Both the council and the NHS may pay for care. If so, it may be easier to follow the advice for ‘What to do if the council pays for your care’.

What to do if care is self-funded

If you or someone you know pays for your placement, you can still take your complaint further. You can complain directly to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Ask about its independent complaints review service. You can contact them:

• using an online form
• in writing
• by telephone

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) cannot investigate individual complaints. But they can inspect the care home to see if the care home is:

• delivering care of the right quality
• safe

You can give feedback to the CQC on your care, or about someone else’s care. They can choose to inspect the care home and order it to improve if necessary. They should reinspect to make sure this has happened. If the improvements do not happen, the local council may change who runs the care home. In rare cases, they might close it.

If you give feedback to the CQC on your care, do this after you make a formal complaint to your local council or the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. 

Give feedback on care (Care Quality Commission) 

If your local council pays for your care, you have more protection under the 1998 Human Rights Act.

It might be possible to get some free legal advice. Some solicitors may offer free advice.

Check if you can get legal aid (GOV.UK)

Finding free or affordable legal help (Citizens Advice)

Find your local Law Centre

But you may have to pay for legal advice.

The Law Society website has a tool where you can search for different types of legal help near you. 

You can also refine the results based on whether they:

• have induction loops
• provide British Sign Language interpreters
• have step-free access
• accept Legal Aid

Find a solicitor on The Law Society website

You can still get information and support from:

• the Scope helpline
• Citizens Advice

You can make an anonymous complaint to the:

• care home
• local council
• Care Quality Commission (CQC)

This will limit how much they can investigate your complaint. This is because they cannot ask you for more details. You will not find out if they have taken any action because of your complaint.

You cannot make an anonymous complaint to an ombudsman.