Adult social care complaints rise 22% as Ombudsman urges sector to act on lessons

Complaints and enquiries about adult social care in England rose by 22% in 2025-26, according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

The Ombudsman received 3,938 complaints and enquiries about adult social care during the year, an increase on the previous year.

The number of complaints from people who fund their own care also increased, rising by 10% to 368. The Ombudsman said the increase indicated growing awareness among self-funders of their right to complain, but warned that too few people who arrange and pay for their own care come forward given the scale of privately arranged care.

Of the 904 cases investigated by the Ombudsman, 77% were upheld.

The organisation said its recommendations continued to receive a high level of compliance, with 99.8% of cases completed to its satisfaction.

There were also signs of improvement among private social care providers. Around a third (33%) of upheld complaints about private providers had already been suitably remedied by the organisation before the Ombudsman investigated. This represented a 13-percentage-point increase on the previous year.

Amerdeep Clarke, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

"We are seeing welcome signs of improvement in how councils and care providers handle complaints, but there is still more to be done. My message to the sector is simple: use the learning in this report to improve services now, rather than waiting for wider changes to the care system that are currently under discussion.

"Councils should ensure the care providers they commission have current policies in place that reflect best practice, including clear signposting to us as the final step in the complaints process.

“And for care providers, dealing with complaints properly isn't just the right thing to do, it i fundamental to fostering excellent relations with your clients, families, and the wider communities in which you operate. Handling a complaint well protects your reputation, and where you have already investigated and appropriately remedied an issue, this can mean a full Ombudsman investigation isn't needed.

"Behind every one of these numbers is a person, a family or a carer trying to get things back on track after something has gone wrong. Getting the fundamentals right: clear records, honest explanations and proper signposting to our service, protects everyone: the people who rely on care, and the organisations providing it."

The Ombudsman is encouraging councils and care providers to use the findings from the review to improve their complaints processes and services.

It has called on councils to ensure commissioned care providers have up-to-date complaints policies reflecting best practice, including clear information about how people can escalate complaints to the Ombudsman.

The LGSCO also provides a free online toolkit for care providers to help organisations become "complaints confident", alongside guidance and training for councils on managing complaints and reviews.