Ombudsman urges reform of adult care complaints system

The report draws on all complaints made to the Ombudsman over the past year about both council-funded and independent care. It calls for greater accountability in the sector, stressing that complaint handling should play a central role in identifying problems, supporting people to raise concerns, and improving oversight through better use of data and intelligence.

In 2024-25, the Ombudsman’s adult care caseload rose by 8%, with a particularly sharp 28% increase in complaints relating to charging for care. However, people who fund their own care — around 23% of all care users — remain under-represented in the figures.

The Ombudsman upheld nearly eight out of ten (79%) of the complaints it investigated last year. The largest proportion related to assessment and care planning, followed by charging for services. Residential care complaints had the highest uphold rate, with 83% of 149 cases upheld, followed by charging at 81% of 229 cases.

Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said the complaints often featured poor communication between councils and service users.

“We know wider reform is needed to deliver sustainable and effective adult social care services. Any reform must include changes to the complaints process.

“While such changes are debated, there is much that councils and care providers can do to improve services without a mandate to change.

“Many of the complaints we receive highlight poor communication with service users and their loved ones, often leaving them to feel like numbers rather than human beings.

“I urge all councils and care providers to prioritise clear, timely and compassionate communication, ensuring people are informed, consulted and empowered. This is not only the foundation of providing quality care, but also the most effective way to prevent dissatisfaction and complaints from arising in the first place.”

Over the past year, the Ombudsman received 3,231 complaints about adult care and decided 3,008 cases. Of these, 907 were investigated in detail, with 776 upheld. In nearly every case, councils and care providers accepted the Ombudsman’s findings, with a compliance rate of 99%.

The Ombudsman said these figures underline the importance of reforming complaints procedures to ensure they become a stronger driver of improvement across adult social care.