BriefingsReview of Complaints about Adult Social Care

This briefing is a summary of the Annual Review of Adult Social Care Complaints 2024-25, published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) in September 2025.

Introduction

The LGSCO report states that complaints should be at the heart of any reform of adult social care in England. It stresses there should be greater accountability in the sector, with complaints and complaint-handling being central in helping people raise concerns when things go wrong and helping to ensure effective oversight through improved data and intelligence.

It also notes the significant challenges and pressures in both the public and private adult social care sectors and that this is reflected in the ‘lived experiences of the people who bring their complaints to us and whose voices are heard strongly through our casework’ (p 1).

Key findings for 2024-25

In the year 2024-25, the LGSCO upheld 79% of complaint investigations into adult social care services. It states this is a clear indication of a system that is falling short when people most need support.

The report stated there was an 8% increase in the overall number of complaints received, compared to 2023-34, including a considerable 28% increase in complaints about charging for care and support services. Issues of assessment, care planning and safeguarding continued to make up more than half of the complaints received by the LGSCO.

However, it noted this increase was not seen across the board, and there were relatively few complaints from people who fund their own care. They make up an estimated 23% of all users of care services, yet the number of complaints received from this group were disproportionately low.

Overall findings

• a total of 3,231 complaints received – including 334 from people who funded their own care;
• 3,008 complaints outcomes were decided;
• 987 complaints were investigated;
• 776 complaints were upheld (this included where the organisation had offered a suitable remedy early on);
• 99% were compliant with the LGSCO’s recommendations.

Therefore, of the 987 complaints investigated, 79% were upheld (776 complaints).

Categories of complaints

Assessment and care planning

752 complaints and enquiries were received:

• 685 decided;
• 287 investigated
• 214 upheld = 75%

Charging

630 complaints and enquiries were received:

• 553 decided;
• 229 investigated;
• 185 upheld = 81%

Residential care

326 complaints and enquiries were received:

• 348 decided;
• 149 investigated;
• 124 upheld = 83%

Safeguarding

320 complaints and enquiries were received:

• 298 decided;
• 71 investigated;
• 45 upheld = 63%

Homecare

151 complaints and enquiries were received:

• 148 decided;
• 64 investigated;
• 57 upheld = 89%

Best practice: Systems and oversight

The report makes a number of comments and recommendations about responding to complaints (p8):

‘Complaints are a cost-effective way to identify issues early and make improvements; the best organisations will view them as central to good governance and accountability. Care providers and councils can use the data we publish, alongside their own local information, to ensure their complaints processes are working well, both for people who use their services and the organisation.’

 Use these suggested questions to check the health of your organisation’s approach to complaints:

• Do you actively seek feedback about your services?
• Is your complaints procedure visible in care settings? People should be able to request information about complaints in a format that best suits them.
• Does your organisation set out a timetable for responding to complaints and keep people informed if there are delays? Long delays and poor communication during the complaints process can cause additional distress for people making complaints.
• Do contracts between commissioners and providers contain clear processes for handling complaints?
• Does your organisation work with local partners to provide a single investigation and response to people with a complaint about multiple bodies?
• Does your organisation’s complaints procedure clearly signpost to the Ombudsman? If people have been through all stages of your complaints procedure and are still unhappy, they can ask us to review their complaint.
• Do you regularly review your organisation’s local complaints data and the outcomes of complaints?
• Do your elected members or board members regularly scrutinise complaints data and outcomes?
• How does your organisation ensure it shares the learning from complaints, across care locations or council functions to prevent the same issues affecting others?’

To view the full report from the LGSCO, please see: Annual Review of Adult Social Care Complaints 2024-25.

« Back to Briefings