Complaints should be at the heart of any reform of adult social care in England, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is urging in its annual review of complaints.

Launched today, the Ombudsman’s annual review collates data from every complaint it has received over the past 12 months about both independent and council-funded care.

The report presses for greater accountability in the sector, with complaints and complaint-handling playing a central role in helping people raise concerns when things go wrong and support effective oversight of the sector through improved data and intelligence.

The past year has seen the Ombudsman’s adult care caseload rise by eight per cent, including a significant 28 per cent increase in complaints about charging for care services.

However this increase has not been seen across the board, and the Ombudsman is still seeing relatively few complaints from people who fund their own care. People who arrange their own care make up an estimated 23% of all care users, yet the number of complaints received from this group remains disproportionately low.

The Ombudsman has upheld nearly eight out of 10 complaints (79 per cent)  it has investigated about adult care over the past year.

The largest area of work for the Ombudsman focused on assessment and care planning, followed by charging for care. The area with the highest uphold rate in the period was residential care (83 per cent of 149 investigations upheld) followed by charging (81 per cent of 229 investigations).

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“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.”

Key stats for 2024-25 include:

• 3,231 complaints received
• 3,008 complaints decided
• 907 complaints investigated
• 776 complaints upheld
• 99% compliance with recommendations

Article date: 18 September 2025