Care home complaints and abuse Getting help if things go wrong You have a right to receive quality care at a standard that meets your needs. For most people, the care they receive will be just right. But if you or someone you love isn’t happy, there are things you can do to get it sorted. Making a complaint Start by letting your care provider know you’re unhappy. This could be an informal conversation, or care providers should have a formal complaints procedure for you to tell them about your concerns. It’s a good idea to flag a problem if: You’ve been given poor, inaccurate or confusing information about the service You or your family haven’t been treated fairly The quality of care is poor, and if you’re in a care home, the quality of the other services Their complaints procedure is difficult to follow Sadly, there are no guidelines that limit how much the cost of care services can go up by. So, while a complaint isn’t likely to help if prices go up, you should be given notice to give you time to find another service. Taking your complaint to the next stage If your complaint to your care provider doesn’t get resolved, you can ask the Care Ombudsman for your country to step in and look into it. You have this option whether you’re paying for your own care or the local authority pays for you. The things the Ombudsman can investigate include: flaws in policies or decision making poor administrative practice failure to follow statutory guidelines (laws and regulations) failing to consider properly the exceptional circumstances of an individual not properly considering statutory powers or duties failing to give an adequate service If you’re worried about the quality of care you’ve received, you can also report your care provider to their regulator. They can’t look into your specific complaint, but they can record it and any other complaints they receive, which could trigger an inspection. If you suspect abuse If you’re worried that you or someone receiving care is being treated badly, don’t ignore it. You can help by reporting your concerns to the Adult Social Care safeguarding team at your local authority. Or you can call Hourglass on their confidential helpline 0808 808 8141. Abuse comes in lots of different forms, so it’s important that you know what to look out for. Physical abuse – Includes assault, hitting, pushing, misuse of restraint or sedatives Emotional abuse – Includes humiliation, harassment, verbal abuse, limiting access to support Financial abuse – Includes having money or property stolen, being defrauded or ‘scammed’ Sexual abuse – Includes inappropriate touching and indecent exposure Neglect – Includes ignoring medical, emotional or physical care needs Find out more about how to protect older people from abuse Need help? Understanding mental capacity Losing your mental capacity can be a daunting prospect, however the sooner you plan on how to deal with it, the more in control you can be. Your mental capacity Ending your care arrangement If you feel the care you are receiving isn't right for you, you can end your agreement with the provider. How to end your care Find local help to you Whether you need some help at home, or want to find out more about Care Homes in your area, our tool can help. Finding Care tool For a free call with our care experts, call Freephone 0800 086 8170. Open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm. We may record and monitor calls. Request callback Facebook Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Accessibility Legal and regulatory information Privacy policy Cookie policy Security information Sitemap All our websites About us Making a complaint Group website Modern Slavery Statement Careers © Legal & General Group plc 2021 This Website uses Cookies We use cookies to make this website work, and to understand how you use it. This helps us to improve our service and your online experience. Cookies may also collect limited data about your interactions with websites that we may use to provide you with specific content, or to share relevant offers on other websites and social media. You can read our cookie policy to find out more about the cookies that we will store on your computer or device. You can easily customise your cookie settings at any time by using the link at the bottom of our website. For the best experience, we recommend that you accept all cookies. Customise Cookie Settings ✓ Accept All Cookies