In this section
Legal guidance
General guidance
UK Care Home Providers for Older People - Advice on Consumer Law Helping Care Homes Comply with Their Consumer Law Obligations assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61b09fbde90e070448c520f0/CMA_care_homes_consumer_law_advice_----.pdf
Care Homes and Consumer Law Short guide assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/756656/short_guide_for_businesses_care_homes.pdf
Principles of Good Complaint Handling ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/page/0188-Principles-of-Good-Complaint-Handling-bookletweb.pdf
My Expectations for Raising Concerns and Complaints ombudsman.org.uk/sites/default/files/Report_My_expectations_for_raising_concerns_and_complaints.pdf
England
'Care Quality Commission, Regulation 16: Receiving and acting on complaints' cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/regulations-enforcement/regulation-16-receiving-acting-complaints#guidance
Key lines of enquiry, prompts and ratings characteristics for adult social care services cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/20171020-adult-social-care-kloes-prompts-and-characteristics-final.pdf
Wales
Statutory Guidance: For Service Providers and Responsible Individuals on Meeting Service Standard Regulations for:
• care home services
• domiciliary support services
• secure accommodation services; and
• residential family centre services gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-04/guidance-for-providers-and-responsible-individuals.pdf
A Guide to Handling Complaints and Representations by Local Authority Social Services gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2019-05/a-guide-to-handling-complaints-and-representations-by-local-authority-social-services.pdf
Scotland
Health and Social Care Standards gov.scot/publications/health-social-care-standards-support-life/pages/1/
The Social Work Model Complaints Handling Procedure (Model CHP) Guide to Implementation spso.org.uk/the-model-complaints-handling-procedures
The Social Work Model Complaints Handling Procedure spso.org.uk/the-model-complaints-handling-procedures
Northern Ireland
Residential Care Homes Minimum Standards 2011 rqia.org.uk/RQIA/files/ea/ea7c184c-8bb5-41e3-a270-db34fc2fad9a.pdf
Care Standards for Nursing Homes - April 2015 rqia.org.uk/RQIA/files/7d/7dec5d24-796a-440a-9a60-7deb7112c994.pdf
'Complaints procedure' gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care/about/complaints-procedure
'Raising a concern about a service' rqia.org.uk/guidance/guidance-for-the-public/raising-a-concern-about-a-service/
Laws and regulations
Consumer protection law
Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013
Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008
Consumer Rights Act 2015
England
Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 16
Wales
The Regulation and Inspection of Social Care (Wales) Act 2016
Regulated Services (Services Providers and Responsible Individuals) (Wales) Regulations 2017 (as amended)
The Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014
The Representations Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014
Section 33(1) of the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2005
The Adult Placement Schemes (Wales) Regulations 2004
Scotland
Section 22(2)(a) of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Act 2002
Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010
Northern Ireland
The Residential Care Homes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
The Nursing Homes Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005
Section 25 of the Public Services Ombudsman Act (Northern Ireland) 2016
UK regulators
England
Care Quality Commission
cqc.org.uk
Wales
Care Inspectorate Wales
careinspectorate.wales
Scotland
Care Inspectorate
careinspectorate.com
Northern Ireland
Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority rqia.org.uk; also: RQIA guidance on raising a concern: rqia.org.uk/contact/complaints-feedback/raising-a-concern-about-a-service
UK ombudsmen
England
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
lgo.org.uk
General resources lgo.org.uk/adult-social-care/resources-for-care-providers; My Expectations for Raising Concerns and Complaints lgo.org.uk/information-centre/reports/guidance-notes/my-expectations-for-raising-concerns-and-complaints; Guidance on running a complaints system lgo.org.uk/information-centre/reports/guidance-notes/guidance-on-running-a-complaints-system; Training for providers: lgo.org.uk/training/providers
Wales
Public Service Ombudsman for Wales
ombudsman.wales
Scotland
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
spso.org.uk
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman Complaints Standards Authority
https://www.spso.org.uk/spso
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
nipso.org.uk/nipso
Background reading
England
Adult social care: Quality matters assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/795351/Adult_Social_Care_-_Quality_Matters.pdf
Quality Matters: Acting on Compliments, Feedback and Complaints About Adult Social Care - a Good Practice Guide for Adult Social Care Practitioners qualitycarecounts.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Quality-Matters-complaints-guidance-July-2018-1.pdf
How to Complain About a Health or Social Care Service cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/how_to_complain_about_a_health_or_soc_care_service_large_print_20110906_0.pdf
Wales
Want to Complain About the Care you Pay for? You and the Ombudsman ombudsman.wales/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/23181-Update-Want-to-complain-about-the-care-you-pay-for_E_v5.pdf
Putting Things Right wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/documents/1064/Putting%20Things%20Right%20April%202012.pdf
Scotland
SPSO Statement of Complaints Handling Principles https://www.spso.org.uk/the-model-complaints-handling-procedures
Care Inspectorate Scotland: How we Deal with Concerns and Complaints About Care careinspectorate.com/images/documents/4107/How%20we%20deal%20with%20concerns%20and%20complaints.pdf
How to Complain About a Social Work Service spso.org.uk/sites/spso/files/communications_material/leaflets_public/2018%20Social%20work.pdf
SPSO Complaints Improvement Framework https://www.spso.org.uk/complaints-improvement-framework
Health and Social Care Standards: My Support, my Life gov.scot/publications/health-social-care-standards-support-life
Northern Ireland
'The Experience Of Living In A Nursing Home' patientclientcouncil.hscni.net/the-experience-of-living-in-a-nursing-home
Information leaflet for all authorities within the Ombudsman's jurisdiction nipso.org.uk/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/N9-Information-Leaflet-for-all-authorities-within-the-Ombudsmans-jurisdiction-February-2018.pdf
Adult Safeguarding Operational Procedures Adults at Risk of Harm and Adults in Need of Protection hscboard.hscni.net/download/PUBLICATIONS/safeguard-vulnerable-adults/niasp-publications/Adult-Safeguarding-Operational-Procedures.pdf
RQIA Provider Guidance 2019-20 Nursing Homes rqia.org.uk/RQIA/files/f5/f572c310-0a64-4c92-9f32-2967edf82cc9.pdf
Adult Safeguarding: Prevention and Protection in Partnership health-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dhssps/adult-safeguarding-policy.pdf
Signposting to the Ombudsman - a Guide for Public Authorities nipso.org.uk/site/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Signposting-to-NIPSO.pdf
CMA Care Homes Market Study Evidence from the Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5981ebe8ed915d0228000048/the_commissioner_for_older_people_ni_response_to_update_paper.pdf
NI Direct website
nidirect.gov.uk/information-and-services/care-and-support/residential-care-and-nursing-homes
HSC Trusts' websites
online.hscni.net/
Advocacy and support organisations by nation
England
Patient Advice and Liaison Service
nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-treatments/what-is-pals-patient-advice-and-liaison-service
The NHS Complaints Advocacy Service
nhscomplaintsadvocacy.org
Patients Association
patients-association.org.uk
The Relatives and Residents Association
relres.org
Citizens Advice
citizensadvice.org.uk
Wales
Citizens Advice Wales
citizensadvice.org.uk/wales
Advocacy Matters Wales
advocacymatterswales.co.uk
Scotland
Scottish Independent Advocacy Alliance
siaa.org.uk
Citizens Advice Scotland
cas.org.uk
Northern Ireland
Patient and Client Council
patientclientcouncil.hscni.net