Who is the Ombudsman?
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) is the definitive voice on complaints for adult social care in England.
We provide an independent and impartial review into what has happened. When a complaint cannot be resolved between a customer and a care provider, the customer has a right to complain to the Ombudsman.
We have more than 50 years’ experience looking into council-delivered care complaints and for the last 15 years we have also handled self-funded care complaints.
Care providers can rely this guidance, being based on our considerable experience.
Who is this toolkit for?
This toolkit is for adult social care providers, including care homes, supported living services and domiciliary care providers. It is particularly relevant for registered managers, complaints leads, senior staff and anyone responsible for responding to concerns and complaints.
It is also useful for teams reviewing or updating their complaints policy to ensure it reflects the latest good practice.
Why does this toolkit matter?
A clear and accessible complaints process builds trust. When people understand how concerns will be handled, what timescales to expect and where to turn if they remain dissatisfied, they feel more confident that they are being treated fairly and respectfully.
Strong complaints handling is also a hallmark of well-led services. It helps you identify issues early, resolve concerns constructively, reduce the risk of escalation and demonstrate openness and accountability to residents, families, commissioners and regulators. Aligning with the Ombudsman’s best practice shows that you take feedback seriously and are committed to listening and learning.
How to use the toolkit
You can use the toolkit as a practical review and improvement resource. Start by working through the checklist to assess your current policy and practice. Identify any gaps and agree actions to strengthen your approach.
The template letters and guidance can then be adapted to reflect your organisation’s voice and internal processes. The poster and consumer leaflet can be displayed and shared to help ensure your complaints process is actively published and publicised.
Used together, the resources support a consistent, transparent and confident approach to complaints handling from first contact through to signposting to the Ombudsman where appropriate.
What's inside the toolkit?
The toolkit brings together practical resources to help adult social care providers strengthen their complaints handling in line with good practice recognised by the Ombudsman.
It includes a complaints handling checklist, template letters for managing complaints, a template complaints policy, a consumer-facing poster for display within your service, and an informative provider leaflet. There is also guidance on how to properly signpost customers to the Ombudsman.
The materials are designed to be clear, adaptable and easy to use within your existing processes.
Where should providers refer complainants once they have exhausted the process?
Follow the full guidance, which can be downloaded in the toolkit, on when and how to signpost customers to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The website address to refer customers to is lgo.org.uk/how-to-complain