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ENVIRONMENT www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


Editor Matt Seex


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Publisher Geoff King


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THE CARE HOME ENVIRONMENT is published monthly by Step Communications Ltd, Step House, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3DR, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1892 779999


Ombudsman: complaints should be at heart of reform


Matt Seex, Editor mattseex@stepcomms.com


Welcome to the October issue of The Care Home Environment and the debut of our fresh new design – we hope you like it as much as we do. This autumn sees the publication of


the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s Annual Review of Adult Social Care Complaints. Collating data from every complaint it


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has received over the past 12 months about both independent and council-funded care, the Ombudsman’s review calls for greater accountability in the sector, with complaints placed at the heart of any reform of adult social care in England. The complaints process plays a central


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role in helping people raise concerns when things go wrong, as well as supporting effective oversight of the sector. Over the past 12 months, the Ombudsman’s adult care caseload has risen by eight per cent – including a worrying 28 per cent increase in complaints about charging for care services. However, the Ombudsman also reports


a ‘disproportionately low’ number of complaints from people who self-fund their care, even though this group represents almost a quarter of all care users. Overall, the Ombudsman upheld nearly


eight out of 10 complaints about adult care over the past year. The largest area of work for the Ombudsman focused on assessment


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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). Other key statistics for 2024-25 include:


n 3,231 complaints received. n 3,008 complaints decided. n 907 complaints investigated. n 776 complaints upheld.


The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Amerdeep Somal, 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.” I hope you enjoy the issue.


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