Reading List

Official guidance and primary sources for complaint handling in adult social care across the UK. The course uses a UK-wide practical approach and signposts the different complaint, regulator, and ombudsman routes in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Core England Sources

• CQC Regulation 16: Receiving and acting on complaints - https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/regulations-service-providers-and-managers/health-social-care-act/regulation-16
  Sets out providers' responsibilities to investigate complaints, make systems accessible, accept verbal complaints and protect complainants from victimisation.
• CQC Regulation 20: Duty of candour - https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-regulation/providers/regulations-service-providers-and-managers/health-social-care-act/regulation-20
  Relevant where a complaint may involve a notifiable safety incident. Explains the duty to be open and that offering an apology does not, by itself, imply legal liability.
• CQC: Meeting the Accessible Information Standard - https://www.cqc.org.uk/guidance-providers/meeting-accessible-information-standard
  Guidance on providing information in accessible formats and meeting communication needs so complaint processes are genuinely usable.
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: Complaints about privately arranged adult social care - https://www.lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint/fact-sheets/social-care/social-care-for-adults/complaints-about-privately-arranged-adult-social-care?displaypref=1
  Explains that privately arranged care complaints should normally be raised with the provider first and how the Ombudsman may review cases if the complainant remains dissatisfied.
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: How to complain about adult social care and support - https://www.lgo.org.uk/make-a-complaint/fact-sheets/social-care/social-care-for-adults/adult-care-services?op=feedback
  A practical overview of who can complain, what the Ombudsman can investigate and how complaint resolution differs from regulatory action.
• GOV.UK: Care and support statutory guidance - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/care-and-support-statutory-guidance
  Background on England's adult social care framework, including how complaint handling interacts with safeguarding and staff allegation procedures.
• Legislation.gov.uk: The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2009/309/contents/made
  Sets out the legal framework for local authority and NHS complaint routes in England, useful when council-arranged complaints intersect with provider processes.

Other UK Nations

• GOV.WALES: Social services complaints procedure - https://www.gov.wales/social-services-complaints-procedure
  Explains the separate framework for social services complaints in Wales, useful where services or placements cross borders.
• Care Inspectorate Wales: Provide feedback or raise a concern about care services - https://www.careinspectorate.wales/providing-feedback-about-care-services
  Guidance on raising concerns about the safety and quality of registered care services in Wales and how CIW uses feedback.
• Public Services Ombudsman for Wales: Complaints about independent care providers - https://www.ombudsman.wales/fact-sheets/complaints-about-independent-care-providers/?pdf-download=1
  Sets out when the Ombudsman can consider complaints about independent care providers after local resolution has been attempted.
• Care Inspectorate Scotland: Complaints - https://www.careinspectorate.com/index.php/complaints
  Explains that raising issues with the service manager is often a first step, while complaints about registered services can also be made directly to the Care Inspectorate.
• Department of Health Northern Ireland: Health and social care complaints - https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/topics/health-and-social-care-complaints
  Explains Northern Ireland arrangements where responsibility for complaints sits with the service provider under a different framework to England.
• Department of Health Northern Ireland: HSC complaints standards and guidelines - https://www.health-ni.gov.uk/publications/hsc-complaints-standards-and-guidelines
  Covers the model complaints procedure introduced for HSC organisations from 1 January 2026, noting that timeframes and stages differ from other UK nations.
• RQIA: Raise a concern about a health and social care service - https://www.rqia.org.uk/contact/raise-a-concern-about-health-and-social-care-service/
  Northern Ireland regulator guidance for reporting concerns where quality or safety of a regulated service may be affected.