Making a complaint about social care

If you are not happy about the care you or someone else is receiving it is your right to complain. It is better to complain than to say nothing, because changes can be made and any problems addressed. We will always take your complaint seriously.

How to complain about social care

This is what to do if you have a complaint about social care. If your complaint relates to suspected abuse, or to health services you have received, for example in a hospital, see Other types of complaint, further down this page.

1.  Talk to the staff who provide the service you are not happy with

First of all, if you feel comfortable doing so, you should tell the people providing the service about your concerns so they have a chance to put things right. For example, if you have a complaint about services at a residential care home, speak to the care home manager or supervisor, if you can.

But if you would rather not share your concerns with the people directly providing the service, there are other options…

2.  Contact a complaints officer at Leeds City Council Social Care

Ring the complaints service on 395 0392  or 247 8679, minicom 247 5963.

Or write to the Complaints Manager at:

Complaints Manager
Leeds Social Care Services
Merrion House
110 Merrion Centre
Leeds  LS2 8QB

  • If you prefer, you can fill in the complaints form on the last page of the Adults’ or Children and Young People’s Complaints leaflet, which you can download from this page, and post it back.

3.  Complain by email

You can email your complaint to us. Or fill in the council’s online complaints form.

4.  Complain to the Care Quality Commission

If you receive day services, home care services or live in residential care, you can complain to the Care Quality Commission (CQC). This is an independent organisation that inspects and reports on care services for adults.

Their address is:

Care Quality Commission National Correspondence
Citygate
Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4PA

Tel: 03000 616161

For further details, visit the CQC complaints page.

More information about making a complaint

Further important details about making a complaint are available in the leaflets which you can download from this page, including:

  • Complaints about adult social care
  • Complaints about children and young people’s social care
  • Complaints leaflet for young children

We can also provide:

  • complaints leaflet and video for deaf people who use British Sign Language, leaflets in Braille, large print and on audio tape
  • leaflets in Hindi, Vietnamese, Chinese, Gujarati, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu and Arabic.

For further information or to have a leaflet posted to you, call us on 0113 222 4401 (adults) or 0113 222 4403 (children and young people), drop us an  email, or write to:

Complaints Manager
Merrion House
110 Merrion Centre
Leeds  LS2 8QB

 

Other types of complaint

If your complaint is not about the social care services you or someone else is receiving, you will need to make your complaint in a different way. Here is some advice on making different types of complaints.

  • Complaints relating to abuse or mistreatment - if urgent action is needed, or a crime has been committed, contact the police on 999. Otherwise, call our contact centre on 0113 222 4401 (adults) or 0113 222 4403 (children and young people). For further information, read our pages on adult protection  or child protection.

  • Complaints about a health service - if your complaint relates to a health service – for example, the care you have received in a hospital – contact the Independent Complaints and Advocacy Service on 0845 120 3734. Read about the NHS complaints procedure  on the Department of Health’s website.

  • Complaints about other council services - if you have a complaint about another council service, visit the council’s general complaints procedure page or fill in the online complaints form.

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