Complaints over adult social care in England have nearly trebled since 2010, according to the Guardian.

The local government and social care ombudsman reported 3,106 complaints or inquiries about private or council-run care in 2017/18, an almost three-fold increase on 2010/2011. Labour has used the figures to attack the Government, with the shadow minister for social care, Barbara Keeley MP, attributing the rise to the ‘hollowing-out of the social care system’ from council budget cuts.

However the report cautions that the increase in complaint numbers ‘do not tell us enough about the social care landscape, [nor] the quality of services or people’s experience of them’.

Some of the complaints are known to be premature, with people contacting the ombudsman before speaking with the council or the care provider. However the proportion of complaints being upheld has also increased, from 43 per cent in 2010/11 to 62 per cent in 2017/18, indicating that rise is, at least in part, indicative of worsening care standards.  

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→ The Guardian - Complaints over social care in England nearly trebled since 2010