Escalation routes
If you have complained and are still unhappy, or you have a concern that a complaint cannot deal with, there are other places to go. This page explains what each organisation does, what it cannot do, and how to contact it.
Before you escalate
Most organisations expect you to complain to the council or care provider first. Keep copies of your complaint and any replies. If a legal time limit might apply, get advice early.
We are not connected to any of these organisations and cannot refer you to them. We checked the contact details on each organisation's own website on 14/09/2026.
Which route is right for you
| If | Go to |
|---|---|
| You have finished the council's complaints process and are still unhappy | Public Services Ombudsman for Wales |
| You are worried about the quality or safety of a care service, or about a council's social services | Care Inspectorate Wales |
| You are worried about the practice of a registered social worker or care worker | Social Care Wales |
| You have a problem getting your records, or with how your information is used | Information Commissioner's Office |
| You want advice about a child's rights | Children's Commissioner for Wales |
| You are 60 or over, or helping someone who is, and have a problem with services | Older People's Commissioner for Wales |
| You are an adult and want help to make a complaint about social care or the NHS | Llais |
| You want to raise a view about social care law or policy | Welsh Government or your Members of the Senedd |
| You think a decision was unlawful | A solicitor. Act quickly, because strict time limits apply |
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
The Ombudsman is independent. It looks at complaints about public services in Wales, including council social services. It can also look at complaints about some independent care providers.
What the Ombudsman can look at
- how a council carried out its social services work, such as assessments, reviews, safeguarding and checking contracts
- whether an assessment of needs or a financial assessment was done properly
- how the council handled your complaint
- complaints about care homes and care at home that people pay for themselves
What the Ombudsman cannot look at
- staff disciplinary or personnel matters
- matters that have been, or are going, before a court
- requests for a different social worker
- deciding what your care needs are, or how they should be met
- allegations of abuse, which it does not investigate directly. It passes information about possible abuse or neglect to the relevant organisations where it is in the public interest
The Ombudsman does not normally look at a complaint made on behalf of a child unless it is made by someone with parental responsibility.
When to go
Usually after you have completed both stages of the council's complaints process, or if you think the council is taking too long. Because Stage 2 is carried out by an independent investigator, the Ombudsman is unlikely to investigate if it thinks that investigation was done properly.
Time limit
You should normally complain within 12 months of becoming aware of the problem. The Ombudsman can sometimes accept complaints after this. An investigation can take around 12 months.
- Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
- Telephone: 0300 790 0203 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm)
- Post: Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, 1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, Pencoed, CF35 5LJ
- You can contact the Ombudsman in Welsh or English.
- Visit the Ombudsman's website
Care Inspectorate Wales
Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) registers and inspects social care and childcare services in Wales, and inspects council social services.
What CIW can do
- use what you tell it to plan its inspections
- make an urgent referral to a council safeguarding team or the police
- ask a service to investigate and report back
- carry out an urgent inspection
- share serious concerns with other organisations
What CIW cannot do
CIW says it cannot look into individual complaints itself, or sort out problems between you and your service provider or council. It also cannot get involved in employment disputes.
When to go
Raise your concern with the care service first, because registered services must have their own complaints procedure. You can then tell CIW about concerns with a care service, or with a council's social services, such as advice, assessments or how it arranges care. If you think someone is at risk of harm, contact the council's social services straight away.
- Care Inspectorate Wales
- Telephone: 0300 790 0126
- Email: ciw@gov.wales
- Provide feedback or raise a concern about a care service
Social Care Wales
Social Care Wales keeps a register of social care workers in Wales, including social workers, social care managers, residential child care workers, home care workers and adult care home workers. It deals with concerns about whether a registered worker is fit to practise. Anyone can raise a concern, including members of the public.
What Social Care Wales cannot look at
- workers who are not registered. Contact their employer instead
- complaints about organisations or services. Contact Care Inspectorate Wales instead
- things that happened more than 5 years ago, unless an investigation is in the public interest
- an employer's disciplinary decision
- court decisions
Do not name staff on SocialCareScore
Raising a concern about a worker is a formal process. Do it directly with Social Care Wales. Never name or describe staff on SocialCareScore.
- Social Care Wales
- Telephone: 0300 303 3444 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm)
- Raise a concern about a social care worker
Information Commissioner's Office
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the UK's independent regulator for data protection and freedom of information.
When to go
- the council has not responded to your subject access request, or you are unhappy with its response
- you are worried about how your personal information has been handled
- you have a problem with a Freedom of Information request. The social services complaints procedure does not cover this
Time limit
Complain to the council first. The ICO says you should then raise your complaint with it within 3 months of your last meaningful contact with the organisation.
- Information Commissioner's Office
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Visit the ICO website
Children's Commissioner for Wales
The Children's Commissioner for Wales is an independent champion for children's rights. Its Children's Rights Advice and Assistance Team gives free, confidential advice to children and young people, and to adults who care for or work with children, if they feel a child has been treated unfairly.
- It helps children and young people up to the age of 18, or up to 25 in some circumstances.
- It keeps what you tell it confidential, unless it thinks a child or young person is at risk of harm.
- Children's Rights Advice and Assistance Team
- Freephone: 0808 801 1000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, except bank holidays)
- Email: advice@childcomwales.org.uk
- Visit the Children's Commissioner for Wales website
Older People's Commissioner for Wales
The Older People's Commissioner for Wales is independent. Its Advice and Assistance Team helps people aged 60 and over who live in Wales and are having problems with services, including social care. You can also contact the team on behalf of an older person, such as a family member or friend.
- Advice and Assistance Team
- Telephone: 0344 264 0670 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)
- Email: ask@olderpeople.wales
- Visit the Older People's Commissioner for Wales website
Llais
Llais is an independent body that represents people's voices in health and social care in Wales. It is independent of the NHS, councils and the Welsh Government.
Complaints advocacy
- Llais gives free, independent and confidential help to make a complaint about the NHS or social care.
- Advocates can listen to your concerns, find information, help you write letters and come to meetings with you.
- Advocates cannot make decisions for you or give legal advice.
- Llais cannot help people under 18 raise a concern about social care themselves. See advocacy for children and young people.
- Llais
- Telephone: 029 2023 5558
- Email: enquiries@llaiscymru.org
- Find out about Llais complaints advocacy
Advocacy and advice organisations
- NYAS Cymru
- Advocacy and support for children and young people in care, leaving care, or supporting someone who is.
- Freephone: 0808 808 1001 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm)
- Find out who provides advocacy where you live
- TGP Cymru
- Advocacy services, including parent advocacy, in Cwm Taf Morgannwg, Mid and West Wales, and North Wales.
- Visit the TGP Cymru website
- Meic
- Information, advice and advocacy for children and young people aged 25 and under in Wales.
- Freephone: 0808 802 3456 (8am to midnight, every day)
- Cardiff and Vale Advocacy Gateway
- A single point of contact for adults aged 18 and over in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan who want advocacy about their care and support.
- Freephone: 0808 801 0577
- Age Cymru Advice
- Advice for older people, their families, friends and carers.
- Telephone: 0300 303 4498 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm)
- Carers Wales
- Information and support for unpaid carers.
- Telephone: 029 2081 1370 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm)
- Carers UK Helpline: 0808 808 7777 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
- Advicelink Cymru (Citizens Advice)
- Free advice on benefits, debt, housing, employment, education and discrimination.
- Freephone: 0800 702 2020 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm; Saturday, 9am to 1pm)
- Dewis Cymru
- A directory of local and national organisations and services in Wales that can help with well-being.
- Search Dewis Cymru
Welsh Government
The Welsh Government is responsible for social care policy in Wales. It publishes statutory guidance and codes of practice, including the guidance councils follow when handling complaints.
Individual complaints about a council go through the council's complaints process and then the Ombudsman. You can contact the Welsh Government about policy or guidance.
- Welsh Government
- Telephone: 0300 060 4400 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm)
- Email: customerhelp@gov.wales
Members of the Senedd and local councillors
Your elected representatives can raise your concerns and ask for a response. This is not the same as a formal complaint, and it does not replace the complaints process or the Ombudsman.
- Members of the Senedd represent you on matters that are decided in Wales, including social care.
- Local councillors represent your area on the council. Your council's website lists your councillors.
- Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament)
- Telephone: 0300 200 6565
- Email: contact@senedd.wales
- Find your Members of the Senedd
Legal advice
A solicitor can tell you whether you have a legal case, for example if you think a council has acted unlawfully.
- Find a Solicitor (the Law Society)
- A free search of solicitors in England and Wales.
- Search for a solicitor
- Legal aid
- Check if you can get legal aid on GOV.UK
- Civil Legal Advice: 0345 345 4345 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm; Saturday, 9am to 12:30pm)
Judicial review has strict time limits
Judicial review is a court process for challenging whether a public body's decision was lawful. The claim must be made promptly, and in any case no later than 3 months after the grounds first arose. Some types of case have shorter limits.
Using a complaints process does not automatically extend this time limit, so get legal advice as early as possible.
If you live outside Wales
Each nation of the UK has its own organisations. This table shows the main equivalents.
| Role | Wales | England | Scotland | Northern Ireland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ombudsman | Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. Normally within 12 months | Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, 0300 061 0614. Normally within 12 months | Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, 0800 377 7330. Normally within 12 months | Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman, 0800 343 424. Normally within 6 months of the end of the complaints process |
| Local complaints process | Two stages: local resolution, then formal investigation | Adults: complain to the council or provider. Children: three statutory stages | Two stages: frontline response (5 working days), then investigation (20 working days) | Complain to the Health and Social Care Trust |
| Care regulator | Care Inspectorate Wales | Care Quality Commission; Ofsted for children's services | Care Inspectorate | Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority |
| Workforce regulator | Social Care Wales | Social Work England (social workers) | Scottish Social Services Council | Northern Ireland Social Care Council |
| Children's commissioner | Children's Commissioner for Wales | Children's Commissioner for England | Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland | Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People |
| Data protection | Information Commissioner's Office (covers the whole UK) | |||