stage: 5

How to complain about a dementia care home — where to start and how far you can take it

Start by raising the concern directly with the care home manager in writing. This gives the home the opportunity to respond and creates a record. Most care homes have a formal complaints procedure, and a written response is usually required within a set timeframe. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can escalate to the care home's owner or the organisation that runs it. For unresolved complaints, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman handles complaints about care homes in England. You can also report concerns about standards of care to the CQC at any point. The CQC does not resolve individual complaints but uses reports to inform inspection decisions. If you believe someone is at risk of harm, this is a safeguarding matter and should be reported to the local authority safeguarding team as well as to the home.