Member News
The Local Government Ombudsman has reported a surge in complaints about social care for adults.
The report comes after a series of high-profile cases of abuse of older people in care homes.
The LGO recently gained new powers to investigate complaints about private providers of social care services as well as councils.
There were more than 1,000 complaints in 2011/12, a rise of 22 per cent on the previous years.
"The LGO's power to investigate complaints on behalf of people who fund their own care has come at a crucial time," the report said.
"Within the first year of operation we have seen the publication of the Equalities and Human Rights Commission Report on older people and home care as well as the Health Service Ombudsman's report 'Care and Compassion?' into the NHS care of older people.
"We also saw the BBC's Panorama exposé on the behaviour of Castlebeck and the aftermath of the financial difficulties faced by Southern Cross. The profile of the quality of care given to adults could not be higher.
"We want to make sure that those people who need to complain know who we are and how they can find us."
The most common complaints were about carers not turning up, being late or visiting for too short a time, staff attitudes to those with special needs, inadequate records and handovers and inaccuracy in billing and delayed invoicing.