Social care complaints
Councils are reviewing social care complaint volumes and handling, with varying trends and scrutiny over response times.
Councils are currently reviewing the volume and handling of social care complaints, which are formal expressions of dissatisfaction regarding local authority social services. In September 2025, Greenwich Children's Services reported a decrease in social care complaints for 2024-25, attributing this to early resolution and feedback to services, according to the Complaints, Compliments and Representations Annual Report 2024-25.
Conversely, Bromley Council saw a 14% rise in complaints in 2024/25, with the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman criticising its response times, as stated in the council's Annual Complaints Report & LGSCO Letter 2024/25. Havering Council's Governance Committee was scheduled to discuss guidance notes for complainants and a report from the Stage Three Children's Complaint Review Panel in May 2026.
Key facts
- Greenwich Children's Services reported a decrease in social care complaints for 2024-25 in September 2025. Source
- Bromley Council saw a 14% rise in complaints (excluding Environment & Public Protection) in 2024/25. Source
- The LGSCO criticised Bromley Council's response times in its 2024/25 report, published in September 2025. Source
- Bromley Council's financial consequences of upheld complaints decreased by 40% to £32,452.17 in 2024/25. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.