Free Advice & Support
Finding the right organisation to contact can be difficult, particularly when a concern involves a care provider, local authority, NHS service or several organisations at the same time.
There are a number of organisations that provide free information, advice, advocacy or complaint services. The resources below can help you understand your options and identify the most appropriate next step.
Sometimes information and signposting are all that is needed. Where your situation is more complicated, you are unsure what to do next, or you would like independent support to help you understand the evidence and your options, Laver Accord can also help.
Laver Accord is not an emergency or crisis service. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
Where should I start?
Not sure which organisation to contact first? Use the guide below to identify a useful starting point.
Poor care or concerns about the quality of a regulated care service
Start with the care provider and consider sharing your concerns with the Care Quality Commission.
A care complaint that has not been resolved
Consider the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman once the provider or council has had an opportunity to respond.
Possible abuse, neglect or exploitation
Contact the relevant local authority adult safeguarding team. If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
A concern about NHS care or treatment
Start with the NHS organisation responsible for the service or the relevant NHS complaints route.
An NHS complaint that remains unresolved
Consider the Public Service Ombudsman after the NHS complaints process has been completed.
You need someone independent to help you speak up
Look for a local independent advocacy service. Some people may have a legal entitlement to free advocacy.
You need help understanding your social care rights
AccessAva and Access Social Care provide free information about adult social care rights and options.
You are supporting an older person
Age UK or Independent Age may be able to provide free information and advice.
You are an unpaid carer
Carers UK can provide information about carers’ rights, assessments, benefits and accessing support.
You are worried about abuse or neglect of an older person
Hourglass provides specialist confidential advice and support.
You are supporting someone with a learning disability
Mencap provides information and advice for people with a learning disability, families and carers.
You are looking for autism information and guidance
The National Autistic Society provides information, guidance and signposting.
You are supporting someone living with dementia
Alzheimer’s Society provides dementia information, advice and support.
You are concerned about an attorney or deputy managing someone’s affairs
The Office of the Public Guardian can consider concerns about attorneys and deputies.
You are having difficulty accessing records or are concerned about personal information
The Information Commissioner’s Office can provide guidance about data protection and information rights.
Still not sure where to start?
Sometimes a concern involves several organisations or it is unclear which route is most appropriate. Laver Accord can help you understand the situation, organise the information and consider your options.
Your first 45-minute consultation is free.
Concerns about the quality or safety of care
Care Quality Commission — England
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates health and adult social care services in England.
You can tell CQC about poor care or concerns about a registered service. Information provided to CQC can help it decide where regulatory action, monitoring or inspection may be needed.
It is important to understand that CQC does not normally investigate or resolve individual complaints on your behalf. If you want a personal complaint resolved, you would usually need to complain first to the care provider or organisation responsible for the service.
Telephone: 03000 616161
Email: enquiries@cqc.org.uk
Telephone opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8.30am–5.30pm.
Care Quality Commission – contact and raise concerns
Making a complaint about adult social care
If you are unhappy with a care home, home-care service, supported-living service or another adult social-care provider, it is usually best to start with the organisation providing the care.
Ask for its complaints procedure and make your concerns as clear and specific as possible. If a council arranged or funded the care, there may also be a local-authority complaints route.
Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman
The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman can consider unresolved complaints about councils and adult social-care providers in England, including some complaints about privately funded care.
You will normally be expected to have given the provider or council a reasonable opportunity to investigate and respond before asking the Ombudsman to become involved.
Telephone: 0300 061 0614
The Ombudsman normally encourages people to use its online complaint service where possible.
Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman
NHS complaints
If your concern relates to NHS care or treatment, you would normally start by complaining to the NHS organisation responsible for the service.
Depending on the service involved, this may be an NHS trust, GP practice, Integrated Care Board or NHS England.
NHS England
NHS England deals with complaints about services that it directly commissions and complaints about NHS England itself.
Telephone: 0300 311 22 33
Email: england.contactus@nhs.net
If emailing a complaint, NHS England asks people to include “For the attention of the complaints team” in the subject line.
NHS England – feedback and complaints
Public Service Ombudsman
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman is now known as the Public Service Ombudsman.
It independently investigates unresolved complaints about the NHS in England and UK government services. Its service is free.
Telephone: 0345 015 4033
Opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 9am–4pm; Friday, 8.30am–12pm.
You would normally approach the Ombudsman after the NHS organisation has completed its complaints process and provided its final response.
Public Service Ombudsman – make or discuss a complaint
Safeguarding, abuse or neglect
A safeguarding concern is different from an ordinary complaint.
If an adult with care and support needs may be experiencing abuse, neglect, exploitation or avoidable harm, contact the adult safeguarding team at the local authority where the person lives.
Examples may include:
physical abuse
neglect or acts of omission
financial or material abuse
psychological or emotional abuse
sexual abuse
discriminatory abuse
organisational abuse
domestic abuse
self-neglect.
Search the council website for “adult safeguarding” or “report a safeguarding concern.”
If someone is in immediate danger
Call 999.
If you believe a crime may have been committed but there is no immediate danger, contact the police on 101.
If urgent medical advice is needed but it is not a 999 emergency, contact NHS 111.
Independent advocacy
Advocacy can help someone understand their rights, express their views, participate in decisions and make sure their voice is heard.
Some people have a legal entitlement to free independent advocacy, particularly in certain care-planning, safeguarding and Mental Capacity Act situations.
Services are often commissioned locally, so availability depends on where the person lives.
VoiceAbility
VoiceAbility provides advocacy in many areas of England and Scotland, including statutory advocacy and NHS complaints advocacy where commissioned.
Telephone: 0300 303 1660
Email: helpline@voiceability.org
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm.
POhWER
POhWER provides independent advocacy services in a number of areas.
Telephone: 0300 456 2370
Text: send pohwer followed by your name and telephone number to 81025
Help Hub opening hours: Monday to Friday, 8am–6pm.
Advocacy or Laver Accord?
Some people are entitled to free statutory advocacy and, where this applies, we would encourage you to use it.
Laver Accord provides a broader independent support and navigation service for people who want additional help understanding records, preparing for meetings, organising concerns, communicating with providers or deciding what to do next.
Understanding your social-care rights
AccessAva — Access Social Care
AccessAva is a free digital service designed to help people understand their rights within health and social care in England.
It provides legal information about social care, helps people explore their options and can generate letters to help challenge decisions. The service is available online 24 hours a day.
Email: enquiries@accesscharity.org.uk
AccessAva – free social-care rights information
Support for older people
Age UK
Age UK provides free and confidential information and advice for older people, their families, friends and carers.
It can help with issues including care options, paying for care, benefits, housing, health services and finding local support.
Advice Line: 0800 678 1602
Opening hours: 8am–7pm, 365 days a year.
Independent Age
Independent Age provides free information and advice for older people and their families, including support relating to care, money, housing and later life.
Telephone: 0800 319 6789
Email: helpline@independentage.org
Support for unpaid carers
Carers UK
Carers UK provides information and guidance for unpaid carers on issues including carers’ rights, benefits, assessments, work, finances and accessing support.
Helpline: 0808 808 7777
Email: advice@carersuk.org
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm, including bank holidays.
Carers UK helpline and support
Carers Trust
Carers Trust works with local carer organisations across the UK and can help people identify support available in their area.
Telephone: 0300 772 9600
Abuse or neglect of an older person
Hourglass
Hourglass is a UK-wide charity specialising in abuse, harm, exploitation and neglect affecting older people.
Its confidential helpline can support an older person directly or someone who is worried about an older relative, friend or person they support.
24-hour helpline: 0808 808 8141
Text: 07860 052906
Email: helpline@wearehourglass.org
Learning disability
Mencap Learning Disability Helpline
Mencap’s Learning Disability Helpline provides free information and advice for people with a learning disability, their families and carers.
It can help with issues including social care, Mental Capacity, safeguarding, housing, benefits and health.
England helpline: 0808 808 1111
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–3pm.
Mencap Learning Disability Helpline
Autism
National Autistic Society
The National Autistic Society provides information, guidance and signposting for autistic people, their families and supporters across the UK.
Its information and guidance service can help people explore issues relating to autism, support services, health, education and social care. It is not an emergency or crisis service.
The National Autistic Society now directs people seeking advice primarily through its online information and guidance service rather than a general telephone advice line.
National Autistic Society – information and guidance enquiry
Dementia
Alzheimer’s Society
Alzheimer’s Society provides information and support for people living with dementia and for their families, carers and friends.
Its Dementia Support Line can help with understanding dementia, accessing services, care arrangements and practical concerns.
Dementia Support Line: 0333 150 3456
Opening hours:
Monday to Wednesday: 9am–8pm
Thursday and Friday: 9am–5pm
Saturday and Sunday: 10am–4pm.
Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Support Line
General advice and rights
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice provides free, independent information on a wide range of issues.
It may be useful where a care concern overlaps with benefits, debt, housing, employment, consumer rights or other legal and financial matters.
England Adviceline: 0800 144 8848
Concerns about an attorney or deputy
Office of the Public Guardian
The Office of the Public Guardian can consider concerns about the conduct of an attorney, deputy or guardian.
This may be relevant where there are concerns that someone appointed to manage another person’s finances or decisions is:
misusing money or property
failing to act in the person’s best interests
abusing their position
making inappropriate decisions
failing to carry out their responsibilities properly.
Telephone: 0300 456 0300
Email: opg.safeguardingunit@publicguardian.gov.uk
Opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am–5pm; Wednesday, 10am–5pm.
Office of the Public Guardian – report a concern
Records and personal information
Information Commissioner’s Office
The Information Commissioner’s Office regulates data protection and information rights.
It may be able to help where you have concerns about:
difficulties accessing your personal information
a subject access request
inappropriate disclosure of information
inaccurate information
misuse or loss of personal data
how an organisation has handled your information.
The ICO usually expects you to raise the problem with the organisation first.
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm.
ICO – make a complaint or get advice
If the care is outside England
Laver Accord can provide support across the UK, but regulation and complaints systems differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Wales
Care Inspectorate Wales
Care Inspectorate Wales regulates social-care services in Wales.
Telephone: 0300 7900 126.
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
The Ombudsman considers unresolved complaints about Welsh public services and organisations within its jurisdiction. You would normally need to complain to the organisation first.
Telephone: 0300 790 0203
Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am–4pm.
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
Scotland
Care Inspectorate
The Care Inspectorate regulates registered care services in Scotland and can receive concerns and complaints about care services.
Telephone: 0345 600 9527
Complaints email: concerns@careinspectorate.gov.scot.
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is the final stage for many complaints about public services in Scotland, including councils and NHS services.
Freephone: 0800 377 7330
Scottish Public Services Ombudsman
Northern Ireland
Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority
The Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority — RQIA — regulates and monitors health and social-care services in Northern Ireland.
Telephone: 028 9536 1111
Email: info@rqia.org.uk.
Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority
Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman
The Ombudsman can consider complaints about public services in Northern Ireland after the organisation concerned has normally had an opportunity to complete its own complaints process.
Freephone: 0800 34 34 24
Telephone: 028 9023 3821
Email: nipso@nipso.org.uk.
Free Laver Accord resources
You may not need professional support to take the next step.
Laver Accord has created free tools and information to help you understand your concerns, organise the evidence and prepare for a complaint.
Understanding Complaints
A straightforward introduction to how complaints about care work, who may need to be involved and the different routes available.
Organising Your Care Concerns
Use our care-concerns checklist to help identify the areas of care you are worried about and consider what a reasonable standard of care should look like.
Evidence & Records Tool
A practical tool to help identify and organise care records, correspondence, notes, photographs and other information relevant to your concerns.
Complaint Preparation Tool
Use our complaint preparation tool to organise the important facts, identify the questions you want answered and prepare your concerns before contacting a provider.
When free information is not enough
Free information, advocacy and statutory services may be all that you need.
Sometimes, however, the difficulty is not finding information. It is understanding how that information applies to your particular circumstances.
You may be dealing with:
conflicting explanations about what happened
large amounts of care records or correspondence
several different organisations
unanswered questions
meetings that feel difficult to navigate
a complaint that has already become complicated
uncertainty about what should happen next
limited time because of work, family commitments or living overseas.
Laver Accord provides independent support to help you understand the situation, organise the evidence, identify your options and communicate your concerns clearly.
We can help with complaint preparation, records review, meetings, communication with providers and commissioners, care navigation and ongoing support.
Start with a free conversation
Your first 45-minute consultation is free.
We will discuss what has happened, what you would like to achieve and whether Laver Accord is the right service to help.
There is no obligation to proceed with paid support.
Important information
The organisations listed on this page are independent of Laver Accord Ltd. Their inclusion does not imply endorsement, partnership or a formal relationship.
Eligibility, services, telephone numbers and opening hours can change. Please check the organisation’s own website for the latest information before relying on contact details.
Laver Accord does not provide legal advice, emergency services or crisis intervention.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 999.
Information and contact details reviewed: October 2026.