Rulebook · Way to challenge
Complaint about social care
Using the council's social care complaints procedure about social care for a disabled child or young person. This includes provision in sections H1 and H2 of the plan. For children, the Children Act 1989 sets a procedure with up to three stages. For adults, a single procedure applies. After that, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can look at it.
Who can use it: The child or young person, a parent, or someone acting for them. Time limit: Normally within one year of the matter arising (children's procedure) or 12 months of knowing about it (adults). Later complaints can sometimes be accepted.
- Alongside other ways
- Yes. It can run alongside an appeal about other parts of the plan and other complaints.
- Cost
- Free.
What it can do
- The council can apologise, put things right, or arrange the social care provision.
What it cannot do
- It cannot change the education parts of the plan.
- It does not stop or extend the time limit for an appeal.
- Type of rule
- Law (Act or Regulations)This is the law, set by an Act of Parliament or by Regulations.
- Rule id
route.complaint_social_care- Rules version
- england-2026.10
- Law as at
- 30 September 2026
Sources
- Children Act 1989, s 26(3)Law (Act or Regulations)
- Children Act 1989 Representations Procedure (England) Regulations 2006, reg 9Law (Act or Regulations), to verifyOpen: the wording of reg 9 itself has not been read on legislation.gov.uk (the page could not be loaded).
- Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009, reg 12Law (Act or Regulations)
- Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970, s 2Law (Act or Regulations)
Related
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