In July 2021, we launched an inquiry into how older and disabled adults and unpaid carers can challenge local authority decisions about their social care and support.

This report sets out findings from an online survey of local authorities in England and Wales to inform this inquiry.

Decisions about the care and support that individuals and unpaid carers receive from their local authority can have a huge impact on their lives, as well as those of their unpaid carer or wider family. Therefore, the right to challenge decisions about the type and extent of care provided (or not provided) is fundamental if individuals feel they are not receiving the right care or support.

While the process for challenging decisions through local authorities may appear relatively clear, it has been reported by people accessing support that the complaints system is often inadequate.