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Barriers and enablers to making a complaint to a health or social care professional regulator
04 Sep 2025
Why did we commission this research?
We commissioned this research so we could better understand the experiences of people who want to complain or who have complained and the potential barriers or enablers they may face.
What the research revealed
"I think clear time frames, consequences if those time frames aren't met, some kind of transparency from the start of what kind of powers these regulators really have and what outcomes look like from these people." Service user, Complained
“I made my complaint very clear. I want action, not words, not... I don't want even the word compensation mentioned. I don’t want any of that. I want someone else to get a better standard of care.” Service user, Complained
“Something easy. I think it just needs to be easy at that time, really, because if you are struggling with something anyway and under stress, it needs to be like, easy, straightforward. Point of call”. Social worker, Did not complain, Community based
Whilst complaints processes are a vital part of professional accountability, there is limited insight into how accessible and effective these routes are for both service users and health and care professionals. As these quotes demonstrate, complaining to a regulator or Accredited Register can be difficult to navigate. The report reveals that, whilst some individuals had good experiences, many complainants who took part in the research felt discouraged and disappointed by the process, highlighting the need for improvements in accessibility, transparency, communication and public awareness.
Reporting a concern or a complaint plays an important role in ensuring that lessons are learned or potential issues spotted earlier. Not feeling able to, or finding it too difficult, to complain could mean that warning signals are being missed, and patient safety could be compromised.
This study also supports our ongoing review of our Standards of Good Regulation and Standards for Accredited Registers, helping us ensure that their complaints processes remain clear and responsive to the needs of those who rely on them.
This was qualitative research that used the ISM (Individual, Social and Material) model of behaviour change to analyse and categorise barriers and enablers to complaining to a regulator. The research was undertaken by Thinks Insight and Strategy.