• Find a children and families services inspection report
• Understanding a children and families services inspection report
• Types of children and families services Ofsted inspects
• Inspecting children and families services
• Types of children and families services Ofsted regulates
• Regulating children and families services
• About our survey reports
• How to complain

How to complain

Complaints and concerns about children and families services providers

We do have some powers to investigate your concerns about services we inspect or regulate, but we would suggest that you start by discussing your worries directly with the person in charge. For concerns about a social care provider go to Concerns and complaints about social care providers or you can call us on 0300 123 1231.

Complaints about Ofsted

We always try to carry out our work well but know sometimes you may have concerns about what we do or how our staff act.

We see complaints as an important way of learning and improving what we do. Our Complaints procedure: raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted guidance explains how concerns and formal complaints about our inspection and regulation work and the work of our staff will be handled. It also details how to complain and how we use your feedback to identify what we need to do to improve.

Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted

If you have made a complaint about Ofsted but are still not happy at the end of the process, you can refer your complaint to the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted which will conduct a review. The adjudicator is independent from Ofsted. To find out more, please visit the Independent Complaints Adjudication Service for Ofsted website.