Care home didn't tell the family? What you can do (UK)

The short answer: In England, a care home must be open with the resident about their care, and after an unexpected incident that causes serious harm, which can include a fall, it must tell the resident, or whoever lawfully acts for them if they have died or lack capacity, as soon as reasonably practicable. It doesn't have to ring every relative: a resident who has capacity decides who is told, and in one case the Ombudsman found no legal requirement to contact more than one family member. If it has gone wrong, raise it with the manager, use the complaints route if you need to, and agree in writing who the home rings next time.

Start with what the home was expected to do

Finding out late that a parent fell or went into hospital is upsetting. Before you complain, check what the rules ask of a care home, and which contact details it had.

The duty of candour

Every care home registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has a duty of candour, under Regulation 20 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. CQC calls it a general duty to be open and transparent with people receiving care.

A stricter process applies to a "notifiable safety incident": something unintended or unexpected during the care that, in a health care professional's reasonable opinion, caused or needs treatment to prevent outcomes such as death, an impairment lasting at least 28 days, or prolonged pain or psychological harm. CQC says an unwitnessed fall in a care home can qualify if those thresholds are met.

When it applies, the home must, as soon as reasonably practicable, tell the "relevant person" in person, give a true account, apologise, explain what it will look into, follow up in writing and keep a record. CQC tells providers that saying sorry is not admitting fault.

What the duty doesn't require

It is owed to the resident. For an adult, someone else becomes the relevant person only if the resident has died or lacks capacity for the matter, and then it's a person lawfully acting for them.
If the relevant person consents, CQC expects family and carers to be involved in the discussions. That isn't a duty to ring every relative.
Near misses, and incidents below the harm thresholds, aren't notifiable, although the duty to be open still applies.
If the relevant person can't be contacted, the home must record its attempts.

Who decides who is told

A resident who can make the decision chooses who hears about their health and care. NHS England guidance on sharing information with family carers says professionals need the person's explicit consent, and if they don't want it shared, their wishes are respected. The Mental Capacity Act says to assume a person has capacity unless it's proved otherwise, and capacity can differ from one decision to the next.

If a resident lacks capacity, information may be shared with carers in their best interests, unless they made clear while they had capacity that they wanted it withheld. Being listed as "next of kin" has no legal status while someone is alive.

A health and welfare lasting power of attorney (LPA) does give authority. It lets an attorney make decisions about things like daily routine, medical care and moving into a care home, but only when the person can't decide themselves. If one exists, tell the home. Making one needs capacity, and registering costs £92 unless a reduction or exemption applies.

One call can be enough

In a December 2021 decision (21 004 861), the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looked at a home that didn't reach a resident's daughter when he died. Staff tried the two mobile numbers on file, which differed from the number she later gave the Ombudsman, and reached her sister. The Ombudsman found no fault: there was "no legal or other requirement for the Care Home to contact more than one family member". It shows how much depends on the numbers the home holds.

How to raise it

Talk to the manager. Ask what happened, and who was called on which number.
If that doesn't settle it, complain in writing. By law every care service must have a complaints procedure you can ask to see. Write "complaint" at the top, then say what went wrong, how it affected you and what you want done. Keep notes of calls, with names.
Go to the council if it arranged or pays for the care. You can complain to the council too.
Then the Ombudsman. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is free and covers privately funded care. You usually need to finish the home's or council's process first, or have had no reply in a reasonable time, which it puts at up to 16 weeks in most cases. It can't normally look at a complaint made more than 12 months after you first knew about the problem. You can complain for someone else with their permission or a legal right to act for them. Call 0300 061 0614.
Tell CQC. CQC doesn't settle individual complaints, but what you tell it helps protect others. Use Give feedback on care on its website, or call 03000 616161.

For free advice, call the Age UK Advice Line on 0800 678 1602, 8am to 7pm, every day.

Stopping it happening again

Agree who is rung, in what order, and for what: a fall, a hospital trip, a change in health. Include your parent if they can take part: it's their choice. CQC says that in a good care home, family are involved in the care plan where appropriate. Ask for the agreement to be noted on their record.
Name a back-up. Ask what staff do when the first person doesn't answer, and give a second number.
Agree who passes news on. The home may reasonably ring one person, so decide who tells the rest. Our guide on sharing the calls between brothers and sisters covers this.
Keep numbers current. When a number changes, tell the home in writing and ask them to confirm.
Save the home's number. On an iPhone, Screen Unknown Callers can screen calls from unsaved numbers, or silence them to voicemail. Apple suggests saving important numbers so you see those calls.
Check it at each review. CQC says care plans should include an agreed review date.

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

In Wales, raise concerns with the home, then Care Inspectorate Wales; the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales covers self-funded care homes. In Scotland, the Care Inspectorate takes complaints about registered care services, and the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is the final stage for public services. In Northern Ireland, Age NI suggests the home, then the Health and Social Care Trust, then the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman.

Where MyCirCall fits

If the home tends to ring one family number, that number can be a MyCirCall Number. When the home calls it, your mobile and the phones of the small circle of people you trust ring at the same time, and whoever answers first and presses 5 takes the call. It doesn't change who your parent has agreed the home may tell, and it can't make anyone answer. It works alongside the free steps above.

MyCirCall is not an emergency service. In an emergency, always call 999 or 112.

Sources

Sources checked on 17 October 2026. Each organisation's own guidance can change, so check with your school, care home or hospital for how they work.

The care home didn't tell us: what you can do

Start with what the home was expected to do

The duty of candour

What the duty doesn't require

Who decides who is told

One call can be enough

How to raise it

Stopping it happening again

Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland

Where MyCirCall fits

Sources

MyCirCall: one number that rings everyone you trust

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When mum's care home rings: sharing the calls between brothers and sisters

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