What to do if support isn’t right
Where to raise concerns or make complaints about NHS care, housing, police, prison, court services, or legal support in Scotland.
Sometimes support does not feel safe, clear, or good enough.
This page helps you work out where to raise a concern or complaint, depending on which service was involved.
If someone is at immediate risk, seek urgent help first. A complaint can come later.
On this page
Use this section to jump to the complaints route you need.
If there is immediate danger, call 999 now.
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What to do before making a complaint if someone is unsafe right now.
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What to gather before raising a concern or complaint.
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For assessments, discharge, medication, crisis care, communication, or NHS treatment.
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For homelessness, housing support, social work, or local authority services.
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For police conduct, custody treatment, or how police handled a mental health crisis.
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For prison conditions, mental health support, medication, or healthcare concerns.
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For court administration, communication, staff service, or access issues.
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For concerns about a solicitor or legal service.
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For serious concerns about rights, welfare, detention, or mental health care.
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Where complaints may go next if the first response does not resolve things.
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If there is immediate danger
If someone is at immediate risk, do not wait for a complaint process.
Call 999 if there is immediate danger.
Call NHS 24 on 111 if urgent mental health support is needed but it is not immediately life-threatening.
Before you complain
You do not need perfect notes to make a complaint.
But clear details can help the service understand what happened.
Try to gather
Dates and times
Names or job roles
Which service was involved
What happened
What risk or harm you are worried about
What you want to happen next
You can simply say: “I want to raise a concern about what happened and ask for it to be reviewed.”
NHS mental health care complaints
Use this route for concerns about NHS care, including mental health assessments, crisis care, hospital discharge, medication, communication, delays, or treatment.
NHS Inform says you can make complaints about NHS care in Scotland, and PASS provides free, confidential advice and support to anyone who uses the NHS in Scotland.
The NHS service involved
For example: GP practice, NHS board, hospital, crisis team, A&E, community mental health service, NHS 24.
PASS (Patient Advice and Support Service)
For free help understanding the NHS complaints process.
SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman)
If you have completed the NHS complaints process and remain unhappy.
You can say: ““I want to make a complaint about NHS mental health care and understand the complaints process.”
Council, housing or social work complaints
Use this route for concerns about homelessness support, housing options, temporary accommodation, social work, or local authority decisions.
Most council complaints should start with the council’s own complaints process. If the complaint is not resolved, the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman may be able to look at complaints about councils and local public services after the organisation’s own process has been completed.
The council service involved
Housing, homelessness, social work, or another local authority team.
The council complaints page
Search: “[Council name] complaints”.
SPSO
If you have completed the council process and remain unhappy.
You can say: “I want to complain about how my housing or social work concern was handled.”
Police Scotland complaints
Use this route for concerns about police conduct, treatment in custody, communication, or how police handled a mental health crisis.
Police Scotland has an online complaints process, and mygov.scot says you can complain about the police through Police Scotland. If you are unhappy with how the complaint was handled, you can contact the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, known as PIRC.
Police Scotland complaints
For complaints about officers, staff, conduct, custody treatment, or police service.
PIRC
If you are not satisfied with how Police Scotland handled the complaint.
Scottish Police Authority
For certain complaints about senior Police Scotland officers or SPA matters.
You can say: “I want to make a complaint about how police handled a mental health crisis or custody situation.”
Prison complaints and prison healthcare
Use this route for concerns about prison conditions, treatment in prison, mental health support, medication, suicide risk, or prison healthcare.
The Scottish Prison Service has a complaints process. SPS also says healthcare responsibility transferred to the NHS, so healthcare complaints may need to involve NHS complaints routes as well.
Scottish Prison Service complaints
For prison service issues, conditions, staff actions, or prison processes.
NHS complaints
For healthcare, medication, mental health care, or clinical treatment in prison.
SPSO
If the complaints process has been completed and the issue remains unresolved.
You can say: “I want to raise a concern about mental health support or safety in prison.”
Court service complaints
Use this route for complaints about Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service administration, communication, staff service, access issues, or how the court service handled something.
This does not replace legal advice or appeal routes if you disagree with a court decision. SCTS says complaints should usually be made first to the tribunal, office or court providing the service you are complaining about.
Start with:
The court or tribunal office involved
For service, staff, communication, or access issues.
SCTS complaints procedure
For Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service complaints.
Legal advice
If the issue is about the outcome of a case, sentence, bail decision, or appeal.
You can say: “I want to make a complaint about court service, communication, or administration.”
Use this route for concerns about a solicitor, legal service, communication, fees, conduct, or professional service.
The Scottish Legal Complaints Commission explains how to start a complaint, and says that in some circumstances you may need to complain to the lawyer or firm first before the SLCC considers it.
Solicitor or legal complaints
Start with:
The solicitor or law firm
In many cases, complain to them first and keep a copy.
Scottish Legal Complaints Commission
For complaints about lawyers or legal services in Scotland.
New legal advice
If there is an active case and you need urgent advice about changing solicitor or protecting your legal position.
You can say: “I want to complain about the legal service I received and understand the correct process.”
Mental Welfare Commission concerns
Use this route for serious concerns about rights, welfare, care, treatment, detention, or mental health law in Scotland.
The Mental Welfare Commission says it works to protect and promote the human rights of people with mental illness, learning disability, dementia and related conditions, and monitors mental health and incapacity law in Scotland
This may be relevant if the concern is about
Mental health detention
Rights being ignored
Unsafe care or treatment
Serious welfare concerns
Mental health law or incapacity law.
You can say: “I am worried someone’s mental health rights, welfare, or safety are not being protected.”
If you are still unhappy after a complaint
Some complaints can be escalated if you have completed the organisation’s own complaints process and remain unhappy.
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman looks at unresolved complaints about many Scottish public services, including NHS, councils, social work, prisons and some other public bodies. The SPSO usually expects the organisation’s own complaints process to be completed first.
SPSO
For unresolved complaints about many Scottish public services.
PIRC
For police complaint handling reviews.
SLCC
For legal service complaints.
Mental Welfare Commission
For serious mental health rights, welfare, detention or care concerns.
You can say: “I have completed the complaints process and I am still not satisfied. What is the next route?”
What matters most right now
You do not need to write a perfect complaint.
Keep it factual.
Say what outcome you want.
Use the right complaints route.
If there is immediate risk, seek urgent help first. The complaint can come later.