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Your rights

Rights as a consumer of care services

When you buy services  for example, when you pay for someone to help you with cleaning your home  the law gives you certain rights as a consumer. It’s important for you to know your rights and how to enforce them.

You’re entitled to expect that a service will be:

  • carried out with reasonable care and skill
  • finished by the date you have agreed with the person providing the service
  • provided at the cost you have agreed beforehand
  • provided by someone who has had the correct disclosure checks from Disclosure Scotland or is on the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme

Citizens Advice Scotland has information about a range of welfare and consumer rights, including benefits, tax, health, housing and civil rights.

If you’re unhappy with the service you receive from a care service provider, you have the right to complain.

The Health and Social Care Standards explain what standards you can expect of a service.

The Competition and Markets Authority has produced a short guide on consumer rights for residents in care homes, their families and carers.

The Care Inspectorate is the independent body for care services in Scotland, making sure people receive high-quality care.

The Scottish Social Services Council sets out codes of practice that social workers, social care, early years and young people’s workers  and their employers – should meet. It can tell you about making a complaint about a social service worker.

The information was last updated on: 28th April 2023

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Find my council

You can contact your local council's social care department for a free assessment. Find their details here.

You can contact your local council's social care department for a free assessment. Find their details here.