Care Act 2014: Primary legislation governing adult social care in England, setting out local authorities' duties in relation to assessing people's needs and their eligibility for funded care and support
Children Act 1989: Key legislation for child protection and social services involvement with children and families in England and Wales
Mental Capacity Act 2005: Legislation protecting and empowering people who may lack the mental capacity to make certain decisions about their care and treatment
Human Rights Act 1998: Incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law, relevant for ensuring social services respect fundamental human rights
Equality Act 2010: Protects individuals from discrimination and promotes equality in access to services, including social services
Local Authority Social Services Act 1970: Sets out the basic framework for social services departments and their responsibilities
Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR: Governs how personal data should be handled and protected in social services contexts
The Local Authority Social Services and NHS Complaints Regulations 2009: Specific regulations governing how complaints about social services should be handled in England
Social Services Complaints Procedure (Wales) Regulations 2014: Welsh regulations specifying how social services complaints should be handled in Wales
Getting the Best from Complaints Guidance: Department of Health's statutory guidance on handling social services complaints effectively
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Guidance: Guidelines for complaint handling and best practices from the official ombudsman service
Care Quality Commission Standards: Regulatory standards and guidelines that social services must adhere to in providing care services
Complaints Time Limit Requirements: Standard 12-month time limit for making complaints about social services incidents or issues
Local Authority Specific Procedures: Individual council-specific complaints procedures and policies that must be followed when making a complaint
Local Safeguarding Protocols: Specific safeguarding procedures and protocols that vary by local authority area
