Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that a care home delayed in informing him that emergency COVID-19 funding for his mother had stopped and she was now a self-funder. Mr X has agreed to a final settlement on costs so there is no significant unremedied injustice for the Ombudsman to investigate.

The complaint

1. Mr X’s complaint that a care home delayed in informing him that emergency COVID-19 funding for his mother had stopped and she was now a self-funder.
2. Mr X said the resulting bill for outstanding fees, as well as way the family was informed of the bill, caused him and the family shock and distress.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

The Ombudsman investigates complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X’s mother, Mrs M, went into residential care during the ‘discharge to assess’ arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst these arrangements were in place, people did not have to pay for their care.
6. The arrangements stopped but it took around six months for the family to be informed. By this point, the outstanding fees had accrued to around £30,000.
7. Since these events took place, Mr X has agreed a settlement over the care home fees and so there is no significant unremedied injustice for the Ombudsman to investigate.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is no significant unremedied injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman