Regal Healthcare Properties Limited (24 023 069)
Category : Adult care services > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 02 Jul 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how care home managers spoke to Mrs X following the death of her mother. This is because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
The complaint
- Mrs X complains staff at a care home where her mother lived were rude and unprofessional causing her significant distress. She seeks an apology, that staff are dismissed or that training is provided on customer service.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Care Provider.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mrs Y died in December 2024. The Care Home called Mrs X the following morning, not in the evening as she was promised. Mrs X says the staff members were unprofessional when she asked why they had not called before.
- In early January 2025 Mrs X complained to the care home. The care home started investigating her complaint. The two staff members Mrs X spoke with left the organisation. Mrs X met with the Operations Manager but remained dissatisfied with the information she was given.
- Mrs X felt significant anger and distress because of the actions taken by the care home staff when her mother died. While I recognise Mrs X’s distress the injustice caused is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman