Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s Care Home losing her late mother, Mrs Y’s, rings. This is because a further investigation would not lead to a different outcome and there are other bodies better placed to consider the matter she complains of.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complained the Council commissioned Care Home failed to keep her late mother, Mrs Y’s, rings safe. She said as a result, staff at the Care Home could not find the rings when Mrs Y died. Mrs X said it has caused her and the family distress.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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:

• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• there is another body better placed to consider this complaint.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mrs X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mrs X said her mother started residing at the Care Home in 2018 and at the time, she had several rings. Mrs X said the previous management of the Care Home contacted her and raised concerns about the rings being too loose on Mrs Y’s fingers. The previous management said they would remove the rings and place them in a secure place.
6. Mrs Y died in 2025. Mrs X said she contacted the Care Home following her mother’s death about retrieving the rings. The Care Home informed Mrs X it was unable to locate the rings. It said it had searched all relevant areas of the Home, interviewed former and current staff and reviewed Mrs Y’s inventory and there was no evidence which indicated Mrs Y owned any rings in the Home.
7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint. We would not be able to establish whether Mrs Y had the rings at the Care Home and if so, how they went missing. A further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. It would be better for Mrs X to report the matter to the Police and make a claim via the Council. If the claim is rejected, Mrs X can then take the matter to the courts because they can decide whether the Council’s Care Home was negligent and liable for the loss of the rings. If the courts conclude the Care Home is responsible for the loss of the rings, it could order a payment of compensation.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because a further investigation would not lead to a different outcome and there are other bodies better placed to consider the matter she complains of.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman