Summary: Summary: We will not investigate Ms B’s complaints about care provided to her parents, Mr and Mrs D. This is because further investigation could not add to the Care Providers responses or make a different finding of the kind Ms B wants.

The complaint

1. Ms B complained to her parents, Mr and Mrs D’s Care Provider, about the care they received and missing items. Ms B complained her parents had sustained falls resulting in hospital admissions, staff did not use masks when providing care, missing money and jewellery. Ms B wants to know why Mr D’s chain was ripped off his neck. Ms B says she and her parents have suffered distress because of the lack of compassion from the Care Provider and wants it to acknowledge this.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about adult social care providers and decide whether their actions have caused an injustice, or could have caused injustice, to the person making the complaint. I have used the term fault to describe such actions. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 34B and 34C)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Care Provider.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
5. The complainant had an opportunity to comment on my draft decision.

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My assessment

6. The Care Provider apologised staff provided care without wearing a mask and explained the staff member was delivering CPR to a resident and inadvertently forgot to put his mask back on. It apologised for staff mannerisms and the way they made Ms B feel. The Care Provider responded to Ms B’s individual complaints and further investigation by the Ombudsman could not add to this. We could not make a different finding even if we investigated and could not say what happened to the missing money, Mrs D’s ring, or say how Mr D’s chain became broken. The Care Provider confirmed it liaised with the police to assist with its investigation into the missing items. The Care Provider confirmed falls were considered by the Council under its responsibility for safeguarding vulnerable adults but closed the case as no evidence of neglect was found. We could not make a different finding.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because further investigation could not add to the Care Provider’s responses or make a different finding of the kind Ms B wants.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman