Avery Homes (Nelson) Limited (23 006 617)
Category : Adult care services > Residential care
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 07 Sep 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Care Provider’s alleged failure to safeguard Mrs X’s personal belongings. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to result in a worthwhile outcome.
The complaint
- Ms Y complains the Care Provider failed to safeguard her late mother Mrs X’s personal belongings.
- Ms Y said this matter has caused her stress and upset.
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:
- further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the Ms Y and the Care Provider.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Ms Y complains that her late mother Mrs X’s ring was misplaced whilst staying at the Care Provider’s residential home.
- The Care Provider investigated and confirmed that the inventory taken at the time Mrs X joined the home did not record Mrs X wearing a ring. The Care Provider also informed Ms Y that the contracts signed by residents state that the home will not take responsibility for loss of personal items and cautions residents not to bring valuable items to the home.
- Ms Y remains unhappy with the situation and wants us to find the Care Provider at fault. The Care Provider has investigated and found no evidence of a ring or recorded the presence of a ring on the inventory. These were reasonable actions for the Care Provider to take. An investigation into this matter is not going to result in a worthwhile outcome.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Ms Y’s complaint because an investigation would be unlikely to result in a worthwhile outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman