Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Care Home acting poorly in relation to her concerns about residents disturbing her mother at the Care Home. This is because we could not add to the Care Provider’s previous investigation.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complained on behalf of her mother, Mrs Y, who was a resident at the Care Home. She said the Care Home acted poorly in relation to her concerns about residents disturbing her mother. Mrs X said as a result, Mrs Y decided to leave the Care Home. Mrs X said the matter caused them both 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 we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation. (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 Care Provider.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mrs Y moved into the Care Home in 2022.
6. Mrs X told the Registered Manager the resident living in the opposite room to her mother was disturbing her mother. She said their behaviour was affecting her mother’s sleep. Mrs X said the Registered Manager said they would move the resident onto another specialist unit once a room became available.
7. In July 2025, the resident in question moved into another room, however, it was located within the same unit.
8. Mrs X complained to the Care Provider. She said the Registered Manager had lied about moving the resident into a specialist unit.
9. The Care Provider responded to Mrs X. It said once the Care Home had assessed the resident in question moving, it found it would not be appropriate for the resident to move to the specialist unit and so moved them into another room within the current unit. The Care Provider said it did not lie to Mrs X however, it recognised it could have communicated with her better. It apologised to Mrs X and Mrs Y for not doing so.
10. Another resident moved into the opposite room to Mrs Y. Mrs X said the new resident’s behaviour was also causing a disturbance to her mother. As a result, Mrs Y decided to leave the Care Home and found an alternative placement.
11. The Care Home told Mrs X the new resident had been behaving in such a way due to their health condition. It said the residents’ behaviour had improved however, Mrs Y no longer resided at the Care Home.
12. Mrs X said had the Registered Manager not lied about its intentions to move the resident into a specialist unit, Mrs Y would have sought another placement sooner.
13. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint. The Care Provider explained to Mrs X its reasons why it was not able to move the resident into another unit. It recognised it could have communicated its decision better and apologised for not doing so. This was appropriate. The Care Provider also explained why the second resident was behaving in such a way and that their behaviour had improved. We could not add to the Care Provider’s investigation.

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Final decision

14. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we could not add to the Care Provider's previous investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman