Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the standard of care delivered by a home care provider. We cannot consider personnel matters and there is another body better placed to consider a complaint about standards of care.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about poor standards of care delivered by a home care provider for which he used to work.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate a complaint if it is about a personnel issue. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5/5a, paragraph 4, as amended)
3. 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 there is another body better placed to consider this complaint.

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

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. We cannot consider personnel issues and so cannot investigate any dissatisfaction Mr X has related to his employment.
7. We will not consider Mr X’s complaint about standards of care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of social care providers in England and so is better placed to consider Mr X’s concerns about this. It is open for Mr X to raise his concerns with CQC if he wishes to do so.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we cannot consider personnel matters and there is another body better placed to consider his complaint about standards of care.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman