Looking after your property if you are in care

What is protection of property?

Under ordinary circumstances you enter hospital or residential care in a controlled and planned way. Your relatives or friends will assume responsibility for your house, pets and bills until you return, or until it becomes clear that you will not be returning.

However, if adult social care are involved in your care and we are not satisfied that arrangements for the protection of your property have been, or are being, made then we enrol the assistance of our Protection of Property Officers.

Is this governed by legislation?

The Protection of Property Service is provided by social care under Section 48 of the National Assistance Act 1948. Under this legislation we have a duty to ensure that action is taken to provide temporary protection of your property if you are:

• admitted to hospital
• or, admitted to residential care arranged by us
• or, removed from your home to any other place under Section 47 of the Act.

What happens to pets?

Pets are also protected. We recognise that pets are important to their owners and care is taken to ensure that they are properly looked after. Animals are taken to boarding facilities until the owner returns home, or alternative arrangements can be made. Cats and dogs are most common but tortoises, parrots, hamsters, rats and tarantulas have all been accommodated.

How is the property protected?

As soon as our worker involved with your care is aware that your property needs protecting, they contact our Protection of Property Officers to make arrangements to board pets and secure your property.

If no problems arise, such as the need to organise cleaning or fumigation by Environmental Health, the initial visits are used to:

• remove perishables
• remove small portable valuable items such as cash, cheque books, pension books, etc
• complete an inventory of the contents of large items, such as furniture.
• A more thorough search may take place later if required.

Once the basic search has been made, the Protection of Property Officers will regularly visit for routine security checks or to admit representatives of the Gas or Electricity Boards to read the meters.

Services will be cut off and premises drained down where appropriate. The police are formally alerted about unoccupied property under County Council care and asked to keep an eye on it.

How are my bills paid while I’m away?

Our Protection of Property Officers will arrange for any bills to be paid where possible, usually from your own funds.

How long is the property protected for?

We will protect your property until you either return home, or other arrangements are made.

If you return home, we will ask you to sign a receipt to return your possessions and hand back your property. If you are unable to return home for whatever reason, appropriate disposal arrangements will be made either directly or by a representative authorised by yourself – usually a relative or solicitor.

How can I find out more?

If you are in hospital, or are going into residential care and are concerned about your property, possessions or pets, please speak to our worker involved with your care, to find out more about how we may be able to help.