Marketing
What care campaigners can learn from the frontline
Policy campaigners striving for greater engagement in care can learn how to win over hearts from those delivering services on the frontline, writes Jayne Connery.
The recent analysis by Kings Fund highlighting record low public engagement with social care should concern everyone working in our sector. For those of us who spend our days
listening to families, supporting care providers and witnessing both the challenges and the extraordinary dedication within care homes, it raises an important question: how has something so vital to society become so distant from public consciousness? Social care touches almost every family
at some point in their lives, yet it often struggles to command the same level of public attention as other services. It is frequently something people only begin to understand when they suddenly find themselves needing it. By that point, families are often navigating
some of the most emotionally challenging decisions they will ever face. Through my work with Care Campaign
for the Vulnerable (CCFTV), I see the reality of care every day. I hear the distress of families trying to understand the system,
often while coping with the deterioration of someone they love. But alongside those difficult conversations, I also see something else - the compassion, resilience and professionalism of a workforce delivering care under immense pressure. The truth is that the most powerful
insights about social care do not come from policy papers or national debates. They come from the frontline.
Daughters and sons They come from the daughters and sons who sit beside the bed of a loved one living with dementia, uncertain about what the next stage of their journey will bring. They come from carers who stay beyond the end of their shift because a resident needs reassurance. They come from nurses, managers and care teams who carry enormous responsibility every single day. These experiences tell us far more about the true nature of care than any report ever could. Over the past thirteen years through
CCFTV I have been invited into many care homes across the country. I have sat
with families during moments of distress, attended safeguarding meetings and supported providers navigating complex situations. But alongside the challenges I have also witnessed extraordinary examples of compassion and professionalism. One example that has stayed with me
involved a resident living with advanced dementia who had become increasingly distressed during the evening hours. His family were deeply worried that he was struggling to settle. The care team recognised that his anxiety appeared to increase when the environment became louder and busier. The manager made a simple but thoughtful change by creating a quiet, comfortable space where he could sit during the evenings with familiar music playing softly in the background. Staff took the time to sit with him, speaking gently and reassuring him when he became anxious. The result was remarkable. His distress
reduced significantly and the family began to feel reassured that their loved one was truly understood. It was not a complex or technological solution. It was leadership,
May 2026
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 21
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