Communications
Hearts and minds: How providers can help shift the narrative in adult social care
If adult social care is to win lasting public and political support, providers must move beyond marketing moments and show communities what care makes possible, writes Nathan Hollow.
When Andy Burnham launched the latest phase of Labour’s plan for a National Care Service, flanked by the key players tasked with making it happen, he spoke for 45 minutes without notes. By doing so, he connected with the audience and showed real emotion and passion for the subject. It was a masterclass in political communication and something we’ve arguably missed from politicians over recent years. Don’t worry, this is not another gushing
article about the optimism Burnham’s prioritisation of social care has engendered. In fact, it wasn’t what Burnham said that earned him an acknowledgement – it was where he said it. The venue, a Jewish Care home in north
London, was selected because of something that had stuck with Burnham since his first visit there thirteen years earlier. As he
explained, “staff, volunteers, carers and even families were working together. I left thinking: this is what good social care looks like.” That quote shows the lasting power of
engaging with your local community and showing them the impact and importance of your work. It might have only been an hour long visit (and I’m sure that his 2013 trip garnered far less fanfare than the 2026 return,) but it left such a mark that – despite being someone who talks relentlessly about ‘the North’ – the Prime Minister opted to stay within the M25 when launching a policy agenda that will likely shape his political legacy. While we now have a Prime Minister
who seems to truly value the contribution of social care and care workers, sadly, research repeatedly shows that the wider public does
not – and this is ultimately why reform of the sector has proven so politically elusive. So I wanted to explore how we’ve ended
up in this situation, what we can do to change it, and how colleagues across the sector are working to win hearts and minds in their communities.
The only way is up The King’s Fund highlighted the scale of challenge in its report Not My Priority, published earlier this year. It showed how the public is more concerned with cost-of-living pressures and immigration (irrespective of whether their community is affected or not). They have lower satisfaction with social care services compared to the NHS, despite the repeated maternity care scandals and cover-ups by health bosses, let alone the normalisation of ‘corridor care’. And their
October 2026
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com 27
Art_Photo -
stock.adobe.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
