Communications
views seem to be overwhelmingly shaped by media coverage and family experience. Consequently, one would be forgiven
for thinking the answer is to surely ‘shout louder’ about the vital work of this sector – after all, shouting loudly seems to work for some political figures right now. I have a different view, and it’s why I shudder when I hear people say, ‘there’s never any positive news about care!’ Really?
It’s complicated The positive media coverage exists, I can promise you that. The problem is more complicated. For
the average person, engaging with the care system involves cost and great emotion. There is often a lack of ‘you saved my life’ moments that build a baseline of residual goodwill in the NHS. There’s also the comprehension gap. The
public assumes care works like the NHS, right up until first contact. Suddenly they realise the process is long, emotional, often not free, and rarely a smooth experience. With no price benchmark, even those
happily self-funding their own care would describe it as ‘expensive’ – without considering the equivalent cost of living in the local Premier Inn – and they suspect, whatever the truth of it, that somebody is profiting. This comprehension gap famously cost
Theresa May a general election in 2017, despite a social care offer that was four times more generous than what was already in place. The public simply didn’t see it that way.
I would challenge readers to truly consider how they contribute to the sector’s narrative
Fishing for inspiration Fishing contributed over £800m to the UK economy in 2024 and employs roughly 10,000 people., according to official figures. Yet, if you dare think back to the heady days of the 2016 Brexit referendum, you’ll recall how fishing carried extraordinary weight in the debate over leaving the European Union. The public were never asked to learn about
the EU’s quota system. They didn’t need to understand six-mile and 12-mile exclusion zones. They were simply asked to buy into an emotion-laden story about a traditional British industry unable to compete because of the European ‘bogeyman’.
Engaging our communities
n Meet people where they are. Apart from those of us reading this article, next to nobody thinks about or talks about the social care sector unless they need to find care. The sector needs to be more visible in the places where the public spends its time – which is why Community Integrated Care’s partnership with Super League is so powerful.
n Get comfortable on camera. In a world of AI slop, authenticity is crucial, and video has become an even more powerful medium. I suggest getting comfortable using TikTok (which reaches 30m Brits every day) and Instagram reels – quick, authentic content, filmed simply on a phone, showing ‘real life’ and the impact of
your work. Just make sure to get proper consent in place.
n Reaching the world. Facebook still works for older audiences, but content is often closed off from organic discovery. By contrast, TikTok and Instagram are better at pushing content wide, and journalists often pick up and report on content they’ve seen online.
n Let the people you support do the talking. We rarely see residents or families speaking in provider content, outside of set-piece marketing moments. A 20-second testimonial on camera, in a relaxed, authentic way, and shared on your channels or theirs, beats another review-site rating.
n Say yes to the media. Research shows
coverage shapes public attitudes, so a blanket ‘no’ to journalists will be a real limiter. Programmes like Natalie Cassidy’s are great, but still far too rare. Shadowing visits and documentaries can be made safe with sensible safeguards in place. The vast majority of journalists simply want to tell a story, and media coverage is also crucial to how your home is presented in AI-search.
n Humanise the language. ‘Beds’ and ‘fees’ lose the person. ‘Service user’ is cold. ‘Vulnerable’ describes what someone has lost rather than what they still choose. Language really matters for demonstrating your values, showing that you truly care, and for centring the person needing support.
The narrative arc did the heavy lifting.
A ‘David and Goliath’ story. A common ‘enemy’. Optimism for the future that could be. The public engaged through feeling, not understanding. They listened with their hearts, not their heads. By contrast, adult social care contributes
£77.8bn to the economy and employs around 1.6 million people, according to Skills for Care - and has therefore more than a hundred times fishing’s impact. Yet, it has achieved a tenth of its emotional traction, despite the importance of our work to millions of families each day. I’m not suggesting we mirror the fishing
28
www.thecarehomeenvironment.com October 2026
Konstantin Yuganov -
stock.adobe.com
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