FOREWORD
Progress through partnership By Professor Martin Green OBE l Chief Executive, Care England
It is a pleasure, on behalf of Care England, to welcome readers to the second edition of The Care Home Industry Handbook. We are proud to continue our partnership with The Care Home Environment and to see this resource develop into something that reflects both the breadth of our sector and the practical support available to those working within it. Adult social care continues to operate under
considerable pressure. Providers are balancing rising costs, workforce challenges, changing expectations, regulatory demands and the need to invest for the future, while never losing sight of what matters most: enabling people to live well, with dignity, choice and independence. Yet pressure must not become the only story
we tell about social care. Across the country, care providers are adapting, innovating and finding better ways to support people, families and their teams. That progress often comes through practical improvements: communicating more effectively, supporting families to navigate care, strengthening the workforce, improving dining and nutrition, reducing environmental impact, developing inclusive leadership and learning from others. The subjects brought
together in this edition capture that reality well. They recognise that a successful care home is an ecosystem. Quality is shaped
6 THE CARE HOME INDUSTRY HANDBOOK 2027
not only by direct care, but by the environment people live and work in, the food they enjoy, the capability of the workforce, the way organisations communicate, the leadership culture they create and the partnerships they build. Our sector continues through significant reform.
Providers will need to respond to change while remaining focused on day-to-day delivery. Good policy is essential, but policy alone will not improve someone’s day, support a member of staff, reassure a family or make an organisation more sustainable. The real test is whether change translates into practical improvements in people’s lives. That is why resources such as this Handbook
are valuable. They bring together expertise that can help providers move from recognising a challenge to doing something about it. For smaller organisations in particular, which may not have specialist teams across communications, sustainability, workforce planning or organisational development, access to clear advice and trusted expertise can make a real difference. Care England is proud
that this second edition develops the partnership further. Our role is not simply to describe the challenges facing the sector, but to help create the conditions in which providers can succeed. That means representing their interests nationally, while also connecting them with ideas, evidence, practical tools and
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