In today’s adult social care sector, media is no longer a “nice-to-have” - it’s a critical tool for communication, reputation, and influence.
For care providers, visibility across both social and traditional channels can directly shape how they are perceived by residents, families, staff, policymakers, and the wider public.
Social platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and X, together with traditional outlets at local, trade, and national level, now act as the sector’s shop window. They showcase life inside care homes - from resident activities and family engagement to staff development and community partnerships. They also provide reassurance to prospective families, highlight each organisation’s culture and values, and offer a powerful way to celebrate staff successes, strengthening both morale and reputation.
Beyond day-to-day storytelling, media has become a campaigning force in its own right. Providers and representative bodies are increasingly using it to shine a spotlight on sector-wide challenges - from workforce pressures and rising costs to the persistent stigma that surrounds social care, and on industry campaigns. The ability of media to amplify the sector’s voice was perhaps most visible during the pandemic, but its strategic importance has only deepened since.
Although hard data on return-on-investment is limited, evidence from healthcare and wider industries shows clear benefits: greater brand recognition, stronger trust, and a more resilient reputation in the eyes of stakeholders. For care providers competing in an increasingly crowded landscape, media presence is not just about visibility - it is about influence.
This report examines how the UK’s Top 20 Mid-size Care Home Groups 2025 (as ranked by carehome.co.uk) perform across both social media platforms and traditional press. It ranks providers by reach and coverage - from total followers and platform breakdowns to media mentions at an individual-home and corporate level.
Taken together, these findings provide a unique picture of how today’s leading care groups are harnessing media to tell their stories, engage audiences, and strengthen their reputation – at both a local and national level.
