Reputation has released its latest ‘Quick Take’ report on the UK Care Industry, offering a comprehensive analysis of over 48,000 reviews from 33 care home and in-home care providers across the UK. 

The report identifies key Reputation Performance trends and provides insights for business leaders, marketers and CX professionals within the care industry. It highlights opportunities to build trust, improve the quality of care and drive business growth. 

Key findings of the report include:

• Visibility: Review volumes in the care industry are low, with in-home care providers averaging just nine reviews annually and the top 20% receiving just 14

• Engagement: Top-performing providers respond to over 80% of reviews, but the industry average lags at 68%. Though providers typically address two-thirds of positive and neutral reviews, responses to negative reviews are much lower

• Sentiment: Positive care home reviews often highlight staff quality, comfort and facility attractiveness as strengths, while weaknesses typically focus on administrative processes, communication and doctors

Reputation Senior Director Chris Sparling, has made the following comments in response to the trends identified in the report:

“As the Care Quality Commission (CQC) undergoes reform, consumer feedback and online reviews are becoming increasingly important. Choosing the right care provider can be daunting, and families now rely heavily on unfiltered feedback to understand the resident experience. Yet, the report reveals that UK care providers are missing this opportunity by not generating consistent, quality feedback.

“Review volumes are low across the industry, particularly for in-home care providers, where managing multiple online listings complicates the process. Even though many reviews are positive, low volumes can still harm a provider’s reputation. Failing to regularly solicit fresh feedback means positive sentiment can quickly be overshadowed—and in a market with such high demand for care home places, this could have serious consequences.”

“Another missed opportunity is not responding to reviews. Whether positive or negative, every single review offers a chance to engage meaningfully with residents and their families. Taking the time to respond indicates that feedback is valued – and many prospective customers seek out this level of engagement. Addressing negative reviews can also turn challenges into positive outcomes.

“The UK’s top-performing care homes are already using feedback to identify strengths and areas of concern. With limited resources, using data-backed insights to pinpoint where improvement is needed ensures funds are allocated effectively. By analysing sentiment data, care providers can focus on what matters most to residents and their families. Whether that’s staff excellence, comfort or creating welcoming environments, marketers should be highlighting these strengths in promotional materials.

“Reputation management is crucial for marketing and CX professionals because it’s not just about delivering quality care, but about consistently showcasing it through active engagement and real-time feedback.”

Reputation will be at The Care Show in Birmingham this week, hosting a speaking session with its customer, WeCareGroup, titled ‘Ensuring Brand Promise in a Feedback-First World’.

Download a full copy of the report.