A deeper dive into PR for the care sector
With over 1.5 million people working in adult social care in the UK and contributing more than £50 billion annually to the economy, the care sector is one of the country's most essential industries. However, it also faces significant challenges. Workforce shortages, following Brexit and the Covid pandemic, have left 165,000 vacancies unfilled in adult social care alone – a record high.
PR offers a valuable opportunity for care providers to highlight their exceptional work, showcasing their commitment to quality care, innovation, and positive community impact.
By sharing success stories and best practices, care providers can enhance their reputation, attract clients, and inspire confidence among the public and prospective buyers.
Effective PR enables organisations to demonstrate their value and build trust with the public by sharing authentic, resonant stories.
Challenges facing the care sector today
Balancing financial sustainability, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency is becoming increasingly challenging in the care sector, particularly as local councils struggle to fund adult social care. Providers face ongoing pressures, including staffing shortages, changing regulations, and fluctuating demand, which make strategic decision-making crucial. Despite being a lifeline for millions, the sector often contends with negative stereotypes, with care roles perceived as low-status and poorly paid. These misconceptions not only hinder recruitment but also fail to recognise the immense dedication of those providing compassionate support. PR can be a powerful tool to help the care sector overcome these challenges.
Using PR to build trust and visibility
PR now encompasses a wide range of services designed to build and enhance brand visibility and reputation. These include media relations to secure valuable coverage, content creation to craft compelling narratives, social media management to engage audiences and drive conversations, and videography to create impactful visual stories. Additional offerings may include media training, crisis communications, event support, internal communications, and strategic consultancy to align PR efforts with business goals. Empica brings expertise in all these areas, tailoring our approach to meet the unique needs of each client and deliver measurable results.
Empica’s experience of providing PR services to the social care and healthcare sectors
Over the years, Empica has had the privilege of working with a range of clients across social care/care homes, healthcare/paramedics/training providers. This includes supported living providers, care homes for the elderly, day centres for individuals with disabilities, hospices, fertility providers, natural health training clinics, and complementary therapy services. Our coverage has spanned a variety of topics, from heartwarming stories about care home residents and dedicated staff members to in-depth responses to changes in legislation and insightful commentary on business-focused issues.
Highlights include:
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Supporting the College of Paramedics to launch its first International Paramedics Day and now helping to run it annually, collaborating with over 100 partners to make the event a global success
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Working alongside the Regard Partnership to lobby Parliament to discuss issues around autism and acquired brain injury
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Nine years of supporting Camelot Care and continuing to raise their profile in all their target media
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Supporting clients in acquiring additional care homes, managing the PR and overseeing the transition to ensure a smooth and seamless process
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Contributing written and visual evidence to CQC inspectors to illustrate life in our clients’ care homes
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Producing videos which have helped our clients to win industry accolades
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Creating social media content and website copy to enhance our clients’ online presence, boost SEO and improve communications
There are many ways in which we are able to add value to businesses in the care sector. Here are just three:
Storytelling
PR presents a unique opportunity for care providers to shine a light on the exceptional work they do, highlighting their commitment to quality care, innovation, and positive impact on communities. Sharing the human stories behind care services can shift public perceptions and highlight the vital contributions of care workers. For example, showcasing the experiences of dedicated staff and the positive impact they have on service users can inspire empathy and respect, while also attracting new talent to the sector. Personal stories of residents, staff, or families can bring the human aspect of care to the forefront. Sharing moments of compassion, success stories of residents thriving, or staff going above and beyond can help convey the emotional and personal side of care services. This helps the public see care homes not just as businesses but as places where lives are positively impacted.
Thought leadership
Positioning care providers as thought leaders can elevate the conversation around care quality and innovation within the sector. By publishing opinion pieces in national and trade press, participating in podcasts, or engaging in media interviews, organisations can shape the narrative and showcase their expertise in areas like patient care, staff development, and community engagement. These platforms offer an opportunity to demonstrate thought leadership and advocate for the positive impact care providers have on the lives of residents and the wider community.
Additionally, we can assist care providers in creating content for their websites and blogs to share valuable insights, success stories, and best practices, helping them establish themselves as trusted authorities in the industry. By consistently publishing relevant content, they engage their audience and build a reputation for excellence in care. This ongoing communication not only enhances visibility but also fosters a deeper understanding of the sector, positioning care providers as leaders while inspiring confidence among families, potential clients, and employees.
Reputation management
In a sector that deals with sensitive and sometimes life-altering situations, robust incident and crisis management strategies are essential. Whether addressing incidents of underfunding, a negative CQC report or responding to criticism, PR can help care providers navigate difficult situations with transparency, preserving trust and reputation.
One of the key challenges is managing incidents that can impact the reputation of a care provider. For example, a care home might experience a complaint from a resident's family regarding the quality of care, or there could be a situation where a staff member is accused of misconduct. Whether such a complaint or accusation proves to be justified or not, having a plan for an effective way to respond is critical. “No comment” is one of the quickest ways to make an innocent party look guilty, whereas a well-crafted response can help clarify the facts, explain the steps taken to resolve the issue, and highlight the organisation's commitment to high standards of care.
Empica can guide you through the complexities of creating a robust plan for dealing with negative publicity, and regularly provides expert media training to ensure clients’ company spokespeople can deal competently with the most probing media interview.
By addressing challenges openly, crafting thoughtful responses, and maintaining ongoing communication with stakeholders, care providers can protect their reputation, rebuild trust when necessary, and ensure that their commitment to high-quality care is clearly communicated.
Working towards a lasting PR partnership
The care sector is a vital yet demanding industry, and Empica has the expertise and experience to help care providers navigate their challenges while amplifying their successes. From managing reputation to sharing compelling stories and offering strategic guidance, we work alongside our clients to ensure their voices are heard. Through media coverage, content creation, and strategic consultancy, Empica helps care organisations build trust, enhance visibility, and showcase the incredible work they do every day, making a lasting impact on the communities they serve.
Empica also has a long track record of working in the fertility sector and is widely regarded in the IVF community as a PR leader in the field. For more on this and our work with the world’s first IVF baby, Louise Brown, and the United States’ first IVF baby, Elizabeth Carr, please visit our dedicated IVF and fertility sector page.
To find out more about how we can support you with your PR and content creation, please get in touch by calling 01275 39 44 00 or emailing contact@empica.com