Report | Caring Britain: How home care reviews are shaping choices

This report published in November 2026 is the first in the Caring Britain series published by homecare.co.uk, exploring key trends shaping the home care sector.

Drawing on thousands of verified reviews and an analysis of home care providers across England, the report explores how online reviews are shaping people’s decisions when choosing home care, what matters most to those receiving care, and the growing importance of transparency and reputation in the sector.

Overall, the findings demonstrate that reviews are playing an increasingly important role in the home care sector, giving people receiving care and their families a stronger voice and helping them navigate provider choice.

However, the high proportion of providers without reviews or a current CQC rating reveals care seekers in England are often being left to find care without crucial information to guide them.

With dignity emerging as the highest-rated aspect of home care, and people receiving care having an increasingly powerful voice through reviews, providers have a valuable opportunity to listen to and learn from client feedback. As reviews play a growing role in both traditional and AI-powered search, they also offer providers an important platform to showcase the quality of their care, strengthen their online reputation and build trust and confidence among prospective clients and their families.

Key findings

• 80% of care seekers said reviews on homecare.co.uk were extremely or very important when choosing a home care provider, demonstrating the growing influence of reviews in decision-making.

• 57% of home care providers have no homecare.co.uk reviews, creating a significant information gap for families comparing providers.

• 38% of home care providers in England (4,552 providers) have no current CQC rating, meaning families may have limited access to independent information when making care choices.

• People receiving home care have a stronger voice: 28% of home care reviews are written by clients themselves, compared with just 4% of care home reviews written by residents.

• Dignity is the highest-rated aspect of home care, scoring 4.83 out of 5 and highlighting the importance of treating people with respect and recognising their individuality.

• Reviews are increasingly moving online: 66% of home care reviews are now submitted online, compared with 50% in 2021, reflecting changing expectations around how feedback is shared.

The full report published in November 2026 can be found at Caring Britain: How home care reviews are shaping choices