Your Care Rating 2019/20 – survey results released
The surveys were carried out between September and November 2019, prior to the outbreak of Coronavirus. Results of the 2019/20 Your Care Rating surveys show a positive picture of life in participating residential care homes across the UK.
Your Care Rating extends to two audiences: residents living in care homes, surveyed annually since 2012, and their family members and friends, surveyed annually since 2015. In the 2019/20 surveys, responses were received from 7,633 care home residents and 4,194 family members and friends of residents.
The average care home Overall Performance Rating (OPR) in the Residents’ survey was 893 out of 1,000, and the equivalent average OPR achieved in the Family & Friends’ survey was 852.
The vast majority of residents and their family members and friends were satisfied with the overall standard of the care home (97% and 95% respectively). Over nine in ten residents (94%) said that overall, they were happy living in their care home and a similar proportion of family members and friends said that the care home seemed to be a happy place to live (93%).
As in the previous years of the survey, views of the care given by staff were extremely positive. Nearly all residents (98%) agreed that staff treat them with kindness, dignity and respect, and the same proportion of family members and friends agreed (98%). Almost all residents (97%) also agreed they were happy with the care and support they receive and that they had confidence and trust in the staff who look after them (also 97%). In line with previous years’ results, residents were less likely to agree that staff have time to talk time them (88% say this), and this pattern was mirrored in the responses given by family members and friends (78% agreed staff have time to talk to their relative or friend).
This year we also conducted some polling with the general public about their perceptions of care homes (prior to the outbreak of coronavirus). The polling illustrates a disparity between the more negative general public perceptions of care homes and the more positive lived experience for residents. For example, a quarter of the public (26%) thought that care homes are happy places to live. In comparison, 94% of care home residents agreed that overall, they are happy living in their care home. Similarly, half of the general public believed that care home staff treat residents with kindness (49%) and 45% thought residents are treated with dignity and respect – compared with 98% of care home residents who agreed that staff treat them with kindness, dignity and respect.
Technical note
14 care home providers participated in the Your Care Rating Residents' survey in 2019/20. A total of 7,633 residents took part across 362 homes. The survey was conducted from early September to late October 2019, followed by a series of validation checks. The survey uses a postal self-completion methodology, with packs of questionnaires and freepost return envelopes sent to care homes.
The Your Care Rating Family and Friends’ survey covers the relatives and friends of those living in care homes. Results are available for 7 care home providers, covering 280 care homes and 4,194 family members and friends of residents. The survey was conducted in October and November 2019 and used a mixed postal and online methodology.
Results are shown for all valid responses (excluding blank responses to questions) and are based on analysis of data for individual care homes receiving five or more responses, excluding those removed from the data following the validation stage of the Residents’ survey.
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For further information on the results for individual care homes and the methodology and how results are calculated, visit the Your Care Rating website.
Ipsos asked two questions about care homes on an online omnibus survey with members of the public in the United Kingdom aged 16-75.
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Respondents were asked questions that reflected those asked of residents as part of the Your Care Rating Residents’ survey. Comparisons between the two surveys are indicative, due to differences in methodology and questionnaire design.
- ‘Don’t know’ responses have been removed from the base in order to maximise comparability with the Your Care Rating Residents’ survey.
- The survey achieved 1,129 responses (the base after removing ‘Don’t know’ responses varied from 847 to 980).
- Fieldwork was conducted between 7th – 9th February 2020, i.e. before the COVID-19 outbreak began.
- Data were weighted by age, gender, region and working status to be as representative as possible of the general population aged 16-75 within the United Kingdom.
