Over 90 MPs are expected to visit their local care home during the week
The Minister of State of Health for Health and Social Care, Stephen Kinnock, has lent his support for Care Home Open Week, which kicks off Monday June 16.
In a letter to participating care homes published in Music for Dementia’s Music Matters Magazine, Kinnock says:
“During this Care Home Open Week, I want to personally thank each and every one of you working in care homes across the country. Your dedication, compassion and warmth make a real difference to the lives of so many people.
“Every day you go above and beyond to provide not only essential support but kindness and dignity to those who rely on you. You create vibrant communities in your care homes, helping residents to thrive.
“I wish you well this Care Home Open Week as you open your doors and show people the fantastic services you have to offer.”
Care Home Open Week is Championing Social Care’s leading engagement event. Running from 16-22 June 2025, the hugely popular event aims to shine a positive light on the phenomenal work of the care sector by encouraging care homes across the UK to open their doors to the public, and showcase them as being warm, friendly places open for visitors.
Over 90 MPs are expected to visit their local care home, a substantial increase in previous years.
Pauline Hamilton MP, Chair of Parliament’s Health and Social Care Select Committee, will feature in a special film created for the launch event of Care Home Open Week at Loveday Care Home in Belgravia. Josh Fenton-Glynn MP, who is also in the Select Committee, is expected to attend the launch event.
Championing Social Care has partnered this year with The Utley Foundation’s Music for Dementia campaign for a ‘Power of Music’ theme. Music for Dementia created a special Music Matters magazine that has been posted to 4,000 registered care homes filled with inspiration and ideas of musical activities to take part in during the week. It is here that Stephen’s letter of support was published.
As part of the partnership, Music for Dementia has also produced a one-off radio Singalong hosted by actress Sian Reeves and featuring singer Tony Christie and The Bakewell and District Community Choir. The 40-minute radio show will be broadcast three times a day on m4dRadio.com, Music for Dementia’s free online radio station, with the hope that care home residents across the UK, as well as at home carers, will join in singing.
This year, Care Home Open Week is also teaming up with the Glad to Care campaign. Glad to Care is a week of fun activities for care services to access. Activity resources from Glad to Care and Care Home Open Week will be available for care homes to download once they have registered to take part in Care Home Open Week via the Championing Social Care website.
Care Home Open Week will be supported again by Championing Social Care’s epic Great British Care Cycle Relay, which promotes community connections and the importance of care and wellbeing. Over 70 cyclists will take part this year, covering a combined 500km via five individual cycle relays around different UK regions: Edinburgh, Wales, York, East Midlands and London.
Last year saw over 5,500 care services take part in Care Home Open Week, which represents around a third of the total number of homes in the country. It is hoped this year’s event will have even higher participation from care services, communities and government ministers.
Mitesh Dhanak, board member of Championing Social Care and chair of the Care Home Open Week committee says: “We’re delighted by the response we’ve had to this year’s Care Home Open Week. It’s great to see so MPs getting behind the event and visiting their local care home to see for themselves the high standard of care our inspiring workforce deliver.”
Sarah Metcalfe, MD at Music for Dementia says: “Music for Dementia has long admired the spirit and ethos of Championing Social Care and its Care Home Open Week event. Its mission feels closely aligned with our own ambition to make music an integral part of dementia care, as a way to support care staff deliver person-centred care and build strong communities within care homes.”
“We know that music can bring a care home alive, and we hope this year’s power of music theme will encourage care staff around the UK to give it a go.”
