Our research report, in collaboration with Care England, surveyed 1,000 families to explore the factors that shape family trust in care. Although the sector is operating under significant pressure, delivering high-quality, compassionate care remains a priority, and treating families as partners in care is central to that.
Families are no longer on the periphery of care; they’re a key part of care decisions. Communication with families shapes the perception of care, and when prioritised, families can become the biggest advocates for your service. When communication feels predictable, personal and transparent, confidence grows. When it feels delayed, inconsistent or reactive, families often interpret silence as risk.
Our report - “What shapes family confidence in care?” - highlighted four communication gaps that erode family confidence in care and suggested ways care providers can overcome them without adding burden on frontline staff.
Only communicating when something goes wrong
The decision to organise care for a family member is often an emotional one. And families need confidence that their loved one is safe, understood and supported day-to-day, not just during emergencies or incidents.
70% of families say they would like updates at least once a day, but only 51% currently receive them.
When communication is inconsistent, families often interpret silence as risk, even when care remains strong. They often step into advocacy roles and create more work for staff by seeking updates and information that could have been more easily accessible. This creates operational drag through repeated phone calls, duplicated questions across shifts, and staff time spent providing reactive reassurance.
What’s worse, 8% of families reported only receiving communication when something goes wrong.
Families aren’t looking for constant contact, but visibility over the care their loved one receives. Even small, predictable updates about day-to-day care can reduce anxiety and strengthen trust, so providers have fewer reactive calls, complaints and reassurance requests to manage.
Inconsistent updates & delayed responses to concerns
Families build confidence in care through visibility, consistency, reassurance and respect. Our research found that when the accuracy and timeliness of updates weren’t priorities, those pillars suffered. The families we spoke to consistently emphasised the importance of real-time or near real-time information to build trust.
Despite this, 24% of families say they are concerned that digital information isn’t updated in real-time.
Families don’t just want to know the outcome of care; they want reassurance that changes will be noticed early, information is current, and concerns will be acted on promptly. For busy care providers, communication and visibility are often the first things to slip in favour of immediate care delivery. But when updates are delayed, families may worry that care is also delayed.
Families don’t expect instant responses at all times, but they do expect communication systems that feel current, reliable and consistent. Providing clear, accessible information can remove the need for families to intervene unnecessarily and avoid extra pressure on care staff. Choosing a care management platform with a built-in Family App, like we have at Log my Care, can support teams to integrate family communication into day-to-day delivery without adding workload.
Generic communication
Who gives updates matters. When updates come from staff members who are disconnected from day-to-day care delivery, crucial context is missing, which quickly erodes trust.
Over half (51%) of families say they want to receive updates from frontline staff, but only 37% do.
This isn’t rooted in micro-management. Families value communication that feels grounded in the authentic experience of day-to-day care.
Families told us they feel more confident when updates are personal, timely and come from frontline staff, not filtered through multiple layers of communication. While updates from managers and admin staff may be well-intentioned, they can feel emotionally distant when they’re brief, generic or delayed.
For a sector that’s already under pressure, this doesn’t mean asking carers to take on more admin. Providers should prioritise systems that make frontline insight easier to capture and share as part of everyday care, helping families feel informed and reassured.
Asking for feedback but never closing the loop
Families are now central to care decisions, and whether they feel heard plays a major role in shaping confidence in care.
Yet, 61% say their feedback is sometimes, rarely or never acted on.
When feedback disappears into a void, families often escalate concerns, contact multiple staff members, or lose confidence in the service.
This has a knock-on effect on regulatory confidence. Care providers are under increased pressure to show families, regulators and inspectors that care is safe and well managed. But when family feedback isn’t acted on, concerns are more likely to become complaints and damage trust.
Care providers can build trust by showing families that their feedback has been heard and acted on. Acknowledging concerns, explaining what will happen next and following up with an outcome shows families that you value their input.
As pressures across the sector continue to grow, it’s clear that communication is no longer an optional extra. Families don’t expect perfection, but they need visibility and reassurance that their loved ones are safe and well-supported.
Providers that embed communication into everyday care delivery will be better placed to reduce reactive workload for carers, strengthen family relationships, and build long-term confidence in care.
Read the full report: “What shapes family confidence in care?”
