Searchable care home review ratings

Looking for a care home for a relative or a friend is a huge life change and can be arduous and time-consuming, as well as very emotional.

Now carehome.co.uk has made things even easier by teaming up with Google so people can quickly see a care home's average review rating.

Somerset Care was the first care home provider to trial the widget and the integration service with Google. Oli Blackwell, technical director of carehome.co.uk, says: "The best way to find out the quality and standard of a care home is to ask the residents who live there.

"carehome.co.uk features reviews from the residents, their family members and their friends giving a clear and accurate picture of the care home in terms of its staff, the rooms, cleanliness, facilities, care, management and whether residents are treated with dignity.

"Once the carehome.co.uk review widget is embedded on the care provider's website, Google will then display their carehome.co.uk average review rating."

Saskia Pearlstone, marketing co-ordinator for Somerset Care says: "Using the review widget was a straightforward decision for us. We have 30 care homes in Somerset and on the Isle of Wight and it is important that people are clear about the options available to them.

"Enabling people to easily see how our care homes have been rated goes with the whole ethos and values of Somerset Care which are customers, care and candour.

"It is absolutely vital that there is a system for people to review the provision that they are part of.

"It is a huge lifestyle change for people when they move into a care home so it is important for them to have as much information as possible."

Des Kelly, who is chair of the Centre for Policy on Ageing, having spent 13 years prior to that at the helm of the National Care Forum, has called it a 'positive initiative' saying: "I think it's vital for the public to have a wide range of ways to get authoritative information on care services."