Care England has commissioned Cornerstone Care Solutions to produce a series of reports under the ‘Restructuring Social Care Services’ initiative. These examine the underlying causes of care home failures and present proactive strategies to ensure long-term sustainability.

The latest report in the series ‘Identifying and Addressing Failing Care: A Guide for Care Home Professionals’ explores how clinical and financial key performance indicators can provide early warning signs, helping to identify emerging risks before they escalate.

Cate England stated: “By closely monitoring trends such as infection rates, occupancy levels, and financial performance, care home leaders can swiftly intervene to prevent small challenges from becoming systemic failures.”

Professor Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, said: “Care providers are operating under relentless financial and workforce pressures, and the margin for error is vanishingly small. Without a clear view of the warning signs, services can quickly become unsustainable, putting both residents and staff at risk. This report highlights the importance of tracking clinical and financial KPIs, not as a bureaucratic exercise, but as a crucial safeguard for quality care. The ability to spot issues early, whether it’s a rise in falls, a drop in occupancy, or creeping financial instability, can make all the difference between survival and closure. In such a challenging climate, we need to move away from reactive firefighting and towards a smarter, more strategic approach to running care services.”

This second report follows on the first in the Restructuring Social Care Services series, which examined financial viability, workforce stability, and operational efficiency.

To explore these findings further, Care England is hosting a webinar on 4 March, offering practical guidance on using KPIs to safeguard care homes. To register, click here

To read ‘Identifying and Addressing Failing Care: A Guide for Care Home Professionals’ click here.