Specialist care PR consultancy, Bridgehead Communications, has unveiled the 2024 edition of its annual  Social Media Power List, ranking the UK’s small care home groups and their individual homes based on social media following.

The PR consultancy first launched its survey last year with the publication of three reports ranking the UK’s top 20 small, medium and large care home groups respectively by their social media following.

Using carehome.co.uk’s list of the Top 20 Small Care Groups of 2024, the new report, titled ‘Social Media Power List 2024 – Top 20 Small Care Home Groups’, ranks small care home groups and their respective care homes according to social media following on the five most widely used platforms in the sector: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok. The report was compiled using follower data recorded in May 2024.

As with last year’s report, the study also investigates the applications of social media in the adult social care sector. It explores the most effective social media platforms to use depending on the care group’s digital marketing objectives. It also highlights the importance of considering multiple factors in social media to boost engagement, and that striking a balance between group and individual home accounts is the most effective way of reaching a target digital audience.

Due to their disproportionate social media following relative to the other groups, the Cygnet group was analysed separately in the report. It accounted for around two thirds of the overall follower count of the 20 homes (85,000).

Care groups and homes combined

In terms of the combined social media of each of the care groups and their individual homes, Boutique Care Homes topped the poll with 9,327 followers spread across Facebook, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn. Boutique’s social media following was almost twice as high as the second-ranked care home group, Connaught Care (4,600).

As with last year’s report, Facebook accounted for the largest proportion of followers (53% – 18,422) among the care groups and their homes. LinkedIn accounted for 37% (13,000), a 19% increase compared to its proportion of followers among care homes in Bridgehead’s 2023 investigation into the ‘Top 20 Small Care Groups of 2022’. Instagram accounted for just over 7%, X (Twitter) for 3%, and TikTok for less than 1%.

Compared to its peers, Boutique Care Homes had the most significant LinkedIn following (7,100), which came entirely from its group account. Commenting on the findings of the report, Boutique Care Homes’ associate sales and marketing director, Carl Roberts, said that its approach to LinkedIn focuses on “the development and growth side” of the business. “The platform”, he continued, “allows [Boutique] to build professional relationships and showcase leadership in the care home industry.”

On Facebook, it was Sanders Senior Living who boasted the highest following (2,951), which was spread across its group and individual home accounts. On Instagram, Doveleigh Care dominated with more than 1,000 followers, while on X (Twitter) it was the Rotherwood Group that topped leaderboards.

Individual care homes

The analysis also compared the social media following of the individual homes belonging to the top 20 groups.

Boutique Care Homes’ The Burlington Care Home had the highest overall following (1,100), which came entirely from Facebook. Following close behind was Connaught Care’s Portsdown View Care Home, which boasted 800 over both Facebook and Instagram.

None of the individual homes had their own LinkedIn accounts, which among the small care groups was usually reserved for overall group pages.

Individual care groups

Lastly, the report ranked each care group by their own social media following, excluding those of their individual homes.

Not only was Facebook utilised, but many of the groups have significant followings on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Boutique Care Homes’ group account topped the leaderboard with 7,200 followers across its Facebook, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn accounts. The three immediately following Boutique were Connaught Care (2,853), Rotherwood Group (2,500) and Doveleigh Care (1,940).

Commenting on the analysis, William Walter, the report’s author and managing director of, Bridgehead Communications, said: “We’re proud to be launching the first in this year’s series of power list insights. Launched last year, the power lists proved incredibly popular across the sector. They offered marketing teams insights with which to inform their digital marketing strategy.

“As with last year’s reports, this study offers valuable analysis into social media usage depending on your company’s needs. Our investigation covers recruitment, staff retention as well as occupancy to help those thinking of formulating or reformulating their social media strategy for their care home or care group.

“The report also considers the advantages and drawbacks of group-specific social media accounts versus accounts for individual homes, and explores how your group can strike the right balance.

“We’d encourage anyone to get in touch if they’d like to discuss the findings in more detail. We’d also be happy to offer a complementary virtual or in-person teach-in to discuss how care groups can optimise their social media outreach.”