Every guide on The Care Panel is written and reviewed by The Care Panel editorial team before it is published, and reviewed again whenever rules, rates or data change. This page explains who we are, how we check our work and how to tell us if something is wrong.
Who we are
The Care Panel is an independent guide to home care and care homes in England. Our editorial team researches, writes and fact-checks the guides, council pages and data reports on this site, and maintains the directory of every service registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
We are not a care provider, a council or the NHS, and we do not give individual medical, legal or financial advice. Our job is to explain how care works in plain English and point you to the official source.
How a guide is reviewed
- Research from primary sources. We start from the law and official guidance: the Care Act 2014 and its statutory guidance, GOV.UK, NHS England and NHS.uk, the CQC register and inspection reports, council websites, the Office for National Statistics and recognised charities such as Age UK, Carers UK, the Alzheimer’s Society and Marie Curie.
- Fact check. Every figure (benefit rates, means-test limits, fees, numbers of services) is checked against its source and the year it applies to. Where we estimate, we say so.
- Review by the team. A second member of The Care Panel editorial team reviews each guide for accuracy, clarity and balance before it goes live. The date at the top of each guide shows when it was last reviewed.
- Scheduled updates. We re-check guides when rates change each April, when the government changes the rules, and when CQC data is refreshed. Directory data is refreshed from the CQC register regularly.
Our standards
- Accuracy first. We link to the official source for rules and figures so you can check them yourself.
- Plain English. We explain terms the first time we use them. Our care glossary covers the rest.
- Independence. Care providers cannot pay to change what our guides say, and payment never changes the order of our ranked lists, which follow CQC ratings and distance. Paid placements are always labelled. See how we make money and how we rank providers.
- No personal advice. Our guides are general information about care in England. For decisions about a person’s health, money or legal position, speak to their GP, the council or a qualified adviser.
Corrections
If you spot a mistake, or something has changed, please email contact@thecarepanel.co.uk with the page address. We check every report and correct errors promptly, updating the review date on the page.
Read our full editorial policy.