Running from 16-22 June, the event aims to shine a positive light on the work of the care sector by encouraging care homes across the UK to open their doors to the public, and showcase them as being warm, friendly places open for visitors.

This year Championing Social Care has partnered with The Utley Foundation’s Music for Dementia campaign for a ‘Power of Music’ theme. Initiatives will include a mini newspaper postal mailer packed with ideas for fun and inclusive musical activities designed to help care staff use music as part of their daily care, and a limited number of free tickets for care staff to see Matt Seager’s touring play about dementia In Other Words.

Under the ‘Power of Music’ theme, there will be a Big Music Quiz with downloadable resources including picture rounds, music clips and musical bingo. Care homes can also look forward to free sing-a-long sessions running three times a day on m4dRadio.com, Music for Dementia’s free online radio station.

This year, Care Home Open Week is also teaming up with the Glad to Care campaign, a week of fun activities for care services to access. Activity resources for this will be available for care homes to download once they register to take part in Care Home Open Week via the Championing Social Care website.

Care Home Open Week will again be supported by Championing Social Care’s Great British Care Cycle Relay. In a change to previous years, the Relay will take place a week ahead of Care Home Open Week, from 12-16 June. The new format relay will cover approximately 500km in total via five individual day-long cycle relays around different UK regions: Edinburgh, Wales, York, East Midlands and London.

Each day’s cycling route will call in at different care homes along the way. The cycle relay will end in London at the high-profile launch event for Care Home Open Week. Registrations are open now for cyclists to take part, with each day’s route covering a distance of 100km. There’s no fee or fundraising target and cycling enthusiasts are encouraged to sign up via the Championing Social Care website.

Last year more than 5,500 care services took part in Care Home Open Week – around a third of UK homes. The organisers stated that they hope for even higher participation this year from care services, communities and government ministers.

Mitesh Dhanak, board member of Championing Social Care and chair of the Care Home Open Week committee said: “Care Home Open Week is a fantastic opportunity to reposition the care sector in the public’s mind. The negative news agenda contrasts with the fantastic work being delivered by the care sector on a daily basis. Care Home Open Week is an opportunity to invite local communities in to experience what warm, friendly and inviting spaces care homes are, and see for themselves the high standard of care our inspiring workforce deliver.”

Sarah Metcalfe, managing director at Music for Dementia added: “Music for Dementia has long admired the spirit and ethos of Championing Social Care and its Care Home Open Week event. Its mission feels closely aligned with our own ambition to make music an integral part of dementia care, as a way to support care staff deliver person-centred care and build strong communities within care homes. We know that music can bring a care home alive, and we hope this year’s power of music theme will encourage care staff around the UK to give it a go.”

Dhanak added: “We’ve made a few changes to how we’ve scheduled Care Home Open Week and the Great British Care Cycle Relay events this year to enable more people to take part. We’ve shifted the dates earlier in June, so we don’t clash with Scotland’s Summer holidays, and by covering five different parts of the UK we’re able to open up our monumental cycle relay to more participants. What are you waiting for? Sign up today.”