Public Relations, Awards and Crisis Communications
Maria Mallaband Care Group
Maria Mallaband Care Group is one of the UK’s leading independent care home providers, named thoughtfully after the owner’s mother. With almost 80 homes across the UK, this privately-run company offers a wide range of care and support including day care, respite care, dementia care, nursing care, and residential care.
Sector
Care
Healthcare
Nursing
Services
Public Relations
Awards
Crisis Communications
The Brief
Maria Mallaband Care Group (MMCG) have been working with DNPR and latterly the Inspiration Agency, since 2020. They initially approached us in search of support with PR, which included developing a reactive press strategy to help manage the flow of news across their homes. After just 6 months of working with us, they wanted to expand their scope of work, which lead to us developing a robust internal communications strategy for the organisation, which was then followed by crisis communications process and an awards campaign.
As our relationship with them grew, our support did too. Over time, we adapted our approach to reflect their changing priorities – providing additional support with marketing, advertising and recruitment activity as and when needed. Our ability to work with them in achieving their goals and offer a service tailored to their needs has played a key part in building a long-term and trusted partnership.
Public Relations
To MMCG, building trust and maintaining a strong reputation were vital. They needed a public relations service to help support their goals by ensuring the organisation’s values, dedication and impact were clearly understood by the wider community. Having never used a PR agency, they needed a trusted partner who could guide and support them throughout the process becoming an extension of their team. They wanted to be able to connect meaningfully with their audience while credibly showing that their homes stood out as luxurious and their staff were caring and compassionate.
Awards
As a leading care group, MMCG wanted to strengthen their reputation by showcasing the dedication of their teams and the quality of their care. They aspired to stand out as industry leaders and a trusted name within the care sector, highlight their achievements and celebrate their staff.
Crisis Communications
Based on the nature of the care sector, MMCG recognised that protecting their reputation was essential and were eager to establish a strong, proactive communications approach. They wanted a partnership that would enable them to respond swiftly to emergencies and challenges while offering continued reassurance to those living with them, their families and the wider community. It was important to them that any issues were handled with care, compassion and transparency, helping to maintain trust and confidence in their homes. They understood that not all crises happened in a working day and needed a team that were flexible, always on hand but also understood the values and the culture of the company.
Public Relations
We helped MMCG identify news stories within the group and across their homes, including resident milestones, colleague achievements and strategic developments. Notably, we played a key role in supporting the launch of several new builds, which attracted high-profile coverage including securing features in many local and regional publications, and showcased how our proactive PR strategy directly translated into tangible results.
Our role extended beyond media relations, we helped shape campaigns from the get-go, identifying what would resonate most with local communities and the care sector. This included crafting narratives, positioning MMCG’s leadership as industry experts, and advising on campaign angles that would generate impact across print, online and broadcast outlets.
As a result of our proactive PR approach, we helped MMCG secure hundreds of pieces of coverage, including titles such as Care Professional, Caring Times, and local press outlets across the UK. Our work with them has contributed to key business goals, including raising the profile of individual homes, strengthening trust within local communities where their homes are based, supporting recruitment efforts, and overall, establishing MMCG as a recognised voice in the care sector.
Awards
With our expertise in information gathering, interviewing the team and copywriting, we helped MMCG develop compelling award entries to earn the recognition they deserve. With us in their corner, they have won a wide selection of awards over the years. Here are some of their favourites:
- MMCG was named a four-time finalist in the National Care Awards 2024.
- We also crafted MMCG’s winning entry for the categories Best Architecture and Interior Design in the Care Home Awards.
- After being a five-time finalist, they also received gold for the Outstanding Larger Care Provider.
Among the many results that we’ve delivered for MMCG, there is one particular award that we’re particularly proud of, and that was securing a finalist spot for The Dementia Care and Engagement Award in the NAPA Awards. This entry showcased the strength of our strategic approach to awards: spotlighting individuals who bring a brand’s values to life, and crafting award submissions that are rooted in authenticity, purpose, and storytelling.
This award is a great example of how we not only deliver results, but also help businesses recognise and elevate the people who make those results possible.
Crisis Communications
Eager to strengthen their crisis communication capabilities, MMCG worked closely with our team, drawing on our expertise to train, guide and support them through every stage of the process. We developed, wrote and tailored a crisis communications strategy for MMCG that would allow us to act swiftly and efficiently in the case of a crisis.
This included researching, writing, understanding and choosing the right response model to write appropriate media statements and responding to journalists’ enquiries, all to ensure that the right, consistent message was communicated. We trained the team on the internal processes and the lines of communication that should be taken when a crisis arose. This also included creating a ‘what to do in a crisis’ document that was distributed to every home in the group, which outlined how to handle all media enquiries, support with reputation management and when legal action is needed.
This made sure we stayed one step ahead and that the team knew we were always on hand for valued support when they needed.
“Their professionalism, discretion, and steady presence during high-stakes moments have earned them our complete and absolute trust.”
Testimonial
“During times of uncertainty, Inspiration Agency have been a supportive and reliable partner.
The entire team is not only knowledgeable and skilled, but also adaptable and easy to work with. They offer a seamless process which helps us to act fast when it’s most important.
They are incredibly responsive, strategic, and calm under pressure. During moments of crisis, they’ve helped us manage communications with clarity and confidence, ensuring that our message is both timely and aligned with our values. They have provided invaluable support and guidance during challenging periods and remain an essential part of our extended team.
Their professionalism, discretion, and steady presence during high-stakes moments have earned them our complete and absolute trust.”
