Q&A with Mitesh Dhanak, Chair of Care Home Open Week's Committee

Ahead of Care Home Open Week 2026, Martin Gould (Head of Brokerage – Care at Christie & Co) caught up with Mitesh Dhanak (Founder of Precious Homes and Chair of the Care Home Open Week committee), to discuss how this year’s event will unite communities across the country and why taking part matters.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your involvement with Care Home Open Week and what that means to you?

“Care Home Open Week is all about shining a spotlight on and celebrating the great things we do in social care, from the incredible residents we support to the caring team members; there are around 1.6 million people who work in social care across the UK! Unless someone has a family member or friend in care, they are often unaware what care homes and social care is about. CHOW is all about giving those people the opportunity to see first-hand the great things that happen in care homes and the fabulous career opportunities that social care offers. 

“I have been involved in CHOW since its inception, back in 2020, when we were still in and out of lockdowns, we had people coming out to clap for the NHS; however, at that time, there was no appreciation for all the work that social care workers were doing. It was, in fact, care homes up and down the country took on admissions from hospitals, to keep hospital beds free for treating COVID-19 patients. I felt this was going completely unnoticed. This spurred me and others in the sector to form Championing Social Care to do something about it; thus, CHOW was born! Of course, none of this is possible without our sponsors, Christie & Co being among them, whose generosity funds the organising costs.”

Q: How has CHOW changed over the years since its inception in 2021?

“Back in 2021, given that a lot of relatives were restricted from visiting their loved ones in care homes due to lockdown measures, the notion of a programme entitled Care Home Open Week was naturally faced with uncertainty. This was tricky to navigate; however, we were not deterred by these obstacles and carried on. In the end, CHOW 2021 was mostly a virtual event, although some care homes did hold outdoor events with social distancing. The important thing was that we managed to get the movement going. Since then, we have grown from strength to strength, and incorporated The Great British Cycle Relay. 

“In 2021, CHOW was mainly targeting homes in England. Over the years, we have worked really hard to include all the rest of the UK, and we now have active participation from homes in Scotland and Wales as well as England, so CHOW is a truly national event covering the whole of the United Kingdom.

“The Cycle Relay has become a fixture as the curtain-raiser for Care Open Week, and it grows bigger every year. In 2026 we will have around 70 riders taking part with rides across Scotland, Wales, the north, the Midlands, and the south of England. Each ride is around 100km, and riders visit care homes along the route providing the homes with a unique way to connect with the community and showcase their incredible care.”

Q: How do you envisage this year’s theme of the FIFA World Cup 2026 is going to bring people together?

“The World Cup theme is a brilliant way of getting everyone involved. It’s inclusive, fun, and it gives us the chance to bring generations together around something familiar and uplifting. In a care home setting, that really matters because it’s often those shared moments, whether through football, food, music or memories, that make people feel part of something.

“Care Homes are bringing the theme to life in a number of different ways. Hendon Hall care home is hosting a special screening of the 1966 World Cup final with special guests in attendance who were lucky enough to be at the event 60 years ago. Brampton Manor care home will be hosting a special Lego session where children and residents will aim to build the World Cup trophy. Other care homes are holding football quizzes, craft sessions to design football shirts, or penalty shootouts. There will be something for everyone.”

Q:  What’s the one key thing you want people to take away from Care Home Open Week 2026?

“The one key takeaway from CHOW has to be that, in a world full of news about wars and disasters, you see kindness in abundance whenever you visit a care home!”

Q: What is your vision for the future of Care Home Open Week? What do you want it to achieve?

“The vision for CHOW is that it will grow and become a fixture on the social care calendar. I want residents and their families to look forward it and, equally importantly, help shape positive perceptions for the general public about social care and the people who work in it.”

If you’re interested in signing up or getting involved in Care Home Open Week 2026, you can do so here.