Boutique Care Homes Launches The Care Labs, a Free Digital Platform for Families
Boutique Care Homes, the twice-crowned National Care Awards Care Home Group (Small) of the Year, has launched The Care Labs: a free digital knowledge platform built for the 5.8 million unpaid carers in the UK and the millions more families facing care decisions for a loved one.
Available at thecarelabs.co.uk, the platform draws inspiration from Barclays Digital Wings, the free online learning platform that has helped millions of people feel more confident managing their money and online saftey. Boutique Care Homes identified the same opportunity in care: a dedicated, standalone resource that educates and empowers families navigating one of the most complex and emotionally charged journeys of their lives.
“Barclays recognised that confidence comes from knowledge, and that people make better decisions when they have access to clear, trusted information built specifically for them,” said Carl Roberts, Director of Sales and Marketing. “We wanted to apply that same thinking to care. There are resources out there, but nothing built in this way, with this level of depth and intention, specifically for families. The Care Labs is our response to that. And it is just the beginning.”
Across 2026 Boutique Care Homes will be expanding the platform to include podcasts, video content, and eLearning modules, creating a truly comprehensive resource for anyone navigating the world of care.
“The Care Labs isn’t just a platform we’ve built for families, it’s one we want to build with them,” Roberts continued. “We’re inviting people to send us the questions they can’t find answers to and the topics that matter most to them. Their ideas will directly shape what we produce.”
What’s Inside
At launch, The Care Labs features blogs, practical guides, and infographics across six categories, with new content added every month. The platform covers everything from recognising the early signs of dementia and managing its progression at home, to understanding care home costs, navigating funding in England, and knowing when the time for residential care has come. Practical guides on brain-healthy eating, carer burnout, and the six principles of wellbeing that underpin Boutique’s own Life Enrichment Programme sit alongside more emotionally nuanced content on difficult family conversations and what to expect when a loved one makes the move into care.
While the platform is designed primarily for families and carers, its development has also been guided by a partnership with local colleges, with the ambition that health and social care students can draw on its resources to support their studies and help shape the next generation of care professionals. The breadth and depth of The Care Labs is intentional – this is a resource built for anyone whose life is touched by care.
An Industry Responsibility
For Ameet Kotecha, Founder and Managing Director, the launch reflects a responsibility the sector as a whole needs to take more seriously. “Too many families arrive at a crisis point without the knowledge or support they needed along the way. The care sector has a responsibility to educate, to inform, and to reduce the anxiety that surrounds these decisions. The Care Labs is our commitment to changing that. It is an extension of everything we believe care should be: compassionate, transparent, and genuinely centred on the people who need it most.”
The group, which has featured in the carehome.co.uk Top 20 Small Care Home Group for three consecutive years, said the platform is designed to serve families at every stage – not just those considering residential care, but anyone navigating the challenges of caring for an ageing loved one. Families are invited to suggest future content topics directly at thecarelabs@boutiquecarehomes.co.uk.
