Honesty's the Best Policy, Except When It Doesn't Work in Your Favour

A good ole' vent

I'm probably a bit grumpier than normal. I'm about to go on holiday so no doubt I'll be full of the joys of spring when I get back. But for now, I feel like I need to rant.

The internet is useful, but...

Want to find a good hotel or restaurant? Or do you need to know which is the best vacuum cleaner on the market? In these days of reviews and feedback, it's not the most difficult process. TripAdvisor used to be a bit dodgy - too easy to post false recommendations and too in hock to the advertisers - but these days it's a paragon of virtue (and a client of ours as well).

When it comes to finding a good care home or a nursery, well, life gets a bit more complicated. You can either employ an expert to help navigate your way through - which is the kind of support that some of the best employers offer their staff. Or you can venture online. That's where it gets interesting and why I'm ranting.

Appearances can be deceiving

Chances are, if you search for a nursery online you'll end on a site called Daynurseries.co.uk. It all looks good and kosher but it isn't. As a parent, you're desperate to know which nurseries are the best. It's important to know which ones are genuinely good and safe places to park your children, where the staff are loyal, and the food is edible.

The problem is, Daynurseries is funded by the very nurseries that it claims to review. As a consequence, the reviews are about a million miles away from being a fair reflection of the opinions of current parents and users. It's an understandable problem. On the one hand you need to offer an honest and transparent reflection of the nursery. On the other you can't be too honest in case you upset the people who pay your bills. But pretending that you offer genuine reviews by weighting the result in favour of the positive - well, that's misleading, wrong and potentially dangerous.

Need honesty?

If you want to understand a bit more detail about just how naughty they are then please ask. Or even better, have a look at Good Care Guide. It might never be loved by the providers but it's exactly what parents need - warts and all.

And now it's time for a holiday.

Ben Black