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Welcome to our weekly updates
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Don’t Miss Out: Free Safeguarding Adults Symposium
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With just over two weeks to go, we’re excited to invite you to our FREE Safeguarding Adults Symposium.
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Beyond Compliance: Adult Safeguarding in a Changing Landscape
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When: Wednesday 15th April 2026, 9:30AM-3:30PM
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Where: Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club.
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This is a key opportunity for professionals across adult social care to come together, hear from leading experts, and stay ahead of the rapidly evolving safeguarding landscape.
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- Understand what’s changing – including the latest updates following the Baroness Casey review
- Hear directly from experts – including the Care Quality Commission, Hempsons Solicitors (Anita Rao covering Safeguarding Adults the Legal Framework), and specialist leaders in adult social care
- Explore real challenges faced by providers, with insights from our 2026 survey
- Stay informed on risk trends to support better planning, training, and preventative action
- Discover innovations shaping safeguarding in a digital world
- Clarify key frameworks including:
- Mental Capacity Act (MCA)
- Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS)
- The evolving Safeguarding Adults Framework for Social Care Nurses
- The current strategic landscape of adult safeguarding
- When medication errors become safeguarding concerns
- Regulatory expectations and “closed cultures”
- Legal updates and future national safeguarding direction
Alongside expert presentations, there will be dedicated time for discussion, debate, and Q&A, giving you the chance to engage and share your perspective.
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🍽️ Free to attend – lunch included
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Stay Connected with ESPiC on Facebook
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Want to keep up to date with the latest news, events and opportunities across the care sector?
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Follow our Facebook page for regular updates, useful resources, and highlights from across Brighton & Hove and East Sussex.
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It’s also a great way to stay in the loop with things like training opportunities, events, and our upcoming Care Awards.
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Give us a follow and stay connected!
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More upcoming events from us
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HMRC National Minimum Wage Essentials for Care Providers & Managers
A must-attend session delivered in partnership with HMRC for providers sponsoring international workers.
Get clear on what compliance really means, what to expect from checks, and how to avoid common (and costly) mistakes — with time for your questions.
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Where: Online
When: Tue 7 Apr 2026, 10:30AM - 11:30AM
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Your Rights: National Minimum Wage for Sponsored Care Workers
Designed specifically for sponsored care workers, this session explains your rights, how underpayment happens, and what to do if something isn’t right.
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Where: Online
When: Thu 9 Apr 2026, 11:30AM - 12:30PM
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Modern Slavery & Labour Exploitation: Awareness Session
Join Dr Akilah Jardine for an important session on recognising and responding to exploitation in the care sector — a growing area of risk. Learn the warning signs, what to look out for, and how to report concerns.
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When: Thu 16 Apr 2026, 10:30AM - 11:30AM
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Care Awards 2026 – Nominations Opening This Week!
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We’re excited to share that nominations for the Brighton & Hove and East Sussex Care Awards 2026 open this week!
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This is your chance to recognise the incredible work happening across the care sector – from frontline staff to teams and organisations making a real difference every day.
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Keep an eye on our website this week for the nomination form and guidance on how to apply.
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Start thinking about who you’d like to nominate – we can’t wait to celebrate the amazing people across our sector!
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Employment Rights Reform: Pressure on Social Care
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From April 2026, the Employment Rights Act introduces major workplace changes, including day-one rights to Statutory Sick Pay and parental leave.
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While positive for workers, these reforms bring immediate pressure for social care. Providers already face rising demand, workforce shortages, and tight funding—meaning higher costs and more complex staffing challenges.
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Further change is coming, with a new Adult Social Care Negotiating Body expected later in 2026.
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The challenge is clear: improving workforce rights without matching funding risks placing additional strain on services—impacting capacity, sustainability, and ultimately the people who rely on care every day.
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Give your feedback on our draft assessment frameworks
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Our proposals in our consultation ‘Better regulation, better care’ included moving away from a single assessment framework to separate frameworks that are more specific and relevant to the health and care sectors that we regulate.
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We considered the responses and listened to feedback, which showed overwhelming support for this proposal, and have therefore developed an initial 4 draft sector-specific assessment frameworks for:
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- adult social care
- mental health care
- primary care and community services
- secondary and specialist services (hospitals)
We'd now like to hear your views about the draft frameworks. What we hear from you will be used to further refine each framework ahead of testing this summer.
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Important: Health & Care Worker Visa Fees Increasing from April 2026
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New guidance highlights upcoming increases to Health and Care Worker visa fees, which will take effect from 8 April 2026.
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The changes, confirmed by the Home Office, will see fees rise by around 6.5% across visa routes, including for health and care workers and sponsor licences. Key updates include:
• Visa fees increasing to £324 (up to 3 years) and £628 (over 3 years)
• Sponsor licence fees also rising for both small and large providers
• Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) application fees increasing to £3,226 per person
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Providers are being advised to submit applications before 8 April 2026 where possible to avoid higher costs, as fees are based on the date of application submission. ()
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Workforce Development
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Specialist Qualifications Strengthen Practice Leadership Role in Social Care Workforce Pathway
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The government’s social care workforce pathway sets out clear progression routes for both management and non-management roles, recognising the need for specialist practitioners alongside traditional leadership positions. Within the non-management pathway, social care professionals can develop specialisms - such as learning disability, mental health or dementia - and progress into Practice Leadership roles.
A practice leader is a person with specialist skills and expertise in their field of care and support. They ensure high-quality person-centred support that improves quality of life by helping staff provide the right kind of support. Practice leaders lead through practice, modelling effective support, strengthening teamwork, and driving continuous improvement in care delivery.
To support this growing role, Bild has developed a suite of Practice Leadership diploma qualifications aligned to Role Category D of the government’s care workforce pathway.
Delivered in partnership with the Restraint Reduction Network and Respond, Bild now offers five BTEC Level 5 Bild Diploma qualifications. These practice-based programmes are designed to support skilled, values-led leadership across social care and are particularly relevant to the specialist, non-managerial Practice Leader role identified within the workforce pathway.
The qualifications aim to strengthen professional development opportunities for experienced practitioners, helping build a confident and capable workforce equipped to lead improvements in practice and person-centred support across the sector.
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CareLineLive: End-to-end digital care planning for home care providers
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CareLineLive’s digital care planning software is designed specifically for home care providers – helping teams move away from paper-based systems and work more efficiently, while keeping care person-centred.
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- Record care notes in real-time via mobile or desktop
- Built-in eMAR to support safer medication management
- Reduce admin and streamline audits with digital records
- Better communication across teams, families and professionals
- Supports CQC compliance and inspection readiness
The platform brings everything into one place – from care planning and assessments to reporting and communication – helping services save time and focus more on delivering quality care.
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A useful resource if you’re exploring digital solutions or looking to strengthen your current systems.
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Here are our live, expert-led courses running this month. We run these courses regularly - so if you can't make these dates, check our website for further dates.
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Assessing Staff Competence to Administer Medicines (Live Webinar)
📅 1st & 8th April | 15th & 22nd April
⏱ 10:00am – 12:00pm
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Learn how to assess staff competence using our structured, competency framework.
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Medication Errors: Learning from Errors to Reduce Harm (Live Webinar)
📅 23rd April
⏱ 9:30am – 1:00pm
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Learn how to respond to, investigate, and reduce medication errors in your service.
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Medication Auditing Masterclasses (Live Webinar)
📅 Dates available throughout April
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Practical auditing tools for both care homes and community services.
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Group Bookings & In-House Sessions
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We offer reduced rates for group bookings - tailored for your team.
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This East Sussex Provider Information Bulletin is packed with important updates you need to know.
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- Important policy and guidance updates affecting providers
- New opportunities for training, support and sector engagement
- Key service developments and partnership news
- Practical resources to support your team and service delivery
Whether you’re managing services or supporting frontline teams, there’s something in here for you.
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New: Neighbourhood Health Framework (England)
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The government has published a new Neighbourhood Health Framework, setting out its vision for delivering more joined-up, community-based health and care services across England.
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The framework outlines how services should work more closely at a local level to support people with complex needs, improve access to care, and shift the focus towards prevention and early intervention. It builds on the wider ambition to move care closer to home and strengthen integration between health, social care and community services. ()
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This marks a significant step in the development of neighbourhood health as a core part of the future NHS model.
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The biggest reform to mental health law in over 40 years is underway. Are you ready for what it means in practice?
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The Mental Health Act 2025 is not a technical update. It is a structural shift in how mental health law will operate across England and Wales and social care will feel the impact.
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With Royal Assent granted in December 2025 and phased implementation beginning, the direction of travel is now clear:
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· Fewer hospital detentions
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· Greater complexity of need in the community
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· Stronger legal duties around care planning
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· Increased emphasis on autonomy and advance decision-making
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· A more assertive, rights-based framework
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For adult social care providers, this is not distant policy. It is a strategic and operational issue that requires early preparation.
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Join Anita Rao, partner at Hempsons LLP, for a practical, no-nonsense webinar and live Q&A exploring what the Act will mean for your organisation and what you should be thinking about now.
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If you have any issues with your registration or any questions about the event, please contact Care England.
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SSP is changing in April 2026 – are you prepared?
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From 6 April 2026, significant changes to Statutory Sick Pay will come into effect, including updates to eligibility and payment rules. These reforms may require you to amend contracts, review sickness policies and check your payroll processes to stay compliant.
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If you’re unsure how the changes affect your business, help is just a phone call away.
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Through your free Citation HR & Health & Safety advice line, you can access confidential, practical guidance on SSP and much more.
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Call 0161 504 0843 (9am–5pm, Monday to Friday)
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Remember to quote ESPiC & BHPiC when you call.
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Employment Rights Act 2025: Home Office inspection readiness in 2026
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The Employment Rights Act 2025 didn't just change your HR obligations. It changed your Home Office obligations too — and most sponsors don't realise it yet.
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Guaranteed hours, contract changes, Fair Work Agency enforcement powers — these all now feed directly into your sponsor licence compliance. Your HR records and Home Office records need to tell the same story. If they don't, you're exposed.
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Join Amanda Chadwick and Matt Bond or a free webinar breaking down exactly where the ERA and sponsor compliance collide — and what to do about it before your next audit.
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When: Wednesday 8th April | 1pm
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Welcome to another edition of What’s New in Adult Social Care, sharing a selection of the latest learning opportunities and resources for health and social care managers and teams across Sussex.
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Click here to view our new and updated website with all our Sponsors!
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