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Welcome to our weekly updates
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The survey will take just a few minutes to complete and focuses on your experience of adult safeguarding over the past 18 months. It also enables us to compare results with the 2024 survey to understand what has changed.
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There are 15 short questions covering these topics:
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- Volume and types of safeguarding activity
- Overall provider support within local safeguarding systems
- Confidence in recognising safeguarding thresholds
- Experiences of working with safeguarding teams
- System pressures affecting safeguarding practice
- Learning, outcomes, and feedback following safeguarding concerns
A summary of the findings will be shared with speakers ahead of the Safeguarding Symposium in April, ensuring that care manager and provider experiences directly inform the event programme and discussion.
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Joining the event is Philip Boyce, Senior Specialist Advisor, Safeguarding and closed cultures at CQC.
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Philip has worked in Health & Social Care since 1984 working in various roles both as a learning disability nurse and as a manager. In the past Philip has been involved in a variety of quality improvements within the NHS including national leadership development and sees staff development as a key part of any service development. Philip has always had an interest in safeguarding and worked within a local authority making safeguarding decisions on concerns raised with the authority.
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Philip will also be speaking at our Supported Living Forum on Wednesday 25 Mar 2026,
1:30PM - 3:00PM
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Thank you for taking the time to contribute — your insight genuinely helps shape the conversation.
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Please click HERE to complete the survey
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Member Voices
Workforce and Volunteers Survey
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We are inviting health, care, and support staff, as well as volunteers, working across Sussex to take part in the Sussex Palliative and End of Life Care, and Bereavement Support Needs Survey.
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The survey will be open from 10th February 2026 to 10th March 2026.
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In the News…
Baroness Casey calls for urgent reform
In a speech on 5 March 2026, Baroness Casey highlighted major concerns about the current state of social care. She described a system relying on underfunded, “cobbled together” services, low-paid care workers, and a lack of clear ownership and accountability. She also pointed to the deep divide between health and social care, which often leaves families to navigate support on their own.
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Baroness Casey confirmed she has written to the UK Department of Health and Social Care urging the Government to take six immediate actions on dementia, Motor Neurone Disease, and adult safeguarding, reflecting the urgency of reform in these areas.
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These recommendations come from the independent social care commission launched in 2025, which has gathered evidence from hundreds of people with lived experience and professionals working across the sector.
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For adult safeguarding, proposals include establishing a National Safeguarding Board to strengthen protection for vulnerable adults.
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Join us on Wednesday 15 April in Eastbourne as we explore this and other key issues for registered managers at our symposium: Adult Safeguarding in a Changing Landscape.
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Have your say…
There is still time to share your experiences of local adult safeguarding by completing our short, anonymous survey. Your feedback will help shape the discussion points explored by our speakers.
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Register for the symposium: HERE
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Baroness Casey’s letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care with her immediate asks of the Government can be found here: Click here to view.
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Ethical Sponsorship Programme Workshop
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Making the Most of Your Sponsorship - FREE Webinar
Free Webinar for adult social care providers sponsoring internationally recruited staff under the UK Skilled Worker visa route.
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When: Wednesday 18th March 2026 - 10:00AM - 12:00PM
This practical session is designed to support providers with any compliance challenges, reduce the risk of avoidable issues, and provide clear, up-to-date guidance on:
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- Identifying and addressing sponsorship compliance risks
- Reducing the risk of license suspension or revocation
- Applying supplementary working rules correctly
- Strengthening ethical sponsorship practices
The webinar, delivered by expert advisors in immigration and employment law will include time to ask questions and discuss real-world scenarios relevant to care providers.
The session is suitable for providers who want reassurance, clarity, or to strengthen their understanding of sponsorship responsibilities.
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Utility Aid's Latest Energy Outlook
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Utility Aid highlights a recent post from Stephanie Steele on the current energy market outlook, noting ongoing volatility and the importance of staying informed before making energy decisions.
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The update reminds organisations that, despite uncertainty, careful planning and understanding market trends are the best ways to navigate energy pricing.
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FREE EVENTS FOR SUSSEX CARE PROVIDERS
With so much going on, why not follow our eventbrite page to be notified as soon as we launch a new event
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Now is the ideal time to book fully funded Security Awareness Training for your staff
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Care Quality Commission will reject applications if they do not include key policies including consent and data governance. Click to read more
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Workforce Development
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National recruitment campaign: 'Make Care Your Career'
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The Department of Health and Social Care’s national recruitment campaign Make Care Your Career is running until mid-March. The campaign encourages people across England to consider a career in adult social care and has already generated significant engagement.
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Providers can make use of the campaign by:
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- posting vacancies on the campaign website
- aligning recruitment activity with the campaign period
- using free posters and social media materials
- featuring the campaign logo on recruitment materials
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Calling all Social Care Nurses: NIHR Researcher Development Programme
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The NIHR Researcher Development Programme for Social Care Nurses supports registered nurses working in social care to develop their research skills and foster a research-friendly culture within their organisations.
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Applications for the second cohort will open in spring 2026, and successful interns will begin the programme in October 2026.
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Four webinars will be held for prospective applicants and their employers to learn more about the programme. The webinar dates are as follows:
For Prospective Applicants:
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- Tuesday 24th March 2026: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
- Friday 17th April 2026: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
For Managers and Employers:
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- Wednesday 15th April 2026: 9:00am – 10:00am
- Monday 20th April 2026: 2:00pm – 3:00pm
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Meeting the new Sexual Harassment Requirements in the Employment Rights Act 2025 for Care providers
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- employers’ strengthened duty to prevent sexual harassment and the risks specific to care environments, including lone working and close personal care.
- the practical steps providers should take to protect staff, service users, and their organisation; and
- focus on expectations, prevention, and creating safer working practices across care services.
There will be time allocated for any scenario-based discussions as well as usual Q & A's
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| 📅 Date: Tuesday 24 March 2026 - 11:00AM to 12:30PM - Online |
| Presented by: Kevin Barnett, Head of Employment, HR and Immigration at Lester Aldridge |
| Early booking is recommended to secure your place. |
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Other dates for your diary:
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Care Managers Well-Being Symposium - Sussex Partners in Care
📅 18 March | 9.30 – 15.30
👉 Book now
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As always, our focus is on practical value, shared learning and strengthening the voice of care providers across the system.
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If you need any specific support or advice around events, professional development or engagement opportunities, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
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We’re pleased to share some exciting news from our trusted partners, CareLineLive: a solution many providers like you are already exploring to strengthen both operations and compliance.
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CareLineLive, the all-in-one home care management platform rated 4.8★ Excellent on Trustpilot and an NHS Assured Digital Social Care Record supplier, now includes expert-led compliance from MOA Benchmarking, at no additional cost within the same contract.
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At a time when providers are balancing quality, growth and regulatory pressure, this brings together operational efficiency and structured compliance support in one place.
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By combining trusted care management software with a proven quality improvement framework, CareLineLive helps services to:
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• Expand capacity with confidence
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• Embed compliance into daily operations
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• Continuously strengthen CQC and CIW ratings
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• Free up more time for truly person-centred care
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Rather than compliance being a once-a-year scramble, MOA Benchmarking makes it manageable, consistent and part of everyday practice, whether you’re a single service or a multi-branch organisation.
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As Katie Latham, Quality and Improvement Manager at Choices Homecare, shares:
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“Before systems like this, audits would fall behind simply because there wasn’t time. MOA Benchmarking has easily cut that workload in half.”
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One platform. Complete care management. Confident compliance.
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If you’re reviewing your systems or thinking about how to make compliance more sustainable, this may be well worth exploring and we invite you to get in touch with CareLineLive.
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To show you exactly what this means for your service, you are invited to join a live webinar, “Making compliance part of everyday care” for a demonstration of MOA Benchmarking and how it now works alongside CareLineLive within one contract.
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🎯 Webinar: CareLineLive + MOA Benchmarking, Making compliance part of everyday care
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🗓️ When: Thursday 19th March, 1pm (Live + Q&A)
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Join the Conversation: Shaping CQC’s New Assessment Frameworks
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Care Quality Commission (CQC) is inviting providers and partners to take part in spring engagement events to help shape its new assessment frameworks.
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These sessions offer a valuable opportunity to hear the latest updates, share your views on the draft frameworks, and help ensure they support quality improvement, transparency, and fairness across health and adult social care.
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If you’re interested in attending, please submit your expression of interest by 20 March (confirmation by 24th March).
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Your insight and experience will help shape the future approach.
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IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Please be advised that we are fast approaching the 25/26 project end date. We are waiting for DHSC to publish guidance for 26/27. After that has been released we will be able to determine details of the support that we will be able to offer from April 2026.
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In order to pay grants, we will need to receive all eligible applications by 20th March. Any applications received after this date will be processed by the 26/27 scheme which may have a significantly lower support offer to providers.
To qualify for a part 1 grant:
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- You must notify us that an offer has been made and accepted.
- You must have assigned a certificate of sponsorship to the worker.
- You must have submitted a grant application including the correct information via the online 25-26 application form
If you have made an eligible part 1 application by 20th March, we will continue to invite you to claim for Part 2 of the grant at the appropriate time.
Please contact your local hub should you need any help with the above:
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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)
Remember to quote ESPiC & BHPiC when you call.
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- Webinar two: 10 March – Social care mergers involving charitable providers
This webinar, led by charities specialist, Martyn Robinson, associate, will cover the following three scenarios: a) a charity-to-charity merger, b) a charity buying a business and c) a business buying the assets of a charity.
- Webinar three: 17 March – Workforce and TUPE issues in merger and acquisition transactions
Led by employment law associate Julia Gray.
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Earned Settlement – Consultation Closed, but Engagement Must Not Stop! Political engagement now moves into a critical phase.We are asking providers to:
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- Write to your local constituency MP – particularly Labour MPs — to explain the local workforce impact and press for safeguards for social care. Your staff and service users are all constituents whose voices matter in this debate.
- Request face-to-face or virtual meetings to explain the local impact on services, workforce stability and vulnerable people
- Your Care Association can support you with this activity. Please let them know how you get on so that we can coordinate regional intelligence
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A template letter and full briefing materials are available here.
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As we get ready to move into a new season, it’s a great time to explore new learning opportunities and consider the next steps in your professional development.
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This edition of the MILE newsletter focuses on developing clinical leadership, strengthening health knowledge, and building confidence in working closely with health partners. It brings together a range of learning opportunities for those looking to enhance their clinical skills, grow their leadership capability, and navigate the wider health and care system more effectively.
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Click here to view our new and updated website with all our Sponsors!
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