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Welcome to our weekly updates
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Safeguarding Adults Symposium - Beyond Compliance: Adult Safeguarding in a Changing Landscape
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Where: Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club Ltd, Waterfront, BN23 5QB
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When: Wednesday 15th April 2026
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- Reflect on learning since our September 2024 conference
- Explore the implications of the recent announcements from the Baroness Casey review
- Help stakeholders understand how safeguarding activity is evolving over time
- Consider emerging and persistent risks, and how trend data can support resource planning, risk prioritisation, training needs and preventative action
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Hear from safeguarding experts throughout the day, including the Care Quality Commission; legal experts from Hempsons Solicitors; and John Greene from the Medication Training Company talking about Safeguarding & Medication Safety, a safeguarding framework for social care nurses, and much more.
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Safeguarding adults – sharing best practice with managers and providers of social care
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In the lead-up to our Safeguarding Symposium, we’re sharing a series of best practice resources to support and strengthen your safeguarding knowledge — starting with a focus on post-incident learning and debriefing.
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Incidents involving restraint can be distressing for everyone involved. While they should always be a last resort, what happens after an incident is just as important. Effective debriefing supports wellbeing, encourages reflection, and helps identify triggers — ultimately reducing the risk of repeat incidents.
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Here are three useful resources to explore:
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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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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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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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Something exciting is coming…!
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Our Annual Care Awards are back for their third year in East Sussex — and for the very first time, we’re bringing them to Brighton too!
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Celebrating the incredible people across the care sector, this year is set to be bigger than ever.
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✨ Keep your eyes on your inbox — more details coming later this week.
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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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Connect to Work: A Smarter Way to Recruit
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Finding the right people for your business doesn’t need to be time-consuming or expensive. Connect to Work is a free, voluntary recruitment scheme that helps employers access a diverse, motivated workforce, while supporting people who may need a little extra help to find the right role.
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As a voluntary scheme, our candidates are genuinely motivated and keen to secure meaningful work. For employers, this means access to committed individuals who bring valuable skills, fresh perspectives, and long-term loyalty.
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What sets Connect to Work apart is its tailored, fully funded support for both employers and employees, helping placements settle, succeed, and grow. This support improves retention, boosts capabilities and help to resolve any challenges early on.
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By sharing your vacancies and requirements with Connect to Work, you can reduce recruitment costs and save time. Our team matches roles with suitable candidates and confirms initial interest within 48 hours and will work with you throughout the recruitment process. Best of all, the service is completely free.
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Connect to Work will support over 3000 participants to find work, with 230 currently on the programme in East Sussex and the Care sector being a target for a large number of participants. If you’re looking for an efficient, inclusive and cost-effective way to recruit, Connect to Work could be the solution.
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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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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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Energy markets remain highly dynamic, with prices influenced by a range of global and regional factors. In recent years, geopolitical uncertainty has continued to affect key energy commodities such as oil and gas. When these markets experience disruption or volatility, it can quickly feed through into wholesale electricity and gas prices.
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At the same time, organisations are also facing changes in some of the regulated costs within their bills. Transmission Network Use of System (TNUoS) charges are expected to rise by around 60%, which could increase electricity costs for many organisations, as these charges typically make up 5–10% of a bill.
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To help organisations understand what’s driving these changes and what it may mean for future costs, Utility Aid has released its latest Energy Market Outlook.
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With local elections back on, anyone who wants to vote must make sure they are registered in time. Elections for East Sussex County Council and half the elected members at Hastings Borough Council will take place on 7 May.
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Research shows that some groups, including young people, students and those who have recently moved, are less likely to be registered than others. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April and it takes just five minutes to register online.
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Once registered, voters have a range of options – they can vote in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote on their behalf, known as a proxy vote.
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Voters going to a polling station will need to show photo ID. The most common forms or accepted ID are:
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Driving licence (including provisional license)
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Certain concessionary travel cards
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Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
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You will only need to show one form of photo ID, but it needs to be the original version and not a photocopy. The name on your ID must be the same name you used to register to vote. Check out the full list of accepted ID on the GOV.UK website.
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If you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID
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The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for use at the 7 May local elections in England is 5pm Tuesday 28 April.
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FREE Guide: An introduction to tendering in the care sector
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Winning contracts in the care sector can be challenging. From understanding frameworks to meeting commissioner requirements, many providers miss opportunities simply because they’re unsure how the tendering process works.
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That’s why our Partner, Citation, has created a FREE guide to tendering in care, designed specifically for care providers.
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This guide will help you:
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• Understand how tendering works in the care sector
• Identify the right contract opportunities for your organisation
• Prepare compliant and competitive submissions
• Improve your chances of securing local authority or NHS contracts
• Avoid common mistakes when bidding for care contracts
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Citation supports thousands of UK organisations with compliance, HR, Health & Safety, and procurement support.
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Call 0345 844 1111 or click here to find out how Citation can help your organisation grow. Don’t forget to mention ‘RCA East Sussex, Brighton & Hove’ to access your preferential partner support.
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Click here to view our new and updated website with all our Sponsors!
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