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Welcome to our weekly updates
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East Sussex Care Awards 2026
NOMINATIONS EXTENDED – DON'T MISS OUT!
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East Sussex Care Awards 2026
NOMINATIONS EXTENDED – DON'T MISS OUT!
The nomination deadline has now been extended until Monday 31st August, giving you one more month to celebrate the outstanding people, teams and services making a difference across adult social care in East Sussex.
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Anyone can nominate! Whether you're a colleague, manager, employer, visiting professional, family member, friend or someone who has received exceptional care, this is your opportunity to recognise those who go above and beyond.
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Nominated before? Do it again! Every year is a fresh opportunity to celebrate excellence, so previous nominees can be put forward once more.
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New for 2026 – celebrating excellence, quality, leadership, and amazing teams
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Care Manager / Leader of the Year
Care Team of the Year
Care Service of the Year
Dementia Care of the Year
Quality Excellence Award
Workplace Wellbeing Award
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Don't wait until the last minute! Make sure your nominations are submitted by Monday 31st August and help us recognise the very best in social care.
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The winners will be announced at the East Sussex Care Awards Celebration on Thursday 19th November 2026 at the East Sussex National Golf & Spa Hotel.
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Brighton & Hove Care Awards 2026 – Tickets On Sale Now!
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The wait is over! Tickets for the Brighton & Hove Care Awards 2026 are now officially on sale.
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Join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating the incredible achievements of the adult social care workforce across Brighton & Hove. Whether you're attending with colleagues, friends or your team, it's set to be a fantastic night of recognition, celebration and networking.
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Tickets are available now, so don't miss your chance to be part of this special evening and celebrate the amazing people who make such a difference across our care sector.
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Secure your tickets today and join us for the Brighton & Hove Care Awards 2026!
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East Sussex Care Business Networking Session
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Sovereign Harbour Yacht Club Ltd, Eastbourne, BN23 5QB
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Thursday 10th September 2026 - 9:30AM - 11:30AM
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Care Business Networking is a new programme designed specifically to support care providers in building stronger, more resilient businesses.
The programme strengthens knowledge and confidence in areas such as financial sustainability, workforce planning, compliance, and business growth. For many of the SMEs we work alongside, access to credible, practical expertise is exactly what is needed to navigate an increasingly complex operating environment.
This launch event in East Sussex will introduce the programme and give attendees the opportunity to take part in an "Ask the Experts Networking Clinic" covering:
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- Financial Planning / Insurance and Risk - speakers to be confirmed
- Regulatory Compliance - Sultana Pasha, MG Consulting
- Why Your Business Needs to be Strategic - Chris Briggs, Quality of Care
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The session will also offer valuable time for networking, peer learning, and discussion around the current challenges and opportunities facing the care sector. Booking is essential.
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Sussex and Brighton & Hove Partners in Care Autumn Conference: International Recruitment, Workforce Development and Compliance
FREE to attend
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East Sussex National Hotel, Uckfield, TN22 5ES
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Wednesday 21st October 2026 - 9:30AM - 3:30PM
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Due to the demand for this topic, we are delighted to be hosting this autumn conference supported by SESCA with a focus on international recruitment, workforce development, and compliance.
Invited speakers include:
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- Erica Lockhart, Chair SESCA
- Immigration expert Edward O'Brien from Lester Aldridge
- HR Experts from Citation
- Immigration Advisers from Borderless; and
- Colleagues from UKVI
- Skills for Care
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Hold the Date - Sussex Care Showcase 2026
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Don’t miss out, book your place now for the Sussex Care Showcase 2026, taking place on 16th September 2026 at Brighton Racecourse.
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The event brings together care professionals, sector leaders, suppliers, and experts from across Sussex for a day of learning, networking, and sharing best practice.
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Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from expert speakers, including, Mark Stainton, Director Adult Social Care & Health, ESCC, Ian Smith, Chair NHS Surrey and Sussex, and CQC explore the latest innovations and services supporting the care sector, and gain valuable insights into workforce development, legislation, training, and service improvement.
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Whether you work in residential care, home care, supported living, nursing services, or the wider social care sector, the Showcase offers something for everyone.
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Help shape the future of adult social care across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove - join our Board!
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ESPIC is recruiting volunteer Board Directors to help shape and strengthen the future of adult social care across East Sussex, Brighton and Hove. This is a rewarding opportunity to support the local care sector, contribute to good governance and help ensure providers have a strong, informed and representative voice.
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We welcome interest from people with experience in care, governance, finance, regulation, workforce development, commissioning, partnership working or lived experience of care services. The time commitment is approximately 6–10 days per year. To find out more or request an informal conversation, please contact ESPIC.
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Interested? To express your interest, please send a short statement outlining your background, relevant skills or experience, what you feel you could bring to the Board, and why you would like to support ESPIC to Elizabeth Mackie, CEO elizabeth@espic.co.uk or call 077 06 004194. Informal conversations are welcomed before applying.
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Updated Adult Safeguarding Guidance:
When to Refer
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The Safeguarding Adults Thresholds: Guidance for Professionals (2023) has been reviewed and rebranded as the Sussex Adult Safeguarding Concerns: When to Refer (2026).
The Adult Safeguarding Guidance: When To Refer is available on the pan Sussex Policies and Procedures Website Sussex Adult Safeguarding Concerns: When to Refer
This guidance is to be used across Sussex to support professionals, partners, and providers to decide on whether to report a safeguarding concern for an adult with care and support needs. Within the guidance you will find information about preventative approaches; understanding concerns that are non-reportable, reportable, and those that require consultation; with examples of each category of concern and type of abuse.
Updates included more clarity around the approach taken when there are repeated concerns raised, whether or not they individually constitute a safeguarding concern; more focus on taking a preventative approach to adult safeguarding; and more information around internal reporting of concerns of a sexual nature which do not meet the criteria for safeguarding reporting.
Please ensure that you delete any copies of the Safeguarding Adults Thresholds: Guidance for Professionals (2023), and refer directly to the new guidance.
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Baroness Casey launches the Big Conversation on Care with the public
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Baroness Casey of Blackstock has launched The Big Conversation on Care, the most ambitious public conversation in a generation, handing the public a direct role in shaping the future of adult social care in England. Read the announcement here
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Sussex Digital Team August Events
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Business Continuity: A Practical Cyber Exercise
Tue 18 Aug, 11:00 AM
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What would your service do if your systems went down tomorrow? This one-hour interactive workshop walks you through a realistic cyber incident at a care provider — helping you identify what you can't operate without and stress-test your response plan. No existing plan needed. Walk away with a one-page continuity snapshot and three priority actions.
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Part of Better Security, Better Care, funded by NHS Transformation Directorate.
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FREE Digital Health Checks for Sussex Care Providers
In person | Multiple dates
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A free, confidential Digital Health Check for Sussex care providers — delivered by the Sussex Digital In-Reach Team. Includes a short pre-assessment, a 2-hour remote conversation, and a non-invasive systems check, finishing with a tailored report and clear next steps. Strengthens your CQC evidence and helps close security gaps before they become breaches.
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Part of Better Security, Better Care, funded by NHS Transformation Directorate.
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NHS.net Connect and Launchpad: What's Changing?
Wed 19 Aug or Tue 25 Aug, 11:00 AM
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The NHSmail Portal is being replaced by Launchpad — and that means new processes for registration, account management and support. Join a live session to find out what's staying the same, what's changing for shared mailbox owners, and what it means for your organisation. Bring your questions.
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The NIHR RDN is a single, unified network across England funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. It supports the health and care system to plan, set up, and deliver clinical, public health, and social care research effectively in hospitals, primary care, and community settings.
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Research Highlights for Sussex:
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PUMA — Open to Care Homes (Kent, Surrey, Sussex)
The University of Sheffield is looking for 6 care homes to explore whether personalised music in dementia care plans improves wellbeing and reduces distress. Needs at least 12 eligible residents per home. Reimbursement and staff training provided.
Contact Amy Constable, Research Facilitator: 07866 952321 or se.rrdn@nihr.ac.uk
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Food & Drink-Related Quality of Life — Brighton & Hove Homecare Only
Brighton and Sussex Medical School is examining how home care clients eat and drink well, via interviews with clients, carers and care workers. Organisations receive £55 per staff referral and £165 per client/family carer referral.
Find out more
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Social Care and Research Community of Practice
Mon 21 Sept, 12:00–1:00 PM | Online (Teams)
Open to social care colleagues across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. This session focuses on dementia-related research.
Join on Teams | Meeting ID: 398 184 478 936 04 | Passcode: i4DM7tc3
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Sussex care providers are encouraged to apply for the SESCA Displaced Worker Recruitment Support Scheme — supporting providers to recruit experienced displaced international care workers already living in the South East, with funding of up to £6,000 available per worker recruited.
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The latest SESCA International Recruitment Bulletin includes several important updates for adult social care providers across the South East.
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The Department of Health and Social Care has confirmed funding for the International Recruitment Project until 31 March 2027. Providers recruiting displaced international care workers through the scheme can receive up to £1,500 per worker (up to six workers per CQC-registered location), subject to the scheme criteria.
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Important Sponsorship Updates
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Providers are reminded that:
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- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) allocation requests are currently taking around 12 weeks, so forward planning is essential.
- UKVI compliance activity has increased, with a stronger focus on payroll records, salary thresholds and sponsor duties.
- SESCA can help expedite CoS and visa applications for eligible displaced workers at no cost.
All CQC-registered adult social care providers in the South East can access a free 30-minute consultation with immigration specialists at Lester Aldridge Solicitors for advice on sponsorship and immigration matters.
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Join SESCA's International Recruitment Update webinar to hear the latest on immigration changes, sponsor compliance, right to work responsibilities and updates to the Displaced Worker Scheme.
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Energy Market Update: What Charities & Community Organisations Need to Know
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Volatility within energy markets seems to be a continued theme, in response, we'd like to invite you to a free online Energy Market Update and Q&A with the Utility Aid team.
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Online: 10th September - 11am
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This session is an opportunity to hear the latest market developments, understand what they could mean for charities and community organisations, and ask any questions you may have in an informal and supportive environment.
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We recently hosted a similar event, which was attended by around 100 charities. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with attendees telling us they found the session invaluable in helping them understand the market and feel more confident about their energy options.
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Whether your energy contract is approaching renewal or you simply want to stay informed before making any decisions, we would encourage you to join us. Our goal is to provide clear, practical information that helps your organisation make informed choices with confidence.
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We hope you can join us and look forward to seeing you there.
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Click here to view our new and updated website with all our Sponsors!
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