Care Roadshows 2026 Speaker Line-Up: Meet the Leaders Behind This Year’s Programme

The 2026 Care Roadshows programme brings together CEOs, senior operational leaders, policy specialists and regulators to tackle some of the areas that have the biggest impact on running a care service - from workforce shortages and regulatory expectations to dementia care, technology and the wider reform of adult social care. Rather than simply covering what is changing, by registering for the free programme, providers have opportunity to hear how these issues are being approached by people working directly within the sector, and what their experience can mean for the way services are run.

Adult Social Care Reform: Understand What Changes Mean for Providers

Care providers are operating in a period of significant policy change, making it increasingly important to understand how national developments could affect services on the ground.

Professor Vic Rayner OBE, CEO of the National Care Forum, brings extensive sector leadership experience to the programme, alongside policy specialists from Care England including Cai Parry, Public Affairs Lead, Alex Devkota and Fraser Rickatson.

Their positions place them close to the policy discussions and wider issues affecting providers, giving attendees the opportunity to explore:

· How current reform could affect the way care services operate

· Which policy developments care leaders should be paying attention to

· How providers can assess whether their current strategy still fits the changing environment

· What changes at national level could eventually translate into operational pressures or opportunities

Care Recruitment and Retention: Learn From Senior Workforce Leaders

Sessions that will combat recruitment and retention challenges across the sector, feature senior leaders with responsibility for running care organisations, people strategy and resourcing, including CEOs, managing directors and heads of resourcing from organisations such as Walfinch, Signature Senior Lifestyle, Hoama Group, Community Integrated Care, Hallmark Luxury Care Homes, My Choice Healthcare and Lifted.

Their combined experience can help providers examine:

· What can influence whether employees stay or leave

· How training and career development can support retention

· How care organisations are approaching persistent recruitment gaps

· Where workforce strategy needs to go beyond simply increasing headcount

· How organisational culture and leadership affect staff stability

For care leaders managing staffing pressures, the sessions provide an opportunity to compare different approaches being taken across home care and care home organisations.

Dementia Care and Complex Care: Hear From Specialist Practitioners and Leaders

Dementia and complex care require specialist knowledge, while providers across every setting must consider how care is experienced by the people receiving it.

The programme features senior specialists including Claire Peart, National Dementia Lead at Barchester Healthcare; Heidi Kennedy, Head of Complex Care at Bluebird Care; and leaders from Vida Healthcare, Arcadia Care Homes, Shaw Healthcare and other care organisations.

Their experience brings a focus on the detail of delivering care, including:

· How to support wellbeing alongside high-quality care delivery

· Ways to strengthen relationships and personalisation for people living with dementia

· How the physical care environment can support comfort and independence

· Where digital care planning and AI can contribute to personalised support

· How approaches can be adapted across care homes, home care and complex care services

Care Technology: Find Out Where Digital Tools Can Make a Difference

Alex Nash, Head of Product at Access UK Ltd, brings a technology and product-development perspective to the programme, alongside care leaders including Rachael Crook, Kam Gill and Sultana Pasha.

Their different positions allow providers to consider technology from both the implementation and operational sides, including:

· Which technologies are already making a difference within care

· Where digital systems can reduce administrative pressure

· How technology can support staff without creating additional complexity

· What providers should consider before introducing a new system

· How digital tools can contribute to quality and outcomes rather than simply adding another process

CQC, Care Inspectorate and Care Regulation: Hear What Regulators Are Looking For

Regulation and compliance remain a core responsibility for every care provider, making direct access to senior regulatory voices particularly valuable.

Alison Chilton, Deputy Director for Adult Social Care in the North at the Care Quality Commission, will address current CQC priorities and expectations, while Gillian Baranski, Chief Inspector at Care Inspectorate Wales, will discuss findings from the regulator's Annual Report.

The programme also features Joe Robertson MP, Vice-Chair of the APPG on Dementia, adding a parliamentary perspective on dementia and adult social care policy.

Together, these perspectives can help providers understand:

· What regulators are currently focusing on

· How expectations around quality and safety are evolving

· What recent regulatory findings mean for providers and evolving expectations

· Where services may need to strengthen their approach to compliance

· How policy and regulation could affect future priorities

Senior Care Leadership Experience Across Every Major Operational Challenge

At Care Roadshows, the breadth of speakers matters because the challenges facing providers rarely exist in isolation. Recruitment decisions affect quality. Regulatory requirements affect operations. Technology decisions affect staff workload. Policy changes affect business planning.

The Care Roadshows programme brings these perspectives together so care home, home care and complex care providers can find out the exact steps they need to take to improve their outcomes. Register for Care Roadshows 2026: https://forms.reg.buzz/care-roadshows-2026-splash/tche-press-release?utm_source=tche&utm_campaign=crs-q4-2026&utm_medium=pr