What’s new in adult social care? – 12th January 2026
This week’s edition of What’s New in Adult Social Care shares a range of useful updates and resources for health and social care managers and teams across Sussex.
Tag: Free
Care Leaders’ Summit 2026
The Care Leaders’ Summit, convened by Health Connect Global, focuses on shared learning, collaboration and practical change. This free event brings together care providers, policymakers and technology leaders to explore how the health and social care system can better support both people who draw on care and those who deliver it.
📆Wednesday 28th January 2026
📍Garden Museum, 5 Lambeth Palace Road, London, SE1 7LB
New Skills Bootcamps Information Service for West Sussex businesses
West Sussex County Council, working with the Sussex Council of Training Providers, has launched a new Skills Bootcamps Information Service to help local employers access targeted training and recruitment support.
Skills Bootcamps are short, flexible training courses designed with employers to address real workforce needs. Courses typically run for a minimum of 60 hours over up to 16 weeks and are intended to support both recruitment and workforce development. They can help employers to:
- Recruit job-ready candidates with sector-specific skills
- Upskill existing staff to address skills gaps
- Reduce recruitment risk by training people for real roles
- Access low-cost training, with up to 90% government funding
Each course is developed in partnership with industry and reflects real-world working practices, with a focus on progression into employment or further development.
To find out how Skills Bootcamps could support your organisation, you can book a free, impartial call with the Skills Bootcamp Information Service.
To book email: WSSkillsBootcamps@sctp.org.uk
You can also find out more by visiting the West Sussex County Council Skills Bootcamps webpage →
Carer Awareness: ‘Think Carer’ Training 2026
New dates are now available for the free Care for the Carers ‘Think Carer’ training. Most sessions will run online, with one in-person session in Eastbourne on Wednesday 18th March 2026.
This training is suitable for paid staff and volunteers across the public sector, charities, community groups, and businesses who work with carers.
What the training covers:
- Understanding unpaid carers and the impact of caring
- Why identifying and supporting carers matters
- Carers’ rights
- Support options, signposting and making referrals
- What a ‘Carer Friendly’ approach looks like and how everyone can contribute
Online sessions:
- 13th January 2026, 10:00am – 12:30pm
- 12th February 2026, 13:30pm – 16:00pm
- 22nd March 2026, 10:00am – 12:30pm
- 15th May 2026, 10:00am – 12:30pm
- 18th June 2026, 13:30pm – 16:00pm
- 8th July 2026, 10:00am – 12:30pm
- 10th August 2026, 13:30pm – 16:00pm
- 13th October 2026, 13:30pm – 16:00pm
- 20th November 2026, 10:00am – 12:30pm
- 7th December 2026, 13:30pm – 16:00pm
Click here to book the online sessions →
In person session:
- Wednesday 18th March 2026, 13:30pm – 16:00pm – Faraday House, Eastbourne
What’s new in adult social care? – 29th December 2025
Welcome to the final MILE Pathway newsletter of 2025. This edition brings together a selection of key resources for health and social care managers and teams across Sussex, helping you catch up as we head into the new year.
Registered Managers webinar: Supervising and supporting nursing students on placement
This session, hosted by Skills for Care on 29th January between 10:00am – 11:00am, introduces a new, free online resource designed to support registered managers in their potential role as Practice Supervisor for nursing students and nursing associates on placement in social care settings.
Funded by DHSC and developed in partnership with the University of Exeter, the resource aligns with the Nursing and Midwifery Council Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment and supports the national strategy to enable more social care placements for student nurses.
Who should attend:
- Registered managers (NMC registered or not) interested in supervising nursing students
- Those involved in nursing education or placement development
- Employers and stakeholders looking to expand nursing placements in social care
Savings, Solutions, and Sustainability – Issue 9 out now!
For a quick, practical read, the latest edition of Care England’s quarterly publication, produced with Care Management Matters, brings together expert insight, cost-saving approaches and realistic ideas to support providers facing ongoing financial and operational pressures.
Skills for Care webinar – Dementia care: Enabling people to live well
Taking place on Thursday 5th February 2026, 10:00am – 11:00am, this webinar aims to support registered managers to implement effective dementia training that improves care quality and engagement for people living with dementia. It will provide an overview of key resources, qualifications and funding routes, alongside real examples from providers who have strengthened their dementia practice.
It will cover:
- Implementing dementia training for staff
- Understanding dementia resources and accessing funding for qualifications
- Real-world provider examples that demonstrate improved dementia provision
New dementia resources from Skills for care
Skills for Care has released a new set of dementia resources designed to support people living with dementia and those who care for them. Created for the adult social care workforce and for family carers, these resources provide clear, accessible and person-centred information to help maintain quality of life at every stage of the condition.
They cover:
- Prevention
- Before and after diagnosis
- Support
- Family carers
- End of life
You can also watch a series of short videos on building connection and communication via the page.
Click here to explore the resources →
Communication skills
As digital tools, automation and AI become more established in health and social care, communication remains one of the most enduring human skills we depend on. This week’s newsletter brings together learning opportunities and reflective resources to help strengthen confident, compassionate and effective communication across your teams.
