HCA Autumn Conference
Caring with Purpose, Driving Best Practice in Social Care
You're invited to our Autumn Conference: Caring with Purpose, Driving Best Practice in Social Care
Join us for Hampshire Care Association’s flagship event on November 5th at the VOCO Hotel in Winchester. The conference will be a day dedicated to inspiration, innovation, and excellence in adult social care.
This year's conference will bring together care providers, sector leaders, and expert voices from across Hampshire and beyond to explore best practice in care. Through a programme of insightful keynotes, practical workshops, and sector updates, we’ll focus on what’s working, and what’s next, in delivering high-quality, person-centred care.
Whether you're a residential care provider, home care agency, or supported living organisation, this event is your opportunity to connect with peers, learn from best-in-class examples, and leave energised with ideas to enhance your service.
Let’s shape the future of care – together.
9:30-10 | Arrival, Refreshments & Networking
10:00-10:10 | Opening Address | Michael Crutchley, Chair of HCA
10:10-10:30 | Pass the Mic
10:30-10:50 | Delivering Excellent Care to Hampshire’s Residents | Jess Hutchinson, Director of Adult Social Care (Hampshire County Council)
10:50-11:10 | Driving Quality, Not Cost: Delivering Good and Outstanding Care Through Outcomes-Focused Practice | Lottie Snow, Operations Manager (CQC)
11:10-11:30 | Panel Discussion and Q&A | Jess Hutchinson, Michael Crutchley & Lottie Snow
11:30-12:00 | Refreshments Break & Patron Networking
12:00-13:00 | Workshop One
13:00-14:00 | Lunch
14:00-15:00 | Workshop Two
15:00-15:15 | Closing Remarks
This year’s conference will feature a choice of six engaging workshops covering key areas of interest for care providers, including workforce development, financial compliance, marketing and business growth, and cyber and digital security.
Attendees will have the opportunity to select and attend two workshops during the day, allowing you to tailor your experience to the topics most relevant to your role and organisation.
A summary of the workshops can be found below. Please note that each workshop is limited to 30 delegates, with spaces allocated on a first come, first served basis. We will ask for your workshop preferences in advance and will do our best to accommodate everyone’s preferences but if some workshops are over subscribed you may not be able to attend your first choice.
We will ask all workshop hosts for popular workshops to run follow up sessions so you don't miss out.
Workshop 1: Building Brilliant Careers: Best Practice in Developing Your Care Workforce Pathway
This interactive workshop will showcase how care providers can develop a clear, practical workforce development pathway supporting recruitment, retention, and progression from entry-level roles through to leadership. Using Skills for Care’s tools and real-world examples, the session will guide managers and leaders in embedding best practice in workforce planning and staff development.
Workshop 2: Positioned to Prosper: Marketing Adult Social Care to the Private Market
As public funding remains stretched, providers are increasingly looking to diversify income streams and must stand out in a competitive market. This interactive workshop by Prosperwell will help adult social care providers attract and retain private clients through effective, ethical marketing.
Workshop 3: Keeping Staff Well and With You: Building a Resilient Workforce Through Wellbeing and Legal Compliance
In an era where employee wellbeing is paramount, organisations must not only foster a supportive environment but also navigate the complexities of their duty of care to their employees to ensure compliance. This workshop delves into the intersection of staff wellbeing and legal responsibilities, providing practical strategies for creating a workplace that supports employees and meets legal obligations.
Workshop Four: National Minimum Wage is more than just a Pay Rate
This practical and informative workshop, led by Bradley Lawrence, Senior Officer – Promoting Compliance (NMW) at HMRC, explores how National Minimum Wage (NMW) compliance goes far beyond simply paying the correct hourly rate. Many employers are unaware of the full scope of what counts as working time and how pay, status, and records can affect NMW calculations, sometimes with surprising consequences.
Workshop Five: Navigating International Recruitment in Adult Social Care
With significant changes to UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) rules affecting the health and social care sector, this session, led by immigration law experts from Aston Brookes Solicitors, will provide adult social care providers with essential legal updates, practical guidance, and compliance strategies to support safe, ethical, and effective international recruitment.
This seminar is designed to demystify sponsorship obligations, explore the impacts of recent rule changes, and equip providers with the tools to navigate recruitment challenges in a competitive, globalised workforce landscape.
Workshop Six: Resilient Care through Best Practice: A DSPT workshop
This interactive workshop guides adult social care providers through strengthening cyber resilience using the Data Security and Protection Toolkit (DSPT) as a practical foundation. Participants will gain insight into current cyber threats, understand hacker motivations, explore real-world case studies, and learn practical strategies to improve digital security. The workshop will also include interactive elements, allowing participants to use mobile devices to complete quizzes, reinforcing learning in real time.
