Author: Care Innovation Summit
Published on 17 February 2026
Launching a New Care Leaders Conference for the UK Care Sector
The Care Innovation Summit launched in June 2025 as a new flagship event for the UK social care sector, bringing together more than 350 C-suite and senior leaders focused on driving innovation, collaboration and sustainable business growth.
The Summit quickly established its position within UK social care through an agenda designed for action. From live technology showcases and structured roundtable discussions to exclusive interviews in the Care Innovators Studio, delegates actively contributed to conversations shaping future policy, care delivery models and business strategy.
Across one jam-packed day, delegates engaged in three dedicated conference streams: Future of Care, Dementia Care, and Healthcare Design & Build – each delivering practical insight and strategies to address operational, workforce, regulatory and financial challenges while delivering new research, innovation and opportunities that care leaders can take back to their services.
Senior leaders attended keynote sessions, panels, roundtables and engaged in networking, meeting organisations including Care England, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Skills for Care and the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG).
This article highlights the strategic themes and solutions emerging from the Summit and outlines how the event will build on this momentum in 2026 to support leaders shaping the future of care.
Event Highlights: Innovation, Collaboration and Sector Engagement
Future of Care Stream: Collaboration, Sustainability and Innovation
Chaired by Sameena Ali-Khan, the Future of Care stream addressed leadership resilience, regulatory collaboration, sustainable reform, financial pressures and digital transformation. Sessions challenged senior leaders to rethink how they approach care delivery, workforce strategy and business performance in an increasingly complex operating environment.
A strong focus emerged on cross-sector collaboration. Contributions from leaders including Professor Martin Green OBE (Care England), Gordon Cochrane (Healthcare Homes) and Nadra Ahmed CBE (National Care Association) reinforced the importance of working in partnership with local government, policymakers, the NHS and fellow providers. These discussions highlighted collaboration as essential to achieving person-centred care while maintaining long-term commercial sustainability, and delivered actionable advice on how to grow these partnerships in practice
Innovation and digital transformation featured prominently, with sessions exploring how technology, new business models and social innovation can address financial pressures, regulatory complexity and workforce constraints. Rather than abstract concepts, speakers shared real-world examples of efficiencies, scalable innovation and improved care outcomes.
The overriding message from this stream was clear: the future of care depends on collective action. Organisations that collaborate, adopt innovation strategically and align around shared goals will be better able to deliver high-quality care while strengthening business resilience.
Dementia Care: Advancing Dementia Innovation and Best Practice
Chaired by dementia campaigner Ian Donaghy, the Dementia Care stream explored how research, innovation and lived experience are reshaping dementia care delivery. Sessions consistently emphasised that meaningful progress often comes from small, practical improvements that significantly enhance quality of life for people living with dementia.
Sector experts including Professor Graham Stokes (HC-One), Vanessa Raymont (Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Oxford University) and Caroline Green (Institute for Ethics in AI) shared insight into emerging treatments, memory preservation research and alternative approaches to care that reduce reliance on antipsychotic medication. Speakers also examined how AI and machine learning can improve efficiency, consistency and outcomes when implemented responsibly.
Interactive panel discussions challenged delegates to consider how innovation translates into day-to-day practice. Leaders explored how to embed new approaches within existing services, manage implementation barriers and deliver measurable improvements in care quality.
Policy alignment formed a key part of this stream, with updates from the APPG on Dementia providing clarity on emerging priorities and legislative direction.
Healthcare Design & Build Stream: Design, ROI and Sustainable Care Environments
The introduction of the Healthcare Design & Build stream reflected growing recognition of the role that care environments play in quality, outcomes and financial sustainability. Chaired by Jon Chapman (Pinders), this stream focused on how design decisions can support dignified living, improve dementia care and strengthen long-term business performance.
Expert-led sessions explored modernisation, regenerative design and the strategic choice between refurbishment and new-build projects. Contributors, including Gary Reed (HC-One) and Bob Green OBE (Tonic), demonstrated how high-quality, inclusive design can reduce distress, enhance wellbeing and support culturally appropriate and inclusive care.
Discussions acknowledged the financial pressures facing care providers, including funding constraints and challenges in securing investment. Sessions addressed how targeted refurbishment, thoughtful design choices and sustainability-led approaches can deliver return on investment without compromising care quality.
A clear message emerged: design is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Leaders must align design strategy with resident needs, regulatory requirements and long-term business goals to create environments that support both operational resilience and high standards of care.
Common Themes and Key Takeaways from Care Innovation Summit
Across all three streams, common priorities emerged. Delegates consistently highlighted the impact of small, targeted innovations, the strategic value of digital transformation, and the importance of integration across care, health and housing.
Whether through technology adoption, collaborative working, design improvements or research-led practice, innovation remains a critical driver of sustainable change across the social care sector.
Visitor Experience and Feedback from Care Leaders
Delegate experience sits at the centre of the Care Innovation Summit. Post-event feedback showed senior leaders noted the quality of content, relevance of discussion and strength of peer networking as key benefits, describing a renewed sense of purpose, alongside practical insight they could apply directly within their organisations.
Testimonials:
“The Care Innovation Summit was a brilliant sat to learn, network, be inspired for the care sector – bringing everyone involved in care together to address key issues. Thank you!”
“This event has inspired me all over again to aim for the best in care. I learnt about exciting new products, met some wider people who generously shared their time and experience with me, was moved by personal stories and experiences and had time to think outside of the box”
“The Summit was well planned and organised. Presentations helped generate ideas for me to take away and use when supporting services”
What to Expect Next: The Future of the Care Innovation Summit
In 2026, the Care Innovation Summit will welcome over 500 C-suite and senior leaders, alongside more than 40 exhibitors, for a day focused on strategic growth, collaboration and evidence-led decision-making.
New features include the launch of the Care Leaders Club, 1-to-1 supplier meetings and curated networking designed to support meaningful, long-term partnerships. Through keynote sessions, expert panels and roundtable discussions, the Summit will continue to equip care business owners with practical strategies to address sector challenges and unlock emerging opportunities.
Some of our 2026 programme has already been released. Dive into topics from finance and funding, protecting margins, to dementia care innovation and refurbishment vs rebuild debates.
Explore our website to find out more about Care Innovation Summit 2026 and book your ticket today to join the conversations shaping the future of care.
