Throughout 2025 NCF has continued its crucial role as the leading voice for not-for-profit care and support providers, both within our membership and throughout the wider sector.

As the trusted voice for not-for-profit providers we have remained committed to keeping our members informed and equipped to respond to evolving policy landscape and ready to grapple with challenges and opportunities presented.

Highlights from 2025 at a glance:

• Supporting members through a busy and productive year: We have delivered hundreds of briefings and updates, over 50 online and in-person meetings with our Communities of Practice, and 21 webinars with our partners, associates and researchers to directly support members from policy and practice.  

• Covid Inquiry: NCF were a key participant in the Inquiry, honouring the experience of members by giving evidence as part of Module 6, which investigated the impacts of the pandemic on the care sector.  

• Key stakeholders in developing landmark policies: NCF, together with members, are working closely with government departments as part of the Adult Social Care Fair Pay Agreement Working Group.  

• Casey Commission engagement: NCF have created connections between members and the Casey Commission Team, facilitated visits and NCF’s CEO has met with Baroness Casey herself.  

• CQC and supporting members to navigate the regulatory landscape Under the chairing of Vic Rayner, the CPA produced the CQC Single Assessment Framework (SAF) Review and now continues to support the CQC to recover operational effectiveness. Within NCF, a number of sessions have been arranged with the CQC for updates and to explore members views on key developments, like the ‘Better Regulation, Better Care’ consultation. 
• The Adult Social Care Testbed: The project, led by the NCF in partnership with the University of Liverpool and supported by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, aims to develop innovative tech products and services, catalyse the use of social care data and upskill the care workforce in the Liverpool City Region. 
• Leveraging international connections: The NCF and members have been learning from new technologies and models of care overseas, taking part in international study tours and playing a key role in the Global Ageing Network biannual conference in Boston, USA. 
• Academic research: NCF have expanded our research impact, co-designing research studies with providers at the forefront of the process and outcomes. 
• Championing Innovation: The Care Innovation Challenge has gone from strength to strength, we’ve developed our innovation methodology and expanded our reach to create opportunity for new innovators from across the social care sector. 

Thank you to all our members for their continued support, engagement and collaboration over the last 12 months which have been incredibly challenging for our sector. By working together we have a stronger voice and influence which we can continue to use to ensure the not-for-profit sector is fully visible and represented to government and the public. By continuing to engage together on a national level we can drive better outcomes for our amazing, professional workforce and the people who rely on care and support to live the lives they want to live.

And of course, thank you to the NCF team, current and past Board members, sector
colleagues, partners and to you, our fantastic members. Together, our combined energy, passion and dedication enable NCF to grow, strengthen and remain resilient to the challenges that lie ahead while giving us the agility to seize opportunities that will help us create the roadmaps towards care for the future.