Leading Better Employment Practice: Equal Pay and Pay Discrimination
NCF Member Session: Equal Pay and Pay Discrimination Consultation
Date: 1 October 2026
Time: 4:00 – 5:00pm
Location: Online (Teams)
As part of our Leading Better Employment Practice work, NCF is bringing members together to explore the government’s consultation on equal pay and pay discrimination
The consultation will shape Government’s reform to the current equal pay framework, helping it work better for both employees and employers. The consultation provides a chance to address gaps and inconsistencies in the current framework, including impacts on people with a disability, ethnic minority groups, and outsourced workers.
We know our members, as well as the wider adult social care sector, employ a highly diverse workforce as well as a significant number of agency staff. We encourage members to join this session to hear from Douglas Mullen, partner at Anthony Collins, who will explain details of the consultation, and highlight any implications for providers as employers.
Join NCF’s member engagement session to:
- Understand the key proposals emerging from the consultation
- Share your insights on the current equal pay framework, and how it could be reformed
- Explore what the proposals could mean for care and support providers
- Help inform NCF’s response to government so that it reflects the realities of delivering high-quality care and support services
- Learn from colleagues across the membership and develop your organisation’s own position on the proposals
The consultation closes on 27 October 2026, making this an important opportunity for members to help shape NCF’s evidence and influence the detailed regulations before they are finalised.
We encourage all members with responsibility for workforce, HR, operations or service delivery to attend.
To register, please contact ellis.mckeown@nationalcareforum.org.uk
We look forward to seeing you there!
- NCF’s Policy and Research Intern, Ellis McKeown, at ellis.mckeown@nationalcareforum.org.uk and,
- Our membership team, at members@nationalcareforum.org.uk.
- NCF’s Workforce Policy and Research Lead Finn Turner-Berry, at finn.turner-berry@nationalcareforum.org.uk, and
- Our Deputy CEO and Policy Director, Liz Jones, at liz.jones@nationalcareforum.org.uk
This session is part of our new programme: Leading Better Employment Practice!
The Employment Rights Act (ERA) marks a step change in employer–employee relations across the care and support sector. Throughout 2026, we are seeing a significant package of reforms come into force, with further changes expected later this year and into 2027. In this context, NCF is working to support the not-for-profit care and support sector to lead the way on employment practice, rising to both the opportunities and challenges presented by the legislation. Leading Better Employment Practice is a new programme of work that will:
- Share and embed best employment practice across NCF membership and the wider sector
- Help members prepare for, comply with, and innovate in response to the ERA
- Support confident, values-led approaches to workers’ rights
- Showcase NCF members demonstrating leadership in employment practice
- Strengthen the collection, use and dissemination of workforce data and evidence
- Support learning and development across adult social care
- Contribute to the delivery of the sector’s workforce strategy
Expect webinars and learning sessions, practical tools and templates, tailored briefings on employment, peer-to-peer learning and opportunities to connection with key stakeholders. We’re even refreshing our pay, terms, and conditions benchmarking offer.
Find more information on this programme of work here.