Since October 2025, the National Care Forum has undertaken a huge programme of work shaping the government’s workforce policy agenda. In the space of eight months, we have submitted seventeen consultation responses covering a wide range of issues, including learning and development, trade union rights, employment protections, flexible working, agency staff, and the development of the Fair Pay Agreement for adult social care.

This period has been one of the busiest we have seen in terms of workforce and employment rights reform. Much of this work is linked to the government’s “Make Work Pay” agenda, which is introducing a step change in employment law. These changes will directly affect how providers recruit, manage, and support their workforce, so it has been important to ensure the not-for-profit care and support sector’s perspective is properly represented while these policies are being shaped.

Throughout this programme of work, our approach has been built around member input. We have used Members calls, surveys, webinars and our HR Community of Practice to gather views and shape our positions before submitting responses. That has allowed us to take real examples from members’ services and translate them into vital input for government. We want to extend a huge thank you to members who have contributed to this programme of work, your continued engagement means our positions are rooted in what is happening on the ground in adult social care and support.

The consultations themselves have covered a broad set of reforms. Alongside the Fair Pay Agreement process, we have responded to multiple proposals related to trade unions, including workplace access, recognition processes and balloting. There have also been consultations on redundancy thresholds, flexible working, protection from detriment linked to industrial action, agency worker regulations, and changes to dismissal protections. Taken together, these represent a major shift in how workforce policy will operate across the sector. At this stage, only a small number of these consultations have received formal government responses. Most remain in progress, so we do not yet know how all of the proposals will land. In some areas, however, there are clear signs that contributions from NCF and members are being recognised, particularly around safeguarding, dispersed workforces and operational constraints. In others, there is still work to do to ensure that policy works in practice.

We will continue to engage on new consultations as they come forward, and to follow through on the ones that are still ongoing. So, what happens now? Well, the NCF is supporting members to lead the way on workforce best practice and rise to meet the challenge and opportunities of the Employment Rights Act. That is why we are delighted to announce Leading Better Employment Practice.

How we will help our members and other not-for-profit care and support providers

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! 

We kicked off the programme with a successful session focused on upcoming changes to unfair dismissal rules. Expect more from us over the coming weeks, months, and years.

Full list of consultation responses:

• Make Work Pay: draft code of practice on trade union right of access
• Make Work Pay: threshold for triggering collective redundancy obligations
• Draft Acas Code of Practice on time off for trade union duties and activities
• Make Work Pay: improving access to flexible working
• Make Work Pay: protection from detriments for taking industrial action
• Make Work Pay: modernising the Agency Work Regulatory Framework
• Make Work Pay: strengthening the law on tipping
• Make Work Pay: fire and rehire – changes to expenses, benefits, and shift patterns
• Make Work Pay: recognition code of practice and e-balloting unfair practices
• Make Work Pay: leave for bereavement including pregnancy loss
• Make Work Pay: duty to inform workers of right to join a union
• Make Work Pay: draft code of practice on electronic and workplace balloting for statutory union ballots
• Make Work Pay: trade union right of access
• Make Work Pay: enhanced dismissal protections for pregnant women and new mothers
• Fair pay agreement process in adult social care
• Post-16 level 3 and below pathways
• Earned settlement Consultation

To find out more about, and to register for, the events we are offering as part of this programme of work please visit our events page.