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We are delighted to formally invite you to Together for Mental Wellbeing’s Henry Hawkins Lecture and Celebration on Wednesday 21st October 2026.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, delivered a speech at Labour Party Conference 2026 yesterday. You can find the full transcript here and a summary below. • McFadden thanked his ministerial team at the Department for Work and Pensions and said Labour’s priority was to give young people hope and opportunity. • He said the welfare state should continue to provide help to those who needed it while changing to put work and opportunity at its heart.

For VODG, a key highlight of the Prime Minister’s conference speech was the commitment to a long-term and lasting programme for social care reform through the establishment of a National Care Service (NCS). The announcement built upon the Prime Minister’s earlier statement on social care in July where he confirmed that he would bring forward the date for Baroness Louise Casey’s commission to report back by Summer 2027.

The Health and Social Care Secretary’s speech at Labour Party Conference served largely as a continuation of the major policy proposal put forward by the Prime Minister, Andy Burnham MP, while reinforcing existing and offering new commitments to the social care workforce.

Speaking at the Party Conference today, Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced plans for a social care workforce action plan, including an expansion of the Work Academy programme in care, with a focus on career opportunities for young people. She also reaffirmed the Prime Minister’s commitment to social care reform and announced plans for the first national collective pension scheme for people working in care.

Our new council-based map provides publicly available data on disability prevalence, SEND support and social security

Home / Articles / Is your executive recruitment genuinely accessible? For organisations working with and for disabled people, accessibility is central to their values and services. But when it comes to recruiting your most senior leaders, do your recruitment processes always live up to those same principles? Accessible recruitment is about much more than adding a line to an advert inviting candidates to request reasonable adjustments.

Celebrating two award nominations and highlighting Successful Events’ zero-cost international venue finding service for VODG members.

Our resource and event hubs are designed to provide our members with valuable information, resources, and upcoming events that are specifically tailored to their needs and interests.

Our resource and event hubs are designed to provide our members with valuable information, resources, and upcoming events that are specifically tailored to their needs and interests.