The Care Show London never disappoints. And this year’s event was no exception. A packed programme, a buzzing exhibition floor and, as ever, the kind of conversations that make you think all the way home on the train.
The Talk That Stuck With Me
The standout session of the day, for me, was Changing Public Perceptions of Care, featuring Angela Boxall 💚, Aneurin Brown 💚, Rob Martin, Olivia Curno, and Stella Shaw.
As someone who works in communications and public relations, this is a topic I feel strongly about. And it gave me a great deal of food for thought on the train home. More on that to follow.
Two things said in the room have stayed with me:
- That the sector’s challenges are “normalised through coping.”
Hats off to every individual who has been propping things up when there is no other choice. But when care provision is part of the backbone of society, normalising that level of strain is, when you stop and think about it, quite extraordinary.
- That an investment in care is an investment in society.
We need to flip people’s thinking entirely. A pound spent in care brings jobs to the community and saves costs elsewhere. When people are not supported to live life to their fullest, the ripple effects are felt everywhere. It is not a cost. It is a return.
I still believe there needs to be something more structured to support SMEs in levelling up their communications and public affairs work around this. I already have some ideas. Expect more to follow on this!
Inspiring panel discussion at the Care Show 2026.
The CQC Sessions: Standing Room Only
If there was any doubt about where the sector’s attention is focused right now, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) sessions put that to rest.
Demand was extraordinary. The first CQC session I tried to attend? Turned away at the door at the start time. The second? I was queuing outside the exhibition hall just to get in.
The session I did manage to attend, Registering with the CQC: requirements of registration and our expectations, was delivered by Debbie Cave and Lee Bolland from the CQC. It was informative and clearly pitched at exactly the right level for providers navigating the registration process. The sheer volume of attendees says everything about the appetite for clarity and guidance in this space right now.
Care Show 2026 queue for CQC talk.
Lunch With the CPO
Lunch was a delicious Salt Beef Bagel from the Bagel Factory on the concourse with the wonderful Liz Blacklock, CEO of CPO (Care Professional Organisation).
We talked about the Care Professional Register and what is next for the organisation. A really valuable conversation, and one that only reinforced how much is happening in this space.
Companies Worth Knowing About
The exhibition floor was full of the types of businesses I love working with. Those passionate about supporting the Care Sector. Working hard, for all the right reasons.
Here are some of the organisations I had the chance to speak with, each doing genuinely interesting work:
Cyber Centre of Excellence for Local Public Services: Excellent, cost-effective cyber security offerings built specifically for care providers. In a sector that is increasingly digital and increasingly targeted, this is not a nice-to-have.
Digital Care Hub: If you are not already using their free resources, you really should be. Free guidance, tools and advice on data protection, cyber security and digital transformation for adult social care providers. Genuinely useful, genuinely free.
CareCubed who I met on the Care England stand. Their National Care Costing Tool supports more accurate, evidence-based pricing for care placements. Currently used by 60% of local authorities across the UK, it brings transparency to what has historically been a fraught negotiation. If you are a provider, it is worth understanding how commissioners are using it.
PainChek: It was great to hear from the team about their upcoming sector report on the financial returns of PainChek, and their partnership with Med e-Care. PainChek is the world’s first regulatory-cleared digital medical device for pain assessment, using AI-driven facial recognition to detect pain in people who cannot reliably self-report, particularly those living with dementia. With over 15 million assessments completed worldwide, the evidence base is compelling.
And one close to my heart (having recently completed a role with the team there. Delphi Care Solutions who were showcasing RodaBI. Their new business intelligence tool that provides a complete picture of care facility performance, bringing together clinical care, financial oversight and regulatory insight in a single platform. One to watch.
And that is naming just a few.
The Journey Home
After a full day, it was back on the train. A journey fuelled by sweets courtesy of Lester Aldridge, which were entirely necessary at that point in the afternoon.
The Care Show always leaves me with more questions than answers, more ideas than I arrived with, and a renewed sense of the importance of this sector. And that thought that never leaves me, that the people working within the sector are the most passionate, resilient and hardworking bunch of people of any sector I have ever worked in.
More to follow on the public perceptions piece. Watch this space.
Were you at the Care Show London? I would love to hear what stood out for you. Reach out to me on LinkedIn or use the contact details on the website.