Best Lives, Bolder In Action At Labour Party Conference

Community Integrated Care was proud to attend this year’s Labour Party Conference, amplifying the voices of people we support and our colleagues, while championing the vital role of social care.

A year ago, we launched our Best Lives, Bolder strategy and within this, we set out an ambition to strengthen our influence and become an even louder voice for social care. Our presence at this year’s Labour Party Conference was a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come on that journey.

Alongside our partners at the National Care Forum, we welcomed politicians, policymakers and sector leaders to our exhibition stand, sparking positive conversations about the future of social care and the action needed to ensure people can live their best lives possible.

Members of our charity’s leadership team met with senior government ministers and key policymakers, helping to raise awareness of the challenges facing social care and the opportunities to create a more inclusive, equitable future for people who draw on support.

Most importantly, people we support were at the heart of our activity. Their lived experiences helped shape conversations across the conference, bringing authentic voices and real-life perspectives to discussions about the future of social care.

One of the highlights was seeing people we support speak at the Future Social Care Coalition’s ‘Caring About Care Rally’, ensuring that lived experience remained central to conversations about reform and investment in the sector. By sharing their stories, experiences and ambitions, they helped highlight why social care matters and the impact it has on people’s lives every day.

We were also delighted to see our Learning Disability Super League hosting an inclusive rugby experience for MPs, alongside our partners at the Rugby Football League, Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium. The event demonstrated the power of inclusion in sport to break down barriers, create opportunities and challenge perceptions.

Ben Lehan-Powick, Head of Influencing, Policy and Public Affairs at Community Integrated Care, said, “This year’s Labour Party Conference provided a fantastic opportunity to bring the voices of our colleagues and the people we support directly into conversations with policymakers and decision-makers.”

“One of the core ambitions of our Best Lives, Bolder strategy is to strengthen our influence and drive positive change. This week showed the real impact of that approach, with people we support helping to shape discussions, share their experiences and highlight the value of social care. With social care high on the political agenda, and the Prime Minister reiterating his focus on building a National Care Service, it is vital that reform reflects the whole of social care, including people with learning disabilities, autistic people, and the people that support them ”

“We’re incredibly proud of everyone who represented Community Integrated Care throughout the conference. Their passion, expertise and lived experience are what make our influencing work so powerful, and we look forward to continuing these conversations as we work towards a better future for social care.”