Event details

Public services can't run on empty desks and empty rotas — yet staffing shortages and systemic burnout are pushing the system closer to that reality every year. As the talent drain to the private sector accelerates, HR directors and D&I leaders are being asked to solve a problem far bigger than pay: how to build workplaces that genuinely support neurodivergent staff, close persistent gender gaps, and protect the mental health of a workforce split between hybrid desks and frontline duty.

This one-day conference brings together civil service HR leadership, union representatives, mental health specialists, and workplace culture experts to confront the retention crisis head-on and share what's actually working. Whether your focus is workforce strategy, inclusion, or staff wellbeing, this event will give you practical, evidence-based approaches to help public services hold on to the people they depend on.

 

   

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WHO ATTENDS

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  • 08:30 AM - 08:45 AM

    Keynote

  • 08:55 AM - 09:40 AM

    Navigating the Procurement Act: Pitfalls and Opportunities

    The Procurement Act has rewritten the rulebook for public purchasing, and every procurement team is now working through what that means day-to-day — from streamlined procedures to new compliance traps that weren't there before. This panel brings together national policy, council practice, and legal expertise to give delegates a clear, practical grounding in what's changed and how to turn the new rules into an advantage rather than a burden.

    • What's genuinely new under the Procurement Act — and where the biggest compliance risks are hiding
    • How streamlined procedures are changing the pace and shape of everyday council purchasing
    • Legal pitfalls procurement teams are already encountering, straight from the frontline of public law
    • What framework operators are building to help buyers navigate the transition with confidence

     

    Clarity, compliance, and confidence set the tone for this opening session. Join us to explore how public sector buyers can turn regulatory upheaval into sharper, smarter procurement.

  • 09:50 AM - 10:35 AM

    Quantifying the Unquantifiable: Standardising Social Value Metrics

    Social value too often gets reduced to a tick-box exercise buried in a bid response. This panel pushes past that, asking what it actually takes to measure community wealth, local job creation, and environmental impact with rigour — and how buyers can hold suppliers genuinely accountable for the outcomes they promise.

    • Why standardised metrics matter more than ever as social value moves from optional to mandatory
    • How major contractors are building measurable social value into bids beyond generic pledges
    • Social Enterprise UK's view on what robust, credible social value measurement should look like
    • Lessons from community wealth building pioneers on turning procurement into local economic growth

     

    Impact, rigour, and honesty define this discussion. Join us to explore how public procurement can move past box-ticking and start proving social value that communities can genuinely measure.

  • 10:45 AM - 11:30 AM

    Breaking the Monopoly: Opening Public Tenders to SMEs and VCSEs

    Public contracts have long favoured the largest, most established suppliers — leaving small businesses and voluntary organisations locked out by administrative burdens they can't easily absorb. This panel explores how the system can genuinely open up, bringing together national policy, commissioning practice, and SME experience to identify what real access looks like.

    • Why administrative complexity disproportionately shuts out small and voluntary sector bidders
    • What the Crown Representative for Small Businesses is doing to remove barriers at a national level
    • An ICB's perspective on balancing risk management with the drive for greater supplier diversity
    • A founder's first-hand account of what it actually takes to win and deliver a public sector contract



    Access, opportunity, and fairness sit at the heart of this session. Join us to explore how public procurement can open its doors to the full breadth of talent ready to deliver for local communities.

  • 11:40 AM - 12:25 PM

    The Green Premium: Balancing Tight Budgets with Net-Zero Procurement

    Net-zero ambitions are now written into public procurement policy — but prioritising low-carbon suppliers and sustainable materials during a serious funding squeeze is no simple trade-off. This panel brings together national sustainability policy, NHS finance, and infrastructure expertise to work through how buyers can hold the line on climate commitments without blowing already-stretched budgets.

    • How DESNZ is shaping commercial policy to push low-carbon procurement without pricing out public buyers
    • Where finance and sustainability priorities align — and where they create genuinely hard choices
    • How a combined regional authority is embedding climate action into everyday procurement decisions
    • Practical guidance from infrastructure specialists on managing the "green premium" without overspending



    Sustainability, discipline, and pragmatism run through this closing session. Join us to explore how public procurement can lead on climate action without losing sight of fiscal responsibility.

     

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