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Advancing Inclusivity in the Workplace Conference 2026

CorpAcq Stadium, Greater Manchester 28 January 2026, 9:00am - 4:00pm

CPD accredited by IGPP badge
8:30am
Delegate Registration and Networking
9:45am
Chair’s Welcome Address
Emma Underwood, EDI Practitioner and Community Organiser
9:55am
Opening Keynote: Challenges Facing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives in 2026
  • EDI Priorities in 2026 – understanding the impact of recent events
  • Going beyond the employer’s basic EDI responsibilities
  • How do we move EDI forward in the UK?
Julie Dennis, Head of Inclusive Workplace Strategy and Policy, Acas
10:15am
Case Study: Implementing EDI in Big Organisations
  • The purpose and benefits of prioritising EDI
  • An insight into the vision, priorities and progress
  • The importance of staff voice, experiences and co-design
  • Measuring impact and outcomes
Naheed Nazir, Director of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Manchester Metropolitan University
10:35am
Industry Case Study: Supporting Employers in Current EDI Landscape
Inclusive Employers
10:55am
Questions And Answers Session
11:10am
Break and Networking
11:40am
Health for All: Rethinking Workplace Wellbeing Through an Inclusion Lens

This session explores how organisations can move beyond traditional, one size fits all wellbeing initiatives and instead design health strategies that truly support every individual. Kelly will provide practical steps and diagnostic prompts to help you assess your current strategy and identify ways to build a more equitable, inclusive and impactful health and wellbeing culture.

SiSU Health
12:00pm
Culture Over Chaos: A Practical Guide to Embedding EDI in a Divided World
  • Why a proactive focus on a culture of inclusion is more effective than traditional, and often divisive, diversity initiatives.
  • The essential role of a leader as the primary custodian of organisational culture, especially during turbulent times.
  • How to apply the four key pillars - respect, belonging, empowerment, and progression - to build a resilient and thriving workplace.
  • Practical methods for identifying and dismantling the hidden barriers that prevent people from doing their best work.
  • How to build a culture that acts as a strategic shield against external VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) forces.
Toby Mildon, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant
12:20pm
Recognising and Addressing Bias and Microaggressions in the Workplace
  • Understanding the different forms of bias and microaggressions, as well as their origins
  • How do microaggressions impact employee wellbeing, trust, and retention?
  • The role of staff and leaders in tackling microaggressions in a constructive way
Eva Echo, Activist, Educator, TEDx Speaker and Writer
12:40pm
Questions And Answers Session
12:55pm
Lunch And Networking
1:55pm
Beyond Awareness: Embedding Race Equity in Everyday Practice
  • Why equity goes beyond equality, and how systemic barriers shape outcomes
  • How policies, practices, and workplace culture can impact racial inequities
  • Strategies to track progress and ensure equity commitments lead to meaningful change
  • Practical steps individuals and teams can take to advance race equity every day
Lisa Shoko, Head of EDI & Anti-Racism, Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
2:15pm
Panel Discussion: Addressing Complexity of Intersectional Identities
  • Understanding how overlapping identities (race, gender, class, disability, sexuality, etc.) shape experiences of privilege and discrimination
  • Examples of how single-issue approaches to equity and inclusion can overlook people at the intersections
  • How institutions can design policies and initiatives that acknowledge and support the full spectrum of lived experiences
  • Practical steps leaders and teams can take to build inclusive environments that embrace the complexity of identity
2:45pm
Questions And Answers Session
2:55pm
Break and Networking
3:25pm
Driving Inclusive Policy and Practice through Evidence-Based Innovation
  • Turning insights into impact – understanding how data can uncover systemic bias in workplace structures
  • The role of analytics and AI in shaping inclusive workplaces
  • How to assess whether inclusion efforts are leading to tangible improvements in EDI metrics
3:45pm
Final Keynote: Building Leadership Capacity for Sustainable EDI Impact
  • Defining skills and capabilities of inclusive leadership
  • How to embed EDI into leadership development
  • Supporting leaders to manage resistance, difficult conversations, and competing priorities around EDI
Obehi Alofoje, Psychologist, Behavioural Change Specialist and Co-Founder at Aurora
4:05pm
Questions And Answers Session
4:15pm
Chair’s Summary And Close

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