• How the HR profession has evolved from administrative support to strategic business partner
• The growing role of HR in shaping organisational culture, leadership, and employee experience
• Navigating major UK employment law reforms and their impact on people management
• The influence of AI, data, and HR technology on decision-making and workforce planning

• Key changes affecting employers, such as new worker protections, enforcement mechanisms, and shifts in employment rights
• Implications for HR practice, particularly in recruitment, dismissal procedures, contracts, and workplace policies
• Preparing organisations for compliance

Drawing on new research with 4,000 UK employees and 1,000 employers, Tracey Paxton explores why reward and recognition so often fails to land, and why the answer has less to do with budget than most organisations think.

• Unlocking overlooked talent: how inclusive hiring helps tackle skills shortages and deliver real business benefits
• Kier’s Making Ground programme: over 250 people with convictions into employment
• Hiring with Conviction: practical guidance to help HR professionals and managers hire with confidence
• What actually works: building momentum, securing buy-in and embedding change in a fast-moving organisation

• Understanding the changing drivers of workplace conflict
• Early intervention and the role of HR as a trusted mediator
• Complex and sensitive conflicts in the modern workplace
• Developing a proactive conflict management culture

• What is evidence-based HR and how does it lead to better decisions? Aren’t we all evidence-based anyway?!
• What different sources of evidence do you have and how can you use them?
• What skills and resources do you need to get started… and to reach a higher level?
• How HR leaders can make best use of research and organisational data and blend it with their expertise to improve decision-making, increase strategic influence and demonstrate measurable impact.

• Integrating physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing into day-to-day operations
• Supporting employees while driving productivity and engagement
• Practical approaches to diversity, equity and inclusion in leadership behaviours and decision making
• Practical HR interventions that create sustainable impact
• Tracking and demonstrating influence and progress across all aspects of a modern workplace

Speakers:

• Dr Sarah Dauncey, Research Fellow, Work, Employment and Organisation, University of Strathclyde
• Julie Dennis, Head of Inclusive Workplace Strategy & Policy, ACAS 
• Parul Singh, Founder of Parallel Minds Neurodiversity Consultancy & Inclusive Workplace Specialist
• Dr Lucy Walker, Lecturer in Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University

• Discover why brilliant senior women often stall just short of the top table - and the hidden leadership patterns that may be holding them back.
• Drawing on work with 4,000+ senior women across the NHS, Civil Service, banking and professional services, Saj Zafar reveals 21 recurring patterns that influence progression - and how organisations can address them.
• This thought-provoking session moves beyond confidence and DEI conversations to explore the neuroscience behind leadership progression and why senior leadership teams often remain unchanged.
• Leave with fresh insight into what helps senior women progress, improve retention, and create stronger pathways to top leadership role

• How HR can move beyond basic compliance to actively shape organisational strategy, culture, and performance
• Linking HR initiatives to business outcomes and competitive edge
• HR leaders and builders of resilient, adaptable and high-performing organisations