Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace Conference 2026
Past Supporters include:
Overview
Recent evidence shows that workplace mental health remains one of the most urgent challenges for UK employers. The 2025 CIPD Health and Wellbeing at Work survey found that mental ill-health is now the leading cause of long-term absence, with sickness levels rising to their highest rate in over 15 years. Alongside this, new analysis from the Keep Britain Working Review highlights that growing rates of stress, anxiety and burnout are contributing significantly to reduced labour market participation, prompting a national shift towards prevention, early support and stronger employer accountability.
HR and People leaders are therefore facing increasing pressure to strengthen workplace cultures and build effective mechanisms for supporting staff wellbeing. The government’s 2025 three-year partnership with over 60 employers marks a renewed emphasis on evidence-based workplace health approaches, including better data collection, improved leadership capability and investment in early intervention.
Agenda
Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Keynote: National Policy and Government Updates on Workplace Mental Health
- Overview of the Keep Britain Working Review (2025) and the three-year employer partnership initiative
- Implications of new government guidance for prevention, early support and return-to-work strategies
- Launch of the proposed Workplace Health Intelligence Unit and how organisations can use evidence-based data to improve interventions
- Updates on the Mental Health at Work Commitment and standards for employer-led wellbeing programmes
- Exploring opportunities for small and medium enterprises to access government support and resources for workplace mental health
Sir Stephen Timms, Secretary of State for The Department of Work and Pensions (invited)
Keynote: Prioritising Wellbeing in Workplace Cultures
- Meeting national expectations through the Mental Health at Work Commitment
- Designing wellbeing surveys to identify risks, target resources and track organisational progress
- Creating fulfilling job roles and recognising staff experiencing poor wellbeing
- Supporting managers and senior leaders to model healthy work/life balance
- Equipping line managers with training to embed wellbeing into everyday management
Phil Canale, Head of Workplace Wellbeing, Mind Forward Alliance (invited)
Questions and Answers
Comfort break
Keynote: Recruitment, Retention & Health-Inclusive Hiring
- Strategies for encouraging disclosure of health conditions without stigma, building compassionate recruitment pipelines
- Creating “stay-in-work” frameworks for employees with long-term conditions or neurodivergence
- Integrating reasonable adjustment policies into hiring and onboarding
- Return-to-work planning that centres on reintegration
Siobhan Moynihan, Chair of the Wellbeing Leadership Team, Business in the Community and Chief Finance Officer, Bupa (invited)
Case Study: Supporting Hybrid and Remote Workers
- Supporting flexible working principles in workplace policies to ensure consistent expectations across remote and on-site staff
- Equipping managers with skills to lead dispersed teams effectively, including digital communication and early identification of stress or isolation
- Creating supportive hybrid environments through regular check-ins or home-working adjustments.
- Measuring the impact of hybrid working by tracking wellbeing indicators, productivity patterns, engagement levels, and feedback on work–life balance to refine and strengthen the model
Mehenaz Azmi Peerun, Head of Organisational Development & Inclusivity, NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board (invited)
Questions and Answers
Lunch Break
Keynote: Building Resilient Teams Through Supportive Leadership
- Developing leadership practices that support psychological safety and team trust
- Strengthening resilience by modelling healthy boundaries and prioritisation
- Equipping leaders to identify early warning signs of workplace stress
- Implementing structured support pathways that support teams during changes in the workplace
Kay Harriman, Head of HR, Hilton Worldwide (invited)
Case Study: Strengthening Stress Management Approaches to Balance Peak Workloads with Employee Wellbeing
- Analysing workload patterns to predict pressure points and prevent burnout
- Implementing structured interventions to maintain wellbeing during high-demand periods
- Supporting managers to communicate priorities clearly and reduce unnecessary strain
- Applying wellbeing check-ins as part of proactive workload planning
- Reviewing post-peak feedback to refine processes in the workplace and improve future resilience
Lucia Ricci, Head of Health, Wellbeing, and Engagement, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking: Connecting for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Peer Support
This session invites delegates to engage in structured discussions focused on improving workplace mental health and fostering wellbeing. Attendees will share strategies for supporting colleagues, inclusive practices in their organisations. The session encourages collaboration and practical takeaways that can be applied immediately to improve staff wellbeing.
Comfort Break
Keynote: Tackling Workplace Mental Health Stigma
- Challenging the structural and cultural factors that reinforce stigma
- Creating psychologically safe mechanisms for disclosure and early help-seeking
- Supporting leaders to communicate openly about mental health without fear or bias
- Encouraging stigma reduction into policy, performance processes and return-to-work support
- Designing inclusive wellbeing communications that normalise everyday conversations
Deidre Brown, Director of National Programmes, Mental Health UK (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Supporting Bereaved Staff
Rebecca Patterson, Director of Good Life, Good Death, Good Grief, Scottish Partnership for Palliative Care (CONFIRMED)
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Conference Close
Get in Touch
Previous Speakers
Dr Krystal Wilkinson
Reader (Associate Professor) in Human Resource Management
Manchester Met University
Dr Abigail Morris
Lecturer in Workplace Health and Well Being
Lancaster University
Kim Leadbeater
Co-Chair
APPG Parliamentary Group on Tackling Loneliness and Connected Communities
Andy Bell
Chief Executive
Centre for Mental Health
Rachel Suff
Senior Policy Advisor
CIPD
Dr Shriti Pattani OBE
President, Society of Occupational Medicine, Specialist Clinical Adviser in Organisational Health
NHS England
Pinky Jangra
Resilience & Wellbeing Speaker & Trainer | Change Management Consultant
GOV PD
Victoria Rawnsley
People and Projects Lead
The Scottish Government
Abigail Hirshman
Director
Charlie Waller Workplace
Testimonials
The mental health in the workplace conference was very informative with lots of ideas and inspiration to take back to my workplace from the engaging and knowledgeable presenters.
Great conference, with speakers who are experts in their fields.
A thought provoking event with very knowledgeable guest speakers and a great chance to network and share best practice.
Walked away inspired to do better in our organisation- and how to do that.
This event was engaging and extremely informative. I was especially pleased it was held online.
An interesting an varied agenda focusing on the importance of health and wellbeing of the workforce.
Why You Should Attend?
✓ High-level keynotes from senior leaders in HR, occupational health and workplace wellbeing
✓ Best-practice case studies in early intervention, burnout prevention, hybrid-working support and inclusive wellbeing design
✓ Extended workshop offering practical training for strengthening organisational wellbeing approaches
✓ Networking with senior colleagues from a range of sectors
✓ CPD (gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota).
Who Should Attend?
| Job Title Example | Organisation Examples |
| HR Officers | Councils |
| Wellbeing Leads | Universities |
| Policy Officers | Private Companies |
| Academic Support Staff | Charities |
| Business Support Mangers | Government |
| Operation’s Directors | |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
