RCN Nursing Support Workers' Day Conference 2026: Shining a light and celebrating 25 years
Leading Through Care: Empowering the Nursing Support Workforce
23 Nov 2026
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Booking now open!
Join us to celebrate 25 years of nursing support workers in RCN membership, at the annual Nursing Support Workers’ Day conference.
This event will be of interest to nursing support workers, including health care assistants, health care support workers, nursing/care assistants, assistant practitioners, nursing associates, student nursing associates and many more nursing support worker/staff roles across all health and social care settings.
RCN members working within the nursing support workforce and associated roles, are welcome to come and enjoy a packed day filled with inspiring, educational and empowering speakers. Amplify the voice of nursing and help shape decision-making, to achieve positive cultural change.
Network with friendly peers and colleagues from across the UK and gain up to 6 hours CPD.
Find out more about the RCN and nursing support worker membership here.
Learning Outcomes
1. Explain the principles of compassionate and inclusive leadership and their impact on the nursing support workforce.
2. Recognise the vital contributions of nursing support staff to patient safety, quality of care, and team performance.
3. Demonstrate effective communication techniques that foster trust, collaboration, and psychological safety within healthcare teams.
4. Identify barriers to workforce engagement and develop practical approaches to improve motivation, retention, and job satisfaction.
5. Promote a culture of respect, recognition, and continuous learning that empowers nursing support staff to work to the full extent of their roles.
6. Use reflective leadership practices to evaluate personal leadership behaviours and identify opportunities for improvement.
Please note: This event is open to RCN members working within the nursing support workforce and associated roles only
NSW Day Conference is sponsored by LV=
At LV=, our top priority is to do the right thing for our customers, colleagues, and communities.
We take great pride in our long-standing relationship with the RCN, and we are pleased to offer quality insurance products at discounted prices to all RCN members.
To find out more, visit LV.com/RCN
RCN Events team
RCNevents@rcn.org.uk
02076473577
Join us online or in person at
20 Cavendish Square
Marylebone
London
W1G 0RN
20 Cavendish Square is located behind John Lewis, Oxford Street.
Visitor car parking
Q-Park Oxford Street is an underground car park situated underneath Cavendish Square. You can pre-book your parking by visiting the Q-Park website.
Tube
The nearest stations are Oxford Circus and Bond Street.
Bus
There are many buses routes that stop nearby, including the 10, 25, 55, 73, 98 and 390.
Air
London has five major airports: London City, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Luton and London Stansted.
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London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports have dedicated express train services into central London.
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London Heathrow and City airports are directly connected to the Tube network.
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National Express, Easybus and Greenline coach transfers run 24 hours a day and start as low as £2 when booked in advance.
About London: For more information on London as a destination please visit www.visitlondon.com; the official city guide to London.
Accessibility
- Step free access to all event spaces and meeting rooms
- A ramp for stage access
- Height adjustable lectern
- Accessible toilets on each floor
- Induction loop on request
- Two wheelchair friendly passenger lifts
- Strobe fire alarms and audible voice synthesisers in the lifts
- Evacuation chairs
- Assistance dogs are welcome
If you have any questions or an access requirement not included here, please just get in touch on +44 (0)207 6473577 or RCNevents@rcn.org.uk
Download the conference programme.
Please note programme details and timings are subject to change. A final programme will be circulated prior to the event.
Meet the Nursing Support Workers Committee
Richard (Dreadlock Alien) Grant and Alan (Kurly) McGeachie, Memorhyme Ltd
Richard (Dreadlock Alien) Grant and Alan (Kurly) McGeachie from Memorhyme, a creative literacy engagement organisation, will be co-hosting the RCN Nursing Support Workers Day Conference, helping to celebrate the voices and contributions of nursing support workers in a fun, engaging and poetic way.
Professor Nicola Ranger, General Secretary and Chief Executive, RCN
Professor Nicola Ranger joined the Royal College of Nursing in December 2022 as the Chief Nursing Officer. In 2024 she was appointed General Secretary and Chief Executive of the RCN. She was previously Chief Nurse and Executive Director of Midwifery at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London. Before that, she held Chief Nurse posts at both Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust and Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust.
She has also held a number of senior nursing roles at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust. Earlier in her career, she worked at America’s George Washington University Hospital in Washington and at Mount Sinai Medical Centre in New York.
Bejoy Sebastian, President, RCN
Bejoy Sebastian is a senior nurse working in critical care at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He has previously held a number of positions at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. Hailing from Kerala, he arrived in the UK in March 2011 after finishing his nursing studies at Kottayam Medical College.
He was the Chair of the International Nursing and Midwifery Association network UK, where he has raised the profile of internationally educated nursing staff, helping them thrive in their careers and identifying the barriers they face in the workplace. He was also the founding General Secretary of the Alliance of Senior Kerala Nurses. He is an active volunteer for DKMS and with the help of Upahaar UK has organised numerous stem cell donor registration drives from global majority backgrounds to reduce the health inequities faced by them.
He began his role as RCN President in January 2025 and will serve for two years.
Vanessa Coelho, Head of Nursing Leadership, RCN
Vanessa Coelho is a senior nursing leader and leadership development specialist with a passion for advancing nursing leadership through an intersectional and organisational lens. She is Head of Nursing Leadership at the Royal College of Nursing, where she leads national programmes to strengthen leadership capability and influence across the profession. Her background spans acute and integrated care, higher education and workforce development, bringing together clinical, academic and strategic expertise. Vanessa holds an Executive MBA and MSc in Healthcare Management and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is passionate about compassionate, inclusive leadership and creating environments where nurses can thrive, lead with confidence and drive meaningful, system-wide change.
Ian Peate, Editor in Chief British Journal of Nursing, Consultant Editor International Journal for Advancing Practice, Consultant Editor Journal of Paramedic Practice, Editorial Board member British Journal of Healthcare Assistants, Author
Ian began his nursing career at Central Middlesex Hospital, becoming an enrolled nurse where he practised in an intensive care unit. He later undertook 3 years’ student nurse training at Central Middlesex and Northwick Park Hospitals, he became a staff nurse, then a charge nurse where he worked on day and night duty. He has worked in nurse education since 1989; he has held Senior and Principal Lecturer posts as well as Head of School. His key areas of interest are men’s health, nursing practice and theory. Ian has published widely, nationally and internationally. He has held positions in Gibraltar, Singapore and undertaken teaching engagements in India and Malaysia. Ian was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 90th Birthday Honours List for services to nursing and nurse education and was granted a fellowship from the Royal College of Nursing in 2017.
Please note: This event is open to RCN members working within the nursing support workforce and associated roles only
RCN members: £5.00
To make a booking
Online bookings are the easiest and fastest way to book 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Bookings can be made by phone with payment by credit card/Maestro, by calling +44 (0)2920 546460. Lines are open from 9.30am - 4.30pm Monday to Friday.
All bookings will be confirmed in writing.
You will not be registered for this event unless payment accompanies your application. Places cannot be held provisionally.
The RCN reserves the right to refuse any booking at any time.
Request a Secure link
You can now pay for event bookings via secure link, please complete a booking form for each delegate (disregarding the payment section). Send the forms to eventsreg@rcn.org.uk, we will calculate the amount to be paid and email you the payment link from Elavon. The payment link will be valid for 7 days.
On receipt of your payment, we will book your space/s and send your delegate/s confirmation of their bookings.
Cancellations and substitutions
The £5 booking admin fee is non-refundable.
Places can be substituted at any time. Please contact the RCN Event Registrations team on 029 20546460 with details of name changes.
Eventsreg@rcn.org.uk
+44 (0)2920 546460
For any other queries relating to this conference please contact the RCN Events Team:
RCNevents@rcn.org.uk
+44 (0)207 6473577
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Page last updated - 03/09/2026
