On 5 June, Joe Mulrenan, Emma Watt and Monique Gill attended the LaingBuisson Social Care Summit 2025. The day included panel sessions from sector leaders, exploring areas such as investment in the sector, the changing regulatory landscape and provided the opportunity to connect with those in the industry. 

Throughout the day, there was a lot of energy and renewed enthusiasm for overcoming challenges in the sector. In this blog post. we've summarised some of the key takeaways that we've taken from the event.

Investment appetite remains strong 

Particularly within the specialist high-acuity care and special educational needs spaces, there is a strong appetite for investment. However, with that comes various operational risks that investors are attuned to, examples of these being:  

• Inspection reports: The number of inspections being carried out in care settings post-Covid has dropped significantly. Out-of-date inspection reports do not provide investors with much comfort and can be viewed as unreliable. Holistic, voluntary inspection frameworks, going beyond mock inspections, are seen as best practice, with this level of transparency being valued by investors. 
• Leadership stability: A high churn of registered managers before an inspection can be seen as a potential red flag by investors due to the risk of return and quality of care being provided. Strong, consistent leadership coupled with detailed action plans are important to demonstrate.

Due diligence 

A prudent buyer should consider the following areas as part of their legal due diligence exercise when looking to enter or expand within the sector:   

• Regulatory performance history and inspection gaps
• Employment implications of management turnover
• Planning and compliance risks in new builds and refurbishments
• Governance structures for not-for-profits and charities
• Emerging tax considerations (e.g. VAT and funding models)
• Data protection and artificial intelligence compliance

Political will and government investment 

This is critical to stabilise the system so that providers have the means to fairly compensate and upskill their staff and to ensure that people supported have the choice of a variety of good quality providers up and down the country. An equivalent to the NHS Long Term Workforce Plan for social care would be welcome. 

For more information 

If you would like any support or guidance on the themes mentioned in this blog, please contact Monique Gill or Joe Mulrenan.