Poverty is the single greatest barrier to a child’s attainment in Scotland today. While there is growing consensus on this truth, the gap between political ambition and practical delivery remains. Policy alone cannot close the attainment gap without structural change in how services support families, schools, and communities. Tackling poverty and boosting attainment must therefore be a coordinated national mission that brings together education, health, housing, and local government in practical partnership.

This conference takes place online.

Scotland is ageing – and fast. While longer lives are a testament to progress, they also reveal growing cracks in care services, workforce sustainability and rights-based support for older people. Gaps in provision, pressures on unpaid carers and fractured funding arrangements pose urgent questions about quality, fairness and continuity of care. Therefore, we must reconsider how we deliver, fund and reform care for older people across Scotland’s public, private and third sectors.

This conference takes place online.

Care experienced children deserve consistency, dignity and lifelong support. However, responsibilities are currently split, services are stretched and progress toward The Promise is uneven. The Scottish Government's new Children (Care, Care Experience and Services Planning) (Scotland) Bill aims to address this. So what is in the Bill, will it work, who will it impact and when will it happen?

This conference takes place online.