Local government HR body Socpo and NHS HR group the AHHRM are forming closer
ties to better promote public-sector HR issues.
Both HR representative groups feel the CIPD does not sufficiently support HR
professionals in the public sector.
Francesca Okosi, vice-president of Socpo, believes that the CIPD does not
fulfil its role of helping public-sector members perform their jobs better.
She said, "The CIPD is not aimed at the needs of public sector. We are
going through modernisation yet this is not re- presented in the CIPD’s
work."
The AHHRM and Socpo want CIPD events to have more public-sector speakers and
be cheaper to attend so HR professionals from the sector can afford to go.
The two groups will work together on professional development, benchmarking,
staff secondments and research.
Socpo representatives will also speak at the AHHRM’s September conference
and they are also considering a joint conference and action plan next year.
Terry
Gorman, assistant chief executive of personnel and corporate services at
Nottinghamshire County Council, urged the CIPD to re-evaluate its support for
public-sector professionals.
Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance
Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday
He said, "It is more difficult to work in the public sector than the
private. The private sector has much simpler objectives while we have much more
controls, a wider range of services, more legislation to work under, scrutiny
and press interest."
In response, Mike Emmott, employee relations adviser at the CIPD, claimed
the institute is working with public-sector organisations such as the NHS
Executive and the Local Government Employers’ Organisation to ensure research
and projects take their needs into account.
