Socpo is increasing the size of
its membership to 5,000 in a bid to develop HR talent and improve member
support.
The local government HR body
announced last week that more than 75 per cent of its members had voted to
extend the society’s membership from HR managers to all personnel officers. It
currently has a membership of 450.
Terry Gorman, president of
Socpo, said, "Socpo must stop being an exclusive organisation if we are to
move forward and be a voice for local government. By extending the membership
we shall look after our members better by offering support in the form of
programmes and conferences."
He said there is a need to
develop young talented personnel employees into HR managers, which only a
larger membership body would be able to achieve. Socpo has also been struggling
to fill representative positions, Gorman admitted. He said, "At present
the society is not doing this as well as it should."
Socpo’s vice-president elect
Francesca Okosi agrees. She said, "The major issue within Socpo at the
moment is how we break through the next tier of HR managers and let them fulfil
their potential."
Other aims of the expansion
plan include a stronger lobbying role, an increased public profile, and a
closer working relationship with the CIPD.
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Gorman will chair a working
group of senior officers who will implement Socpo’s plan. They aim to give
detailed plans to its current membership at the society’s AGM in Brighton next
month.  Â
Dilys
Wynn, head of HR at Worcestershire County Council said, "It is about time
new blood was given the chance to breathe new life into the society and to make
sure that the voice of HR in local government does not stagnate."
