About us

Area Groups

Devon and Cornwall Group is divided into 5 Area Groups. Please contact the relevant Co-ordinator if you wish to attend a local event.

Special Interest Groups

We currently have two Special Interest Groups:

Self-employed Network

Throughout Devon and Cornwall there are a large number of small and medium sized organisations and we currently have many members who are self-employed. The Self-employed Network has recently been re-structured to provide more assistance to these members and we have recently introduced a number of activities to enhance the skills of this special group.

Details of current events can be found in the Events page of this website.

Trainers' Network

The Trainers' Network was set up to satisfy the needs of the large proportion of our membership that is involved in Training and Development. This very active group meets regularly at different organisations throughout Devon and Cornwall and provides a local focus for sharing good practice and innovation in the training area.

Details of current events can be found in the Events page of this website.

Policy

If you would like to contribute to future policy documents, then please contact: Branch Policy Adviser

Please indicate any area(s) of interest you have.

I recently attended my first meeting at CIPD HQ as Branch Policy Adviser. The objectives of the day were to receive an update on the work that the full time CIPD staff undertake on behalf of the branches, to learn more about what I am expected to do in the role, and to network with Policy Advisers from Branches across the UK. So, what exactly does the CIPD do for us? There is, in fact quite a large list. For example, amongst other things:

• CIPD is formally consulted by the government on much of the legislative agenda, together with a variety of national strategies such as e-learning. This consultation is then cascaded to the Policy Advisers who use their networks to seek views which they then feedback into the consultation process. Thus we can help to shape legislation and make it more accessible
• Extensive research is undertaken into the value of good HR and training practice in organisations. Much of this research, including the most recent piece, ‘Human Capital’ is published on the CIPD website and can be downloaded free.

Talking of websites, have you visited the CIPD website recently? There has been a new development in the form of an HR Community. What this means is that if you are dealing with a specific query, and find it is new territory for you, then you can post a question on the website to seek advice from CIPD colleagues who may have experienced a similar issue in the past. Take a look after you read the article on CIPD Forums on Page 7 of this Newsletter.

• CIPD Communities

Perhaps the most enlightening part of the day for me was in learning more about the role of the Policy Adviser. A mini job description was then produced for us to consider and update. Within my role I must:

• facilitate links between the branch and CIPD
• give a practitioner perspective on professional knowledge issues
• share information and disseminate CIPD research findings
• offer a sounding board to CIPD advisers on professional practice issues and government consultations.

As with all job descriptions, this was accurate at a particular moment in time but it is constantly developing. In line with good HR practice there is also a person specification. All this on top of the day job! The CIPD regularly consults with members on matters of policy and members of this branch can contribute towards government policy.

Please contact me if you are interested in being involved in the cascading of information and consultation which is usually done electronically.

Please contact the Branch Policy Adviser

Members

Details of members who have joined the Branch or who have successfully upgraded are received from CIPD London on a monthly basis. Where space is available, members' names are recorded in the Branch Newsletter which is published five times per annum.

Please note that there can be a delay between members joining/upgrading and their details being sent to local Branches. Members who do not wish their names to be published should contact the Branch Administrator as soon as possible.

Sponsorship

The Branch Committee Members are all volunteers who give up their time to organise a wide range of activities for CIPD Members throughout Devon and Cornwall.

We are always pleased to receive sponsorship from organisations in order to expand our range of activities for our local membership.

Branch Sponsorship

This can take several forms:

• Sponsoring an edition of the Branch Newsletter
• Contributing towards the costs of postage of the Newsletter or a conference mailing
• Offering a venue for a local meeting or Branch Conference
• Providing free refreshments
• Placing an advertisement in the Branch Newsletter

What's in it for you?

Well, apart from a warm, rosy glow through supporting your local CIPD Branch, you also have the opportunity to promote your organisation/service/course, etc.

It can also be an ideal opportunity for your employees, particularly non-CIPD Members, to find out about the benefits of being a CIPD Member and enhance their knowledge of HR topics. In many cases, it encourages people to seek further advice/knowledge which will help them in their working environments.

Policy on Branch Advertising/Mailings

The Branch Newsletter is distributed five times per annum and can include advertisements which are of benefit to our readership, subject to content approval by the Editor.

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, members' details are never disclosed to third parties. Address labels are obtained from CIPD Headquarters for each mailing, so it is important that members report any changes in their details as soon as possible to: CIPD Membership Administration to ensure continuity of information.