Branch and Membership Information
CIPD branches across the United Kingdom and Ireland are run by locally elected honorary officers who work on an unpaid voluntary basis. The prime role of local Branches is to provide local networking and Continuing Professional Development opportunities for members. Each CIPD member is allocated to a branch on joining.
The Branches produce and manage their own websites, accessible via the CIPD site. The web sites together with the Branch newsletters keep you posted about local diary dates of interest as well as general branch news and discussion of people management and development issues.
North Staffordshire/South Cheshire Branch profile
Numerically, ours is a relatively small branch (1,263) members but it spans a considerable geographic area. Although we are one of 48 branches, our membership accounts for only just over 1% of the total for the Institute (124,251).
Based on postcodes, our branch stretches from Crewe & Nantwich in the west almost across to Burton-on-Trent in the east and Stafford in the south up to Middlewhich in the north. Some members from outside our normal geographic area choose to belong to our branch, just as others within our area choose to belong to neighbouring branches. This is often to do with the fact that the home/work locations bridge the boundaries.
We have members in all grades but do you know what all the grades mean?
Here is a brief description of each, showing how many members we have in each category and in brackets, how many are in the Institute as whole (figures as of December 2007).
Chartered Member– 385 (35,541)
Chartered Member is the first level of chartered membership. It indicates achievement of qualifications, a minimum of 3 years’ experience at management-level and a commitment to continuing professional development.
The designatory letters for this grade are Chartered MCIPD.
Chartered Fellow – 110 (12,570)
This is the highest level of membership available through application. It indicates achievement of qualifications, career progression over at least 10 years to a strategic level-position in HR management, and a commitment to continuing professional development.
The designatory letters for this grade are Chartered FCIPD.
Chartered Companion – 1 (217)
This grade is available by invitation from the CIPD only. It indicates an outstanding contribution to the field of personnel and development.
The designatory letters for this grade are Chartered CCIPD.
Graduate – 157 (20,677)
Graduate membership is available to those who are qualified at practitioner-level but who are not yet experienced enough for full membership. An application to upgrade to full membership can be made when the required level of experience is achieved.
Licentiate – 156 (12,298)
Licentiate membership is available to those who have partially completed the practitioner-level qualification. It indicates completion of at least one complete field of the qualification through examination (but not the Applied Personnel and Development field) or achievement of an appropriate NVQ/SVQ.
Associate – 242 (18,533)
Associate membership is available to those who successfully complete one of the support-level qualifications. These qualifications, which include some CIPD Certificates and some NVQ /SVQs at Level 3, are aimed at people in support and/or administrative roles in personnel and development.
Affiliate membership – 212 (24,415)
This is open to anyone with an interest in personnel and development. If you simply wish to access member benefits and services this is an ideal route to membership.
Studying Affiliate is the usual admission grade for people working towards CIPD qualifications. In this case membership is upgraded following successful completion of the course or CIPD examinations.
Branch overall strategic objective
To develop a branch, which communicates effectively with its members and other appropriate local professional bodies, is well managed and which actively seeks to promote the highest standards of educational, developmental and networking opportunities, in line with the Institutes professional standing.
The Institute
Information about the CIPD's Charter and Mission can be found by following the link below:
Membership and Upgrading
For details about routes to membership and upgrading follow the link below to the CIPD main website: