Independent Consultants’ Forum – Notes for New Joiners
Who are we?
The ICF is a group of self-employed consultants working in Human Resources, Organisational Development, Change Management and Learning & Development, based in the South-West London area. The ICF is a Special Interest Group linked to the South West London Branch of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
What are the aims of the ICF?
• To provide the opportunity to network with other members
• To support and facilitate the giving of advice to members
• To help members grow their business
• To provide CPD opportunities
What happens in the meetings?
The opportunity for the group to meet is now integrated with the CIPD events. This provides a broader networking opportunity and a good variety of presentation of the latest thinking on relevant OD/HR topics. The meetings generally start at 6.30pm, with time for networking and catching up with other Forum members. The main topic starts at 7.15pm – this can be a workshop hosted by one or more of the Forum members or CIPD members or a guest speaker and runs for approximately an hour to an hour and a half.
Some of our meetings give ICF members the opportunity to present to a wider audience and therefore are not exclusive to independents. However, some of our topics will only be of interest to those who are independent or considering a career change and these events will be mostly attended by ICF members.
How often does the group meet, and where?
The group holds meetings once a month varying between Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
CIPD Headquarters, 151 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London SW19 1JQ.
How can I find out about forthcoming meetings?
The meetings are on the main CIPD’s website. Members of the Forum also receive e-mail reminders about forthcoming meetings.
How do I join the ICF Linkedin group?
A network group on Linkedin has been set up on Linkedin which you may join if you would like to participate actively in the ICF network and view opportunities that arise. This ICF network is by invitation only and all members must be CIPD members and self-employed. You can apply to join through the group called Independent Consultants Forum CIPD SWLondon on the Linkedin site.
You do not need to be a member of the linked-in group to attend meetings. However, the benefits are the opportunity to ask questions, start or join discussions and get visibility of any opportunities posted.
Who should I contact if I want to join the email contact group?
Please register your name here.