This year we entered into a new venture with our events app, which has been marked a huge success with take -up being 61% against an average of 48% for first time app users with unique hits over the 2 days reaching 19.2k! With 63.46% of you rating the use of the app as excellent or very good. – “Really loving the new app – it’s bossy and fun!”

The app doesn’t end with conference, so please keep hold of it as we will be using it to promote our latest blog posts and keep you informed with up coming event information. It will also be used during the Northern Forum in October so stay tuned!

We have received such positive feedback when it comes to Conference this year Excellent and Fantastic are just a few words quoted with 63.79% of you rating #PPMAHR18 as excellent or very good and it really means a lot to us that our members and colleagues get the most out of the event and find it valuable and enjoyable…

“Fantastic event thoroughly enjoyed it! The pre-conference event worked really well as allowed introductions to be done on an informal basis which paved the way for the rest of conference”

“This was my first event and I’ve really enjoyed it and found everyone so welcoming. T have found some of the speakers really engaging and inspiring and I feel more motivated to move forward with my career.”

We look forward to taking on board your comments of improvement including experimenting with session formats and including more information about the shortlisted award entries in the lead up to the gala dinner awards evening to ensure next year’s conference is even better and really hope we see you all there.

You can find the full pack of the survey results here.

Dear PPMA friends and colleagues,

We’re absolutely delighted to have Karen Grave as our new President and in this blog post she shares her reflections with us on #ppmahr18 and sets out the organisations priorities for the coming year etc.

“Well what a week we had last week in Newcastle-Gateshead.  The team are just about recovered, but we are still buzzing from the wonderful reception we had to #ppmahr18 – I’m still mesmerised by gold stilt walkers!  I’d like to thank again the very many people who have taken the time to write to me (and the team) to say how much they enjoyed conference last week. That means such a lot to us, particularly as we ran a 3 day event and were snowed under with the increased capacity we had this year.  Our event partners at Sage Gateshead, Hilton and Jury’s Inn and our entertainers did us proud.

It’s difficult to pick out highlights from what was a week full of amazing experiences, but there are some memories that stand out for me this year:

Our outreach to students in partnership with Manpower. The power of that event has to be seen to be believed – meeting/working with young people and opening their eyes to our wonderful world of public service is one way that we can overcome the challenges in recruiting young people. My professional view is that strategically this can be a game changer and I want to work with our regions to look at how, together with Manpower, we embed this programme as part of our overall Let’s Talk You, Talent Offering.

The inclusivity, warmth, passion and camaraderie of conference – right from the pre conference event, through to the end has been expressed more than anything else. I am very proud that we were able to achieve this. We covered some tough topics. Jasvinder was an utter inspiration and I am still reflecting on her moving keynote opener. Whether it was the content of her speech or our pre conference event, or the sun – we certainly created amongst us a supportive, compassionate environment where a number of us where able to share some very heartfelt emotions.

And of course our MOU announcement with CIPD, HPMA and UHR. I’ve been working with Nicky and Helen (and Peter Cheese) for many months now on the detail of this agreement. We very much welcome David D’Souza now who will take this forward on Peter’s behalf. We all know that moving forward, collaboration and ensuring that our collective professional voice is raised is key to how we help organisations deal with the increasing challenges we face.

Our existing plans to develop our PPMA brand, offerings, increase our membership, harness the wisdom and experience of our Past President community and raise our collective professional voice will continue. However, there are a number of additional areas that will take up the attention of PPMA Policy Board and Principal Officers this year. We need to take a look at how we are governed and structured. This is partly driven by a desire to maximise the benefits from the MOU but also to ensure that we are nurturing and supporting the next generations of PPMA leadership. There will be lots more to come on that during the next months.

I’d like to thank again our sponsors, speakers, partners and delegates for all of your support. I’ve said many times before – and I am sure I will continue to do so – that we cannot do this without the support of all of you. I do want to encourage all of you to participate. Our Board and Principal Officer roles are, as you know, voluntary. We put in the most enormous effort to build a community that supports each other and retains a laser focus on workforce issues. We can’t do that without your involvement – so please take the time to read the blogs, participate in our research programme, support our regional events and talent management programmes. Keeping engaged keeps us honest by making sure we focus on the issues that matter to you. Don’t forget that Steve, Leatham, Kim, Grace, Policy Board and I work for you!

On a very personal note, I want to thank you for your extremely kind wishes following the death of my father. Although his death was expected, it has still nevertheless been a whirlwind since last Autumn. My last conversation with Dad was yet another exercise in bringing him up to speed with conference planning.  He would have been as proud of what we all achieved last week as I am to be your President this year.”

Warmest

Hello PPMA members and friends

Caroline Nugent writes her last blog post in her capacity as PPMA President and she shares with us the highlights from her brilliant year in office.

“My reflections

Well what a year! I cannot believe how fast this year has gone but I’m happy to leave the presidency in the capable hands of Karen Grave who will take over the reigns at the PPMA conference this month.

Well what do I think we have achieved this year? For a start there has been significant work going on behind the scenes to ensure the future sustainability of the PPMA with the world of Heads of HR, in the public sector in particular changing. More and more of us are working across more than one employer and although it’s great for our development and the development of our teams, it has meant that we needed to ensure a wider public services approach to the PPMA. With each shared service is one less Head of HR.  I am thrilled that we have increased civil service membership, including the Chief People Office for the whole of the Civil Service,  Rupert McNeil.  This has shown how we can engage and our reach is far wider.

We also have a number of Chief Executives as members and this shows how we have moved from a ‘Personnel’ approach to a full on Leadership, OD  and Workforce strategic approach. If your Chief Executive is not a PPMA member, ask why not!  It is vital we are given the space to look outside of our organisations in order to bring back the sharing and best practice that is out there.

I have been amazed whilst I have attended lots of events at how many people have said they struggled to be given the time to attend. Why aren’t they forward thinking like one of my chief executives who has made it mandatory for all senior leaders from whatever background, be it legal to planning to bereavement services, to attend external events and wherever possible to speak at them? It is all this learning which will move an organisation from good to great!

Our marketing and sponsorship arrangements have done us proud this year with an increase in the breadth of our sponsors which will enable our members to hear and learn from many great operators in their fields. This proves that we have a lot to offer sponsors and they in return have great knowledge and products we can utilise.

A peek behind the scenes again – we have been actively working with colleagues in CIPD, HPMA and UHR for the long term benefits of all of our respective members and during the next year you will start to see how you will have a greater interaction and opportunities which we have not had before.  Look out for that news!

We have recruited Grace who has proven to be a great admin and marketing resource for the organisation. Leatham and I interviewed Grace by Skype, as we wanted someone who is capable of working remotely who could actively engage with members and sponsors – she is certainly supporting us on a daily basis. As you know as Policy Board members, we are volunteers so having a solid back office is critical for us!

Also watch out for more from Leatham who has joined us as a time limited resource as Executive Director.  Many of you will know from the SOCPO days (and many of us are old enough to remember!) we used to have a resource and this year we have decided we are moving at such pace we need some extra oomph to help and Leatham is certainly that person! HPMA and UHR have this role as a standard part of their organisations and Karen and Leatham and Policy Board will be looking at how we make this happen for PPMA this year.

So finally, with apprenticeships, women in leadership and increased membership as my priorities for my term I am pleased to say that I have moved them all forward for those coming along after me to continue. I have loved being your El Presidente (as so many of you have called me) and I look forward to supporting the PPMA for years to come.”

Dear PPMA colleagues and friends.  It’s only 4 working days to go #PPMAHR18 and today we’re going to hear today from our conference team on what they are really looking forward to:

First is Steve Davies our Honorary Treasurer and Secretary and Regional Chair London/South East and he tells us “I’m looking forward to seeing Karen’s investiture as president, acknowledgement of Caroline’s great year as President, thought provoking presentations and catching up with colleagues from other organisations.

Next we hear from Leatham Green who is our Interim Executive Director who tells us “I am so looking forward to be able to show case the brilliant talent that we worked with at this year’s Apprentice of the Year, The One to Watch, and HR Rising Stars. The events were brimming with exceptional future leaders and this will be the first year that we have incorporated a conference slot so that the conference delegates get a chance to see them in action.  I know it will be truly inspirational. It is always great to have the opportunity to catch up with friends old and new and this year we have created much interest in the Masquerade Ball so I am looking forward to seeing the amazing masks on parade!!”

Emma Browes  is HR Service Manager at Leeds City Council and has been a big part of the conference team and she says “This really has been an exciting 12 months of involvement with the PPMA. I’ve been proud to be part of the Northern HR Summit – bringing people together from all over the country, not just the north. It was also a huge privilege to meet & coach the Rising Stars this year.  Their energy, enthusiasm and growth over the two days was inspiring. I can’t wait to catch up with old friends and meet new at this years annual seminar.”

One of the longest serving members of the PPMA team is Finance Manager, Kim Mckinery and she’s “Looking forward to catching up with so many people who I don’t see very often and working with some of the nicest people I know.  I cannot wait for the Gala Dinner as I know with all the effort Karen has put in to make this absolutely special and fantastic, it will be an utterly amazing night.  The location of this year’s Conference is in a  wonderful Town and in the iconic venue, The Sage on the banks of the River Tyne, will surly make it one to remember.”

Finally we hear from the newest member of our team, Grace Davies who joined us in January as Support and Marketing Coordinator it’s her first PPMA conference and she tells us “Being a new member to the PPMA team at the beginning of this year I wasn’t sure what to expect with regards to what would be involved with organising conference. I can safely say that my first 4 months have flown by and although it has been extremely busy at times it has been a very enjoyable experience and truly amazing to see just how much time and effort goes into the event from all that are involved. I am looking forward to seeing and enjoying the results of our hard work and meeting up with everyone that has participated to the journey so far.”

All of the PPMA team are really looking forward to seeing you in Newcastle Gateshead and wish you a fabulous experience.

Dear PPMA colleagues and friends.

It’s only 11 working days to go #PPMAHR18 Tomorrow’s Talent event.

As well as our Tomorrow’s Talent events with Manpower, this year’s Peer into the Future cohort are undertaking their final module at Hilton Bottlebank.  This year’s programme has been another huge success and we are looking forward to finding our who this years ‘Peer of the Year’ at our Annual Gala Dinner.  We thank Penna again for their huge contribution in delivering this key PPMA Talent Development programme.

We’re also welcoming all of our delegates to our pre-conference social at Lanes7 in Newcastle.  If you are a delegate and have not yet received your invitation from the Guardian Events team, please let us know on conference2018@ppma.org.uk and we will follow up for you.

Come back each day to our conference countdown to find out more about our plans.

We’re so excited about our agenda this year.  Fab speakers, sponsors and a humanoid to look forward to…

Hello PPMA members and friends

This is the third in our series of posts from participants of the HR Rising Star and The One to Watch competition and we hear from Matthew Burrows, HR Support Assistant, Serco Local & Regional Government. Matthew is our One to Watch winner and he answers some questions for us on his experience.

Who you are and what you do:
I currently spend most of my time working in operational HR. It is mainly an administrative function, overseeing the new starters, changes to contract and leavers processes. I also have a hand in administrating the recruitment process for local authority schools, and do some work on KPI reporting from our HRIS.

Why do you work in public service:
I work for the service provider to Lincolnshire County Council. I decided to make this move as Lincolnshire County Council wanted to be a forerunner for this business model, and I was excited to be part of a period of change, especially as a new company had won the contract a few months before I joined. It is challenging but rewarding, and allows me to work closely with colleagues for the betterment of public services.

How did you feel about participating in Rising Stars/ The One to Watch:
Spending two days in a room with so many exciting, dedicated and talented people was the best professional experience of my life. The great coaching, coupled with the insight of my peers and the judges has completely refreshed my perspective. The growth that occurred over two days in Leeds cannot be understated and I continue to be grateful for the opportunities I have to express myself professionally.

What did you learn about yourself from participating in the event:
The most important thing I learned about myself was that I belong in that arena. Finding the confidence and courage to deliver on that kind of stage was a big deal for me, because I wasn’t sure if I had “it”. Now I know that I do have “it”, and that confidence has already been a springboard to success.

Matthew Burrows, HR Support Assistant, Serco Local & Regional Government and PPMA The One to Watch winner

Hello PPMA Members and friends

Our Annual Conference is just around the corner and we’re delighted to share with you the latest press release all about an exciting event to be held there called Tomorrow’s Talent.

“In advance of the Public Services People Managers Association (PPMA) conference which is being held for the first time in Newcastle-Gateshead on 19th and 20th April 2018, PPMA and key partners are delighted to announce a special pre-conference employability event for local college students on Wednesday 18th April.

PPMA is the first choice association for HR & OD professionals across Public Services. A key focus for the association is the development of young talent. We recognise that, in spite of current perceptions about careers in public service, the reality is these careers have the capacity to be varied, challenging, interesting and profoundly fulfilling.  Public perceptions of what it is like to be a public servant remain very different from the reality.

PPMA has teamed with a long-standing sponsor and supporter, ManpowerGroup to bring an inspiring event to the region, that provides young people with the opportunity to participate in a range of career-focused activities. Called ‘Tomorrow’s Talent’, two half day workshops will involve talking to young people about what they want from careers; hear from employers about what they can offer; participating in interview panels and receiving interview coaching.  Employer representatives from across the region and wider public service sector, will also learn from working with and hearing from young people about their hopes as they ready themselves their employment journey

Karen Grave, PPMA Vice President 2017/18 and President Elect 2018/19 says “We should all be concerned with things don’t go well in public sector.  However in my experience, there are some incredible people working in really challenging circumstances who demonstrate the best of us.  They are creative, committed, passionate, innovative, focused and care deeply about delivering services that make our country a better place.  Young people have a profound contribution to make to public service and as incoming President I am deeply committed to doing what I can to promote and encourage their interest in a career in public service”.

Nick Heckscher, ManpowerGroup Operations Director says, “We are excited to be bringing Tomorrow’s Talent to Newcastle and Gateshead Colleges. We know how important it is for students to explore the world of work in advance of commencing their job search. We have also learned that our Tomorrow’s Talent format gives them a unique insight into both interviewing and being interviewed! We are committed to maximising the chances of young people to develop into the public-sector leaders of tomorrow and working with employers in this sector to better understand how to unleash the talent of the next generation.”

Working with colleagues at Gateshead and Newcastle Colleges, PPMA and ManpowerGroup will host a morning and afternoon session.  In total we are thrilled to be welcoming 50 students from the colleges and 20 employer representatives – some of whom are local, some of whom are travelling from across the country to be at the event and conference.

In addition to ‘Tomorrow’s Talent’, other students from the colleges will take part in project-based work designed to support the conference while maximising employment opportunities.

Nadine Hudspeth, Director Marketing & Communications at Gateshead College says “Giving our students the employment edge and a head start in the jobs market is our number one priority. We are really grateful for this brilliant opportunity from PPMA and Manpower which will give our students really valuable experience of the interview and recruitment process and will also inspire them to think about the huge range of job opportunities which exist in the public sector.”

Lisa Hoseason, Director of School – Health, Childcare, Business and Science at Newcastle College, says “Providing our learners with opportunities to work with and learn from local employers to develop their skills and knowledge is key to unlocking their potential. It helps to ensure they develop the work-ready skills required to progress into employment and raise their aspirations. We are delighted to be able to participate in this fantastic event”.

PPMA will be producing a series of blogs about this event and will be publishing them on our website www.ppma.org.uk post conference.  If you would like any additional information about the event please contact admin@ppma.org.uk in the first instance.”

Hello PPMA members and friends

Lisa Rathbone from Swindon Borough Council is our 2018 HR Rising Star winner and in the second of our series of posts from participants of both the HR Rising Star and The One to Watch, she shares more about her working life and her experience of taking part in this brilliant competition.

What you do?

I’m Lisa Rathbone – a Learning and Development Consultant at Swindon Borough Council.  I love my role because we get involved in so many diverse projects and there are always new challenges!

 Why do you work in public service?

For me, it’s all about working together to improve outcomes for our residents, particularly supporting those who are the most vulnerable.  Through enabling and empowering our employees, I feel I have a tiny part to play in the amazing work of all our staff who strive every day to transform people’s lives – that’s incredibly special.

How did you feel about participating in Rising Stars?

It was a fantastic experience!  It was really inspiring to work with so many talented professionals and share ideas.  I was a bit nervous before, but everyone was supportive and cheering each other on, which made it great fun!

What did you learn about yourself from participating in the event?

Gosh, where to start?!  I’ve never shared before what personally drives me, so presenting my legacy statement to a room full of people was quite emotional.  Through that experience, I’m learning the power of owning your own story and harnessing that passion to create positive change – and I’m discovering that I’m ready now to take that step, which feels so liberating.  This is just the beginning of that journey!

Here is my Personal Legacy Statement

Voice… we all have one, but some are quieter than others – and some are barely heard at all…

I’d like to leave a legacy of listening, so that all service user and employee voices can be heard.  This empowerment will harness new ideas, galvanise energy and transform our public services.  I’d like to see organisations turned on their heads, so that change is driven by the people it will affect most.  This starts at the foundations by ensuring service users have a voice in decision making and that employees can influence strategy and direction, based on this service user insight.  Radical change will come from the bottom-up.

Numerous studies have outlined the positive benefits of service user and employee voice; however it is about so much more than that.  When I was younger, I was in receipt of specialist services where I felt I didn’t have a say in key decisions impacting my life.  I felt my insights didn’t matter; my opinions didn’t matter; I didn’t matter.  Voice is not just about business-sense, it is about respect, self-worth and sharing hope for a more positive future.

Truly valuing service user and employee voices would require a significant shift in leadership culture – our leaders need to be brave and humble.  Re-balancing power and challenging hierarchies is uncomfortable, but essential to ensure our public services are efficient, responsive and fit for the future.

My legacy will be a legacy of listening.

Their voices will be my legacy.

Lisa is a well deserved winner and we wish her a fantastic year ahead!

Lisa Rathbone, PPMA HR Rising Star 2018 and Learning and Development Consultant, Swindon Borough Council

Hello PPMA members and friends

The PPMA Rising Star and The One to Watch programmes took place recently, with the final being held over 2 days in Leeds. It was fantastic event and the wonderful group of talented people, enjoyed a variety of activities. Over the next few weeks we are going to be running a series of blog posts from some of the participants about their experiences.  In this first post, we hear from Keeley Metcalfe who was our Rising Star runner up.

“Earlier this week someone asked me if I consider myself to be an introvert or an extrovert. This question was raised because I was describing how I love my own space, taking time to relax in my own company and ‘switch off’ after a busy day at work. My colleague proposed that I was an introvert due to my love of solitude, but my thoughts immediately sprung to a recent situation at the PPMA HR ‘Rising Star’ competition where I clearly described traits of an extrovert. At the PPMA event we were tasked to work in a small group to produce and deliver a 5 minute ‘Children’s TV advert’ incorporating singing and dancing, with 20 minutes preparation. We had just met our group colleagues in the previous hour, so there was a need to communicate quickly, sing, dance and get on with it! Realising that we had to leave our inhibitions behind I suggested that we leave the meeting room to prepare and practice in the hotel lobby. My view being that if we can dance and sing in a public hotel reception area, we can certainly present to a group of 25 people who we had just met.

In short our group developed and delivered our tv advert for a toy called a ‘Flubberwotsit’, a tropical bird toy who has a ‘Great big beak and stompy feet’. Hopefully you can start to imagine the singing and dancing element….

Reflecting on my participation in the activity, I clearly displayed some of the traits of an extrovert; quickly problem solving through discussion, taking a shared leadership role, getting stuck in and not being concerned about what others thought (mostly those in the hotel reception who saw 4 people imitating a tropical Flubberwotsit’).

In summary, I think I am somewhere ‘in-between’ an introvert and an extrovert, it doesn’t really matter. I believe that what is more important is to have an ability to reflect on things you have done and how you behaved, assessing if you would do things differently next time. This helps personal development and learning and raises our own self-awareness, an essential skill in the world of HR. The PPMA Rising Star competition placed us in a variety of challenging situations to test our knowledge and skills. It’s a great opportunity to reflect on our own approach and to help us to learn about our reactions and recognise development needs.”

Keeley Metcalfe, Senior HR Adviser, North Yorkshire County Council

Dear PPMA colleagues and friends.

So it’s that time of the year again where we gather and announce our PPMA Annual Excellence in People Management Awards shortlists!  Sponsors, Judges, PPMA Policy Board members and entrants gathered at The Guardian Offices in London to hear who had been shortlisted.

It’s always an important time for reflection and acknowledgment for all the great work being done by HR & OD professionals.  Karen, our VP commented on how thrilled PPMA Policy Board was to see the range of entries this year and how inspiring it is to see entrants from Local and Central Government, Blue Light and Health.  Our members will learn so much from these organisations – sharing best practice is the quickest – and most cost effective way – for our organisations to learn.

You can see all of the shortlisted entrants in the slide presentation below from the day:

We are so looking forward to seeing all of our shortlisted entrants at our Annual Gala Dinner on Thursday April 19^th at Hilton Gateshead, when the winners will be announced. Please don’t forget to book your dinner places – our booking page is here.  We hope you will also join us for conference itself – we have a fantastic, packed agenda with great speakers.  Check out our conference pages