2024 AWARDS WINNERS ANNOUNCED

🌟 Celebrating Excellence: Recap of the People Management Awards 2024🌟

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the BCEC on Thursday, April 25th, for an unforgettable evening filled with celebration, camaraderie, and recognition. The People Management Awards 2024 was a spectacular event, honouring excellence in the field of people management and showcasing the outstanding achievements of our industry peers.

Under the vibrant theme of “A Night at the Circus,” attendees were transported to a world of wonder and excitement. Hosted by the charismatic Shonette Bason Wood, the evening promised thrills, laughter, and plenty of surprises.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and highly commended entries of the People Management Awards 2024. Each recipient demonstrated exemplary dedication, innovation, and leadership in the realm of people management, contributing to the advancement of our industry.

For those eager to delve deeper into the winning entries and discover the judges’ insights, we invite you to download our exclusive Winners Brochure. Packed with detailed information and expert commentary, this brochure offers a comprehensive look at the outstanding achievements recognised during the awards ceremony.

WINNERS BROCHURE

Best Creative Concept Recruitment Campaign – Sponsored by Cornerstone

WINNER: Northumberland County Council

Highly Commended: Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) with Stafford Long

Best Candidate Experience – Sponsored by The MJ

WINNER: London Borough of Sutton Council

Highly Commended: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Best Organisational Development Programme – Sponsored by Oracle

WINNER: Walsall Council

Highly Commended: Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Best Workforce Transformation / Change Initiative – Sponsored by Matrix

WINNER: North West London Pathology

Highly Commended: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Best Health & Wellbeing Initiative – Sponsored by Opus People Solutions

WINNER: Lincolnshire County Council

Highly Commended: Stevenage Borough Council

Highly Commended: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Best Employer & Trade Union / Employee Partnership – Sponsored by MHR Global

WINNER: London Borough of Islington with Trade Union colleagues

Highly Commended: Wigan Council and Trade Union colleagues

Best Learning & Development Award– Sponsored by Commercial Services Group

WINNER: Shropshire Council

Highly Commended: Together for Children, Sunderland

Best Talent Programme– Sponsored by Penna

WINNER: British Transport Police

Highly Commended: London Borough of Sutton

Best Inclusion & Diversity Programme / Initiative – Sponsored by GatenbySanderson

WINNER: Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Highly Commended: Local Government Association (LGA)

Highly Commended: Tendring District Council

Best Partnership / Collaboration – Sponsored by JGA Group

WINNER: Matrix & Hackney Works

Highly Commended: Rochdale Borough Council / Northern Care Alliance & HMR People

Highly Commended: West Midlands Employers in partnership with Opus People Solutions

Public Sector HR & OD Team of the Year– Sponsored by Tribepad

WINNER: Stockport Council, HR & OD Team

Highly Commended: East of England Local Government Association, Employer Service Team

Service Superstar Team Award – Sponsored by Tile Hill

WINNER: Essex County Council, Resourcing Team

A Lifetime of Outstanding Contribution to the Sector 

WINNER: Julie Towers

WINNER: Dave Lawrence

In addition to celebrating the achievements of the year, we had the honor of presenting the prestigious Lifetime of Outstanding Contribution Award to two exceptional individuals: Julie Towers and Dave Lawrence. Julie and Dave have dedicated their careers to the field of people management, embodying the values of excellence, integrity, and mentorship. Their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment have not only shaped the organisations they’ve been a part of but have also inspired countless professionals within our industry. We congratulate Julie and Dave on this well-deserved recognition and thank them for their invaluable contributions to the world of people management.

GOLD AWARD – Our winner or winners! 

GOLD WINNER: North West London Pathology

.

SILVER WINNER: British Transport Police 

SILVER WINNER: Matrix & Hackney Works 

BRONZE WINNER: Shropshire County Council

.

Discover the full list of shortlisted entries, please click on the categories below for a drop down menu.

This award recognises the best creative concept for  a recruitment  campaign which has driven a successful outcome. This can be in print, digital, or events  etc, but should be representative of a whole campaign with  supporting evidence..\

.

Buckinghamshire Council

Durham County Council

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Northumberland County Council

Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) with Stafford Long

Wigan Council

,

Sponsored by Cornerstone

This award recognises the importance and impact of an innovative and inclusive approach to  recruitment and selection for candidates and the organisation.  This could relate to a specific recruitment campaign or reflect the overall approach used by the organisation.

.

London Borough of Sutton Council

Rochdale Borough Council

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Tile Hill

.

Sponsored by The MJ

This award recognises the public sector HR & OD team that has gone above and beyond the day to day work of HR & OD colleagues.  This team will be seen as a role model for excellent practice nationally.

.

East of England Local Government Association, Employer Services Team

oneSource (Havering and Newham Council), Contract Specialist Team

Stockport Council, HR & OD Team

Wigan Council HR & OD Team

.

Sponsored by Tribepad

This award provides an opportunity for public service organisations to share an OD programme which demonstrates improved services for customers and communities through a continuous cycle of improvement – from strategy, through to implementation, outcomes, evaluation and further change.

.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council

Walsall Council

Wigan Council

.

Sponsored by Oracle

This award provides an excellent opportunity for public service organisations to shine a light on their achievements and demonstrate how  they have engaged and managed their workforces through major service transformation and delivered unique and improved services for customers and local communities, whilst at the same time providing a richer work experience for employees.

.

Bury Council

North West London Pathology

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

.

Sponsored by Matrix

Entrants in this award will be able to show evidence of a health, safety and/or wellbeing initiative that has significantly impacted the engagement, commitment, health and wellbeing of the workforce through the adoption of creative and innovative interventions.

.

Breckland District Council

Lincolnshire County Council

London Borough Waltham Forest Council

Northumberland County Council

Stevenage Borough Council

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

.

Sponsored by Opus People Solutions

.

This award recognises the importance of effective and respectful partnerships with trade unions and employee groups across the public sector. It provides an opportunity to demonstrate how such meaningful partnerships can achieve sustained improvements for the workforce, the organisation and the communities we serve.

.

East of England Local Government Association, Employer Services Team

London Borough of Islington (with trade union colleagues)

Together for Children, Sunderland and UNISON

Wigan Council (and Trade Union colleagues)

.

Sponsored by MHR Global

This award recognises the importance of learning and development and the contribution it  can make to  service delivery as well as enhancing the skills, experience and approach of individuals, teams and the wider workforce.

.

Acivico Group

PwC

Rochdale Borough Council

Shropshire Council

Together for Children, Sunderland

.

Sponsored by Commercial Services Group

Skills shortages have been identified as a concern by all parts of the public sector as well as at the highest level of government, and the  exit from the EU means that more than ever before, organisations need to identify and develop their talent, enhancing internal mobility and capability.

This award recognises employers who are seeking to address this challenge by implementing a future-fit, evidence based and ethical talent management strategies to address current and future needs of their organisation.

.

Breckland District Council

British Transport Police

Essex County Council

London Borough of Sutton

Northumberland County Council

Tendring District Council

. 

Sponsored by Penna

This award is open to an organisation or a partnership presenting evidence of a diverse and inclusive culture that permeates the workforce and/or the broader local area.

The submission could demonstrate the organisation’s attempts to foster a more diverse and inclusive workplace for all employees, and members, and describe how this is helping to attract and retain talent.

It could include internal initiatives to promote a wide range of careers on the organisation to appeal to different people. The entry could alternatively focus more on the broader local area, highlighting initiatives to foster diversity and help facilitate inclusion across the local community.

It may include how your organisation has worked with other businesses and other organisations to improve opportunity or participation. It could look at engagement.

.

Leicester City Council

Local Government Association (LGA)

London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Tendring District Council

Together for Children, Sunderland

.

Sponsored by GatenbySanderson 

This award is open to two or more public sector or public / private sector bodies working together. As public services seek to provide more seamless, efficient and integrated service and systemic leadership they are increasingly working with other public sector bodies across traditional organisational boundaries. This award is open to partnerships centred around either the joint work of two or more public / private sector or around the joint work of several organisations collaborating together.

.

AVC Wise and Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

East of England Local Government Association, South West Councils and the LGA

Matrix & Hackney Works

PeopleScout & National Highways

Rochdale Borough Council/ Northern Care Alliance & HMR People

West Midlands Employers in Partnership with Opus People Solutions

.

Sponsored by JGA Group

A significant aspect of any HR/OD team are the operational heroes who impact upon the lives of every employee of their organisations each and everyday These essential services make and break the reputations of any HR/OD service and we want to celebrate the best of the best! There are two awards in this category – one for a team and one for an individual.

.

Essex County Council

Swindon Borough Council

.

Sponsored by Tile Hill

This is a special award which PPMA have introduced for this year, this esteemed honour is reserved for an exceptional individual whose lifelong dedication has made a profound and enduring impact on the sector. Join us on the evening of April 25th as we reveal and celebrate the recipient of this prestigious award.

Awarded to the best overall winner, the winner of this award will be selected from all of the categories winners and will be announced at the awards evening on 25th April.

Explore the Highlights

To relive the excitement of the evening, please check the full gallery of images from the event and our highlights video, below. We’re excited to share these memories with you and hope they serve as a wonderful reminder of the incredible moments we shared together.

AWARDS PHOTO GALLERY

Charity Raffle for SHiFT:

This year, our incoming president chose SHiFT as the beneficiary of our charity raffle. SHiFT is on a mission to break the destructive cycle for children and young people caught up in, or at risk of, crime. By transforming both policy and practice, they aim to redefine how young people in these circumstances are seen and supported.

SHiFT utilises the Breaking Cycles approach, pioneered by Co-Founder Sophie Humphreys OBE, to scale high-impact Practices across the UK. These Practices are dynamic, evidence-based methods dedicated to enabling change.

Focused on the children and young people who keep professionals awake at night—those caught up in or at risk of cycles of crime—SHiFT Practices are designed to make a real impact. Unconstrained by age, geography, or professional boundaries, SHiFT starts with an unwavering belief in all young people. Our commitment involves intense, long-term support aimed at guiding them toward a path of success, ensuring that their situations improve significantly www.shiftuk.org

Thank you:

A special thank you goes out to those who generously donated raffle prizes, which added an extra element of excitement to the evening. Your support and generosity are deeply appreciated.

We are thrilled to announce that, thanks to the generosity of those who donates prizes and delegates, we raised just over £1,600 for ShiFT. Your willingness to dig deep and contribute to this cause speaks volumes about the compassion and generosity within our community. Your support will make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who benefit from ShiFT’s important work.