In this guest blog, Christine Jacobs, People Profession Map Project Manager at the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust, shows how the ambulance sector has embedded the NHS People Profession Map, in close alignment with the CIPD Profession Map.
The NHS People Profession Map has become the national benchmark for excellence in HR and organisational development across the NHS. Developed jointly by NHS England and the CIPD, it sets out the knowledge, behaviours and specialist expertise needed to deliver high‑quality people services at every level. It aligns closely with the CIPD Profession Map, but is shaped specifically for the NHS context, a system that is complex, fast‑moving and deeply people‑centred.
Over the last year, the ambulance sector has taken a coordinated, sector‑led approach to embedding the NHS People Profession Map. This has created a shared language, a clearer sense of professional identity and a strong foundation for future workforce development.
The rollout has been practical, collaborative and focused on building confidence across all 10 ambulance Trusts in England. Key elements included:
Every ambulance Trust is now fully onboarded, with self‑assessment completion rates exceeding expectations. This has created a rich dataset of strengths, gaps and emerging themes across the profession.
Individual impact
For many HR professionals, the map has provided clarity about their current capability, a stronger sense of career direction and greater confidence in how their work contributes to organisational outcomes. Colleagues describe feeling more credible, more connected, engaged and more aware of their professional identity.
Trust-level impact
Trusts now have access to robust, consistent data that supports evidence‑based workforce planning, targeted development priorities, better investment decisions and stronger conversations with leadership. The work was recently showcased at the Association for Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) Ambulance Leadership Forum, helping position people development as a strategic priority across the sector.
System-level impact
At national level, the programme has informed NHS England’s work on future ways of working for HR, capability requirements for the profession and national workforce planning. The ambulance sector has shown that a shared framework can be implemented at scale while still allowing local ownership and flexibility.
The programme demonstrates the power of a professional framework when it’s embedded consistently, supported by high‑quality data and used to shape development and decision‑making.
It reinforces the value of the CIPD Profession Map as a foundation for standards, credibility and shared language. It also highlights the growing importance of accreditation, evidence‑based development and strategic influence, not only in the NHS, but across all sectors.
The next phase, endorsed by the national HR Directors group, focuses on supporting all ambulance Trusts to progress their directorate development plans. This includes work on:
Momentum is already building, with early progress at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, South East Coast and London. Dawn Chilcott, Assistant Director of OD and Culture at South East Coast Ambulance Service, has been a leading force in championing the progression of the map and development for the profession. Dawn is a great example of the talent this joined-up approach is helping to celebrate, and she has endorsed increased CIPD membership to strengthen credibility and consistency.
The ambulance sector’s experience shows what’s possible when a profession unites around a shared standard and a collective ambition to raise the bar.
With national alignment, sector leadership and individual ownership, the sector is building a future‑ready HR profession that is confident, credible and ready for the challenges ahead.