Croydon's commitment to developing its HR function has made it the first English local authority to achieve CIPD People Development Partner status
Croydon Council has become the first English local authority to achieve CIPD People Development Partner (PDP) status – in recognition of its ongoing commitment to developing its people function.
Over the last six years, Croydon Council has faced significant financial and reputational challenges, set against a backdrop of rising demand for public services and sector-wide underfunding. The organisation is now focused on its improvement journey, looking at how it can secure a sustainable financial footing by embarking on one of the biggest transformation programmes in local government.
Recognising that meaningful transformation couldn’t happen without its people, the council partnered with the CIPD to redesign its HR function to best support the council and its people.
In 2022, the council launched a People and Cultural Transformation Strategy designed to make it a great place to work, where the culture reflects the diverse communities it serves.
Croydon’s chief people officer, Dean Shoesmith, turned to the CIPD in 2024 to help shape and guide the ongoing transformation. Using the CIPD’s Development Insight Tool, we supported them to run a data-led review of learning needs across the entire HR function. This led to the design of a tailored HR business partner development programme.
Our Development Insights Tool assesses the knowledge, behaviours and impact of individuals and teams. Mapped against the CIPD Profession Map, it provides a clear, evidence-based assessment of strengths and priority development areas. This includes personalised recommendations, heatmaps and the ability to benchmark against CIPD standards.
“Croydon recognised that the only way forward was to build the capability of the workforce they already had, starting with their HR and OD teams.”
The programme has been delivered to several cohorts and has already been linked to positive change. Over 80% of participants reported increased confidence in operating strategically and influencing senior decision-making. HR teams are also gaining enhanced skills in using data to inform workforce planning, and there’s a deeper understanding of roles, responsibilities and accountability across the function.
In recognition of this progress, Croydon became the first English council to achieve CIPD PDP status, formally acknowledging its commitment to aligning professional development with our globally recognised standards.
PDP status is awarded to organisations that demonstrate a strategic, long-term commitment to developing their people professionals. It signals an organisation’s dedication to continuous improvement, capability building and adopting HR practices that are principles-led, evidence-based and outcomes-driven.
“The CIPD’s insight was invaluable. It helped us take a step back and reflect and give our teams the tools they need to rise to the challenges ahead.”
Signs of improvement are already visible. The council reported improvements across all nine areas of its 2025 Investors in People survey, including employee engagement, change management and co-creation. A new enterprise resource planning system is also delivering cost savings, while AI-driven tools are improving recruitment and freeing up HR capacity.
Looking ahead, the people team aims to strengthen its analytical capabilities and ensure people metrics are as central to decision-making as finance or operations. Discussions are already underway for a second phase, with the CIPD continuing to serve as a strategic partner.
Strategic support from the CIPD helps Croydon Council lay the groundwork for a more influential, data-driven people function.
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