NHS National Services Scotland becomes first organisation headquartered and operating wholly in Scotland to achieve esteemed HR recognition

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) has become the first organisation headquartered and operating wholly in Scotland to be awarded the prestigious People Development Partner status (PDP) by the CIPD for its commitment to developing its HR team.

PDP status is awarded by the CIPD – the professional body for HR and people development – to organisations that demonstrate significant commitment to building the skills and capabilities of their HR team, to better support the needs of the wider workforce.

NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) provides strategic support services to NHS Scotland. Its 100-strong HR and Organisational Development (OD) team supports both the NSS as well as Public Health Scotland - through a wide range of workplace initiatives and HR services. These include recruitment, occupational health, wellbeing and workforce planning. 

To achieve PDP status, the CIPD collaborated with National Services Scotland to strengthen the capability and impact of its HR team. Staff voice was central to co-creating a development plan to help shape a more efficient, user-centric HR function capable of responding to future workforce challenges.

To inform the plan, the CIPD identified gaps in the HR team’s knowledge, skills and core behaviours, enabling them to enhance their expertise through targeted learning and development tailored to their individual needs.

Today, around 50% of the organisation’s HR and Organisational Development team hold CIPD membership, with the remainder undertaking structured personal development to achieve relevant qualifications and strengthen their professional capability.  

NHS National Services Scotland has also invested in the CIPD’s Development Insights Tool, which provides data-led insights, to support its people professionals in meeting future organisational and development needs. These insights have guided targeted training, including the effective use of digital tools, systems, and data to further enhance working practices across the people team.

To mark this achievement – and commitment to continuous improvement – senior HR leaders from NHS National Services Scotland and the CIPD attended an official signing and presentation ceremony and a certificate handover.

Peter Cheese, chief executive of the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, said: 

 "Like many organisations, NHS National Services Scotland faces ongoing service pressures, evolving workforce expectations, skills shortages, and the need to drive long-term sustainability. This places high demands on its people team, including how staff are recruited, developed, and supported.

“We are delighted to support them on their journey to create a more strategic, future-focused HR function that will enable them to adapt to future workforce challenges. We congratulate them on becoming the first organisation headquartered and operating wholly in Scotland to achieve CIPD People Development Partner status. It’s a great recognition of their commitment to professionalism across their people team.”

Serena Barnatt, Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at NHS National Services Scotland adds: 

“The people team behind National Services Scotland support one of Scotland’s largest workforces, so we are proud to be recognised for investing heavily in our HR and Organisational Development (OD) professionals.

“Achieving CIPD People Development Partner status is an important recognition of our commitment to continuous improvement and ensuring our HR and OD professionals have the capabilities and skill set to support all our people, which in turn will help enhance our performance and productivity.

“We hope this achievement inspires other public sector organisations to prioritise professional development and recognise the vital role that strong HR and people functions play in delivering positive and sustainable change for both the organisation and its people.”

Other leading organisations to have achieved the CIPD’s People Development Partner status include the Ministry of Defence, the NHS in England, Network Rail, Tesco, the Ministry of Justice and, most recently, Northern Ireland Civil Service.