Information for chief people officers in the South West region
We would like to take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to the South West region.
The regional CPO and deputy CPO networks and Social Partnership Forum are established and well-respected peer-led spaces that provide access to learning and sharing of good practice, peer networking, collaborating and creating opportunities to influence national policy and thinking.
This web page will be useful in helping to familiarise yourself with the support that NHS Employers alongside your regional network and regional Social Partnership Forum (SPF) can give you.
You can view a full list of organisations in the South West region on the NHS website.
The network is organised and coordinated by NHS Employers via the national engagement service team.
If you have any outstanding questions, please do contact us and we will be very happy to help.
South West CPO network
The network meets monthly virtually and twice a year in person. It is an important network for chief people officers (CPOs) to connect with peers from across the region. Through these meetings, members can build relationships, exchange insight and experience, and contribute to national workforce policy and thinking.
The South West CPO network focuses on supporting organisations in areas such as supporting the safe and effective adoption of AI tools and technology, improving staff experience and culture, strengthening system wide leadership and supporting national policy developments. The network also helps members align with national workforce priorities and respond collectively to key people agenda challenges across the region.
South West SPF
NHS Employers, through the National Engagement Service, supports and facilitates regional SPFs across the country. These forums bring together employers and trade union partners to strengthen partnership working on workforce issues, shaping and informing policy, promoting good employment practice and providing support of regional and national priorities.
Regional SPFs feed into the national SPF, which supports partnership working and contributes workforce perspectives to national NHS policy development.
In South West, the regional SPF meets five time per year virtually and provides a collaborative space for partners to work together on key workforce priorities. Its focus includes promoting positive partnership working during times of organisational change, collaborative discussion on job evaluation, understanding NHS strategic plans, and the Employment Rights Bill 2025.
Connections with Deputy CPOs in South West
We support deputy CPOs across the region by convening the deputy CPO network, designing, delivering and supporting the peer support network to enable peer connections that encourage the sharing of learning and best practice. This includes supporting understanding and providing opportunities to influence the national people policy agenda and helping to align and make progress on shared regional areas of focus.
