The British Transport Police is proud to be the first police force in the UK to achieve CIPD People Development Partner (PDP) status, recognising our sustained commitment to strengthening our People & Culture function and ensuring the highest professional standards across our organisation.
Why BTP Invested in This Partnership
As the national specialist police force for the railway across England, Scotland and Wales, our people are central to delivering safe, effective and trusted policing services.
Historically, support functions such as HR did not always have the same strategic visibility or profile as frontline policing roles. To build a modern, future‑ready workforce, we identified the need to:
- Strengthen the credibility and influence of our People & Culture professionals
- Establish a consistent, evidence‑based standard of people practice
- Build capability to support both operational and organisational strategy
- Equip our people specialists to act as trusted advisers across the force
What BTP Set Out to Improve
Prior to working with CIPD, our People teams faced several challenges:
- Inconsistent access to learning and development
- Limited clarity around expected professional standards and behaviours
- Varied confidence and influence across HR roles
- A need for a unified professional framework that matched the complexity of policing
We recognised that to better support our officers, staff and volunteers, we needed a strong, well‑developed People function operating to recognised professional standards.
What the Partnership Delivered
Through our partnership with CIPD, BTP has:
- Benchmarked its People & Culture function against internationally recognised standards
- Developed targeted learning programmes using CIPD insight tools
- Embedded evidence‑based practice into day‑to‑day decision‑making
- Built structured pathways for accreditation and professional growth
- Strengthened the capability, confidence and strategic influence of HR professionals
This development has supported a shift towards a more proactive and strategically aligned People function.
The Impact on BTP
Achieving CIPD People Development Partner status demonstrates BTP’s commitment to:
- Professionalising and developing our People & Culture teams
- Embedding world‑class people practices aligned to the CIPD Profession Map
- Investing in continuous development across the organisation
- Building a resilient, skilled and future‑focused workforce
The improvements made as part of this partnership directly support our ability to provide high‑quality policing to Britain’s rail networks by ensuring our people receive the professional support they need to succeed.
Summary for the BTP Careers Blog
Becoming a CIPD People Development Partner reflects BTP’s commitment to developing our people and ensuring our People & Culture teams operate to the highest professional standards. Strengthening our internal capability directly enhances the support we provide to our frontline officers, staff and volunteers, contributing to safer journeys and a more effective police service.
Read the full article on the CIPD website:
https://www.cipd.org/uk/organisations/people-development-partners/british-transport-police-partners-with-cipd-people-development-partner/
