8915posts
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Nadim’s story: teaching with purpose
From pupil to practitioner, one teacher reflects on returning to the school where he was educated and the profound impact of representation on student aspiration.
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From representation to revolution: Yamina’s fight for equity in education
From classroom teacher to national advocate, this is the story of one educator's journey navigating identity, discrimination, and the transformative power of representation.
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Putting Libraries and Reading at the Heart of Council Priorities
2026 is The National Year of Reading! This UK-wide campaign is designed to inspire more people to make reading a regular part of their lives. Public libraries play a crucial role in promoting reading for pleasure and will continue to …
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Celebrating women in tech: Rama and Elizabeth’s stories
We recently sat down with 2 of our cyber security graduates, Rama and Elizabeth, to hear about their career journeys and experience in the graduate programme at DVLA.
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Landmark for Nature recovery receives the royal seal of approval
By Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England Nature recovery has taken a major step forward this week with the unveiling of one of the country’s most important National Nature Reserves by a long-standing champion of the natural world – His …
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Doing content-first design at Defra – part two
In the second part of their post, content designer Laura Parker and senior interaction designer Daniel Da Silveira show how they used a content-first approach to design features for the Defra form designer.
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Who is eligible for the MenB vaccine and do I need it myself?
Following the recent meningitis outbreak in Kent, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) with NHS England and the government are coordinating a targeted vaccination programme against Meningitis B (MenB). Here is what you need to know about who is eligible, how the vaccine works, and what other protections are …
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KS2 SATs 2026: What parents need to know
SATs help to measure how your child is doing at the end of primary school and make sure they get the right support as they move into secondary school. Here's everything you need to know.
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🛎️ Landlords, here are 6 ways to get yourself ready for new renters’ rights
New private renting rules in England are coming on 1 May 2026. If you’re a landlord, there are some things you need to do to be ready. The tasks are quite simple but need your attention – and if you have a letting agent you may want to speak to them about …
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Seeing them smile makes me smile
We all bring our unique skills and outlook to work, and having a diverse team benefits everyone. This week, for Neurodiversity Celebration Week and World Down’s Syndrome Day, we want you to meet a colleague who is learning, delivering for …
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What to know about the April 2026 updates to inspection of local authority children’s services
Today we published updates to our inspection of local authority children’s services (ILACS) framework. These changes will apply to inspections and visits from 1 April 2026. Removing the overall effectiveness judgement We have carried out our commitment to removing the …
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Forests and the economy: supporting jobs, livelihoods and wellbeing
Naomi Mervin, Head of Economics, Evidence and Analysis at the Forestry Commission, shares how forests contribute to the UK economy, from jobs to our mental health and wellbeing.
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The Importance of Placements in Social Work Education
Practice placements are a core part of qualifying as a social worker. Students must spend at least 200 days in practice over their course. Up to 30 of these days can be allocated to students developing their skills for practice; …
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How Ofsted is putting children known to social care at the heart of education inspections
Children in care are among the most vulnerable in our society. Too often they face significant challenges that can make success harder to achieve. Yet we also know how transformative the right support can be. When schools and colleges get it right, children in …
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The 2026 Capital Grants offer
Through Capital Grants in 2026, £225 million will be available to support farmers, land managers and rural businesses to deliver environmental improvements across England. This post summarises the offer and sets out the steps you can take to prepare before you apply.
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School land transaction: What you need to know before you sell, lease or buy
Ed Lockett, Case Manager in the DfE’s Land Transactions, Estates, Land and Planning Division talks about school land transactions – telling us what they are and the circumstances where you need consent. My team is made up of caseworkers and …
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How women across the UK are powering Government from Places for Growth
This International Women's Day, as we mark the theme of Give To Gain, we want to celebrate something that often goes unsung: the extraordinary contribution of women working across the UK through Places for Growth – and the difference they are …
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Brownies visit the National Space Centre for an an unforgettable space adventure
Over 500 members from units across the Midlands visited the National Space Centre. Thanks to our partnership with the UK Space Agency, we're working to inspire girls to reach for the stars, challenge stereotypes, and know that space and STEM is for everyone.
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Innovation, AI and Social Work Practice
For our fourth blog in celebration of Social Work Week 2026 we welcome Sarah Blackmore who is a registered social worker and the executive director of strategy, policy and engagement at Social Work England (SWE). In this blog, Sarah reflects on …
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And that’s a wrap: Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) Early Adopter phase on large pelagic vessels ends
In May 2024 Defra released the response to the consultation on the wider use of Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) in English waters (Summary of responses and Government response) and started implementing the outlined plan in collaboration with Cefas and the …
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A Champion’s farewell: Celebrating faith, belief and belonging in the Civil Service
Susanna McGibbon reflects on the communities, connections and progress that made her time as Civil Service Faith and Belief Champion one of the greatest honours of her career. I’ve been fortunate to see first-hand the incredible work of our networks …
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Planning for the future: England’s first Land Use Framework
Today the Government has published England’s first ever Land Use Framework, which shows how through smarter planning and the right data and tools communities, farmers, landowners and developers can make informed decisions about land use. In this post, we’ll set out everything you need to know about the framework.
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Meningitis B outbreak: what you need to know
There is currently an outbreak of meningococcal disease (MenB) in Kent. This blog post includes information on MenB and this outbreak, what to do if you are affected and where you can get antibiotics and who is being offered a vaccine.
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GUEST BLOG: Time for change: Defra’s consultation on reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act
Guest blog by Dr Elizabeth Mullineaux, Senior Vice President, British Veterinary Association As a veterinary graduate of the late 1980s, I’m almost the same age as the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 (VSA) and have spent much of my working life …
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Scam text messages claiming to be from Ofsted
We’re aware of a rise in scam text messages claiming to be from Ofsted, so we wanted to reassure you and let you know what you can do if you receive one. We know that receiving these scam messages will …
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What we learned from revisiting a live service
A digital service that works well at launch may not continue to meet users’ needs in the same way years later. So, when we wanted to better understand how our service was being used today and whether it still supports …
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Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship revenue claims are open for 2026
You can now submit your 2026 revenue claim for Countryside Stewardship (CS) or Environmental Stewardship (ES). You have until 11.59pm on 15 May 2026 to submit your claim without reduction. Countryside Stewardship Before you submit your CS claim, please make sure you have updated your land use codes …
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Difference as Strength: Leadership, Identity and Social Work in a Divided Society
Robert Lewis, DHSC Mental Health Social Work Lead in conversation with Fazeela Hafejee, Assistant Director for Adults with Disabilities, Bradford – carried out on 25th February 2026. Introduction by Robert Lewis Ahead of Social Work Week, I invited Fazeela Hafejee …
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Radar 2026: A personal look at the technologies shaping our future
Jan Murdoch reflects on the emerging technologies that Defra is paying most attention to right now and the impacts these could have on policy outcomes. Every year when we pull together our Emerging Technology Radar, I am reminded just how …
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Doing content-first design at Defra – part one
In the first of a two-part post, content designer Laura Parker and senior interaction designer Daniel da Silveira explain how and why they took a content-first approach to creating a form building tool.
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Protecting homes, businesses and communities: our commitment to flood resilience
Flooding is one of the most devastating experiences a community can face. The loss of a home, a business, or simply the sense of safety and security in the place you live leaves a mark that lasts long after the water has receded.
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World Social Work Week 2026
This World Social Work Week, we reflect on a year of significant progress in reforming children's social care — and look ahead to the changes still to come for practitioners, leaders, and the families we serve.
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FETF 2026: apply now for equipment and technology grants
Applications are open for FETF 2026, with £50 million available to help farmers, growers and contractors invest in equipment that improves productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management.
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How data analysis supports better decision-making in the public sector
Read how data analysts can help your team store, understand and share your data.
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Healthy Outdoors: Strengthening the Evidence for Nature Based Health Interventions
By Dave Bell, Principal Officer: Health & the Environment, Natural England As studies continue to show the profound benefits of nature and outdoor activity for public health, the Healthy Outdoors guide has been created to address a critical evidence gap: the need for …
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Transforming local land charges migrations with AI
The development of an AI (artificial intelligence) tool by HM Land Registry's Local Land Charges Programme is dramatically accelerating and enhancing the migration of local authority local land charges records.
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Co-building hope and harmony: a Harambee call to unite a divided society
The theme for World Social Work Day 2026 is Co-building hope and harmony: a Harambee call to unite a divided society. In this blog, the Adults Principal Social Worker Network Chair team share their reflections on this theme. Lucy Rush The 2026 World Social Work Day theme, ‘Co‑building hope and …
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New guidance to support long-term farm business tenancies
The Farm Tenancy Forum has published new guidance to support landlords and tenants considering long-term Farm Business Tenancies. The guidance helps both parties set clear expectations from the outset and will help build strong, productive landlord-tenant relationships.
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UK CertifID: a mark of trust in digital verification services
The Data (Use and Access) Act – among other things – provides a legal footing for what will become the face of the UK’s trusted digital verification ecosystem: the UK CertifID trust mark.
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Using data standards to support people at risk
Identifying and supporting people at risk of poor health, social, or economic outcomes is a complex task. It requires coordination across a range of public sector organisations. Better data standards are essential for identifying people at risk of becoming vulnerable and ensuring they receive the right …