8222posts
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Latest statement in response to small boat crossings
A Home Office spokesperson said: "The number of small boat crossings are shameful and the British people deserve better. “This Government is taking action. We have detained and removed more than 35,000 who were here illegally, and our historic deal …
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What does the future of planning look like to you?
With Planning We Can! This World Town Planning Day, hear how Planning Inspectorate colleagues are building fairer, more sustainable communities—and how you could help shape planning's future.
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Building Inclusive Safeguarding Workplaces
Le'Siran Edwards reflects on the journey from experiencing workplace racism to founding a national movement. The Black & Diverse Safeguarding Professionals Conference now brings together practitioners across the sector to share workplace experiences and build collective approaches to inclusion.
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A message from FSA CEO Katie Pettifer
Cymraeg CIEH Wales Conference: Embracing change, empowering environmental health I'm constantly inspired by the dedication of environmental health professionals—people who quietly and consistently keep our communities safe. So, I was pleased to speak at the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health’s …
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How Governors Can Support Effective Pupil Premium Strategies in Schools
Governing boards play a crucial role in pupil premium accountability, challenging senior leaders on strategy, and monitoring how schools spend their grant. Discover how a link governor supports effective use of this funding.
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Sourcing the stack for local government technology
The blueprint is a bold vision for the public sector, and delivering it for councils starts by understanding the ingredients of a local government technology stack.
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Widespread reaction to social housing and brownfield funding
There has been widespread national and regional coverage about our announcement today setting out further details of the historic £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme as well as freeing up £150 million from the Brownfield Housing Fund. Coverage across …
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Introducing the GFiE Pathway to STEM
This National STEM Day (8th November), we’re proud to spotlight an exciting new initiative: Pathways to STEM, a Civil Service recruitment pathway accredited under Going Forward into Employment (GFiE). The pathways purpose is to create structured routes into Science, Technology, …
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UK Leads Global Earth Observation as CEOS Chair in 2025
The United Kingdom has concluded its tenure as Chair of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), marking a transformative year for the global Earth observation (EO) community.
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The role of data on school and further education inspections
This week we released information sets to schools, further education providers and inspectors that help frame our inspection activity. These are called the Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) for schools and Further Education and Skills Inspection Tool (FESIT) for further …
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Sign up for UK NSC online seminar on assessing screening programme effectiveness
The UK NSC is holding its next seminar on 1 December, looking at how to assess the effectiveness of screening programmes.
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EMS (Extra Mural Studies) week for Vet students
Engaging with the veterinary community is vital in helping to promote the roles of Official Veterinarians (OVs) in the FSA as an attractive career path, so we do lots of work on this and the FSA EMS offer is an …
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Going Dutch to strengthen international collaboration on screening challenges and opportunities
Members of the UK NSC Secretariat joined experts from the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway, and the Republic of Ireland at the latest Nordic Screening Network meeting.
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Be the difference: Why every civil servant should consider charity trusteeship
As civil servants, we dedicate our careers to public service, working tirelessly to improve lives and strengthen communities across the UK. But did you know there's another way to show your impact – one that could enrich your career whilst …
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How Companies House is helping businesses prepare for identity verification
From 18 November 2025, identity verification with Companies House becomes a legal requirement. Find out how we're helping businesses to prepare.
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Introducing the Mayoral Data Council: making data work for devolution
The new Mayoral Data Council (MDC) brings together senior data leaders from England’s Mayoral Strategic Authorities. As powers shift from Whitehall to local communities, the MDC ensures local government has a strong voice in national data initiatives, turning insight into impact for communities across England.
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Blue Skies Space to launch Mauve satellite, demonstrating a new model for delivering space science data
Blue Skies Space, a UK-based company, is gearing up to launch its first science satellite, Mauve, aboard SpaceX’s Transporter-15 in November 2025. This innovative small satellite will observe stars in the near-ultraviolet and visible spectrum, providing valuable new insights into stellar activity and its impact on surrounding planetary systems.
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Using AI sustainably: how Defra’s Action Finder tool has shown a net positive impact is possible
Two Defra product managers talk about a recent project exploring sustainable AI development and its potential to reduce the impact our digital services have on the world around us.
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Patterns for the global public sector
Designers Andrew Knight and Nicolás Rebolledo reveal the potential of patterns from the Public Design Conference.
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Meet the first organisations piloting Nature Investment Standards
Protecting and restoring nature in the UK needs both public funding and private investment. As nature markets have emerged – selling everything from carbon credits generated by peatland restoration to biodiversity credits from creating new habitats – we've realised something crucial: people need to trust what they're buying. That's why we partnered with BSI to …
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Environment Agency and Fire and Rescue Services strengthen partnership to tackle illegal waste burning
Examples of how the Environment Agency and Fire and Rescue Services are working together, locally and nationally to prevent and tackle illegal waste burning.
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Research software engineers in action
Why the Research Software Engineering conference matters for government By Dimitrios Theodorakis, Scientific Software Engineer and Pierre Siddall, Foundation Scientific Software Engineer, Met Office Following Research Software Engineering Day on 9 October, and our professional societies conference in September, we reflect on the vital role research software engineers (RSEs) play in government and the power of collaboration with partners. Who are research software engineers? Research software engineers like us combine professional software engineering …
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Growing Britain's future: investing in tree planting to restore nature and unlock growth
Today (Wednesday 5 November), the government announced the creation of the second of three new national forests in the Oxford-Cambridge corridor. Read this blog post to find out more.
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New proposals for sustainable scallop fishing in Welsh waters
Share your views on proposed changes to Welsh zone scallop management. Help shape a sustainable future. Have your say today!
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Our renewed inspection framework: what we’ve learned from pilots
Since September, we’ve carried out pilot inspections in 115 schools and taken time to carefully review the findings. Overall, feedback on the renewed framework has continued to be really encouraging. Many providers described the toolkit and methodology as a positive …
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What are valid certificates under the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework?
You need to have a valid certificate if you want to prove your service conforms with the UK digital identity and attributes trust framework, and want to apply to be listed on the GOV.UK register of services.
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What you need to know about the changes to the National Curriculum
A major review of the curriculum – what children learn at school – and the qualifications and assessment system has just been published, and the government is making changes based on what it found.
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Sparking innovation
Bonfire Night is one of our favourite autumn traditions. But as dazzling as they are, safety is key - and Intellectual property (IP) is at the forefront of this. In this blog, we share the IP that helps make fireworks night both dazzling and safe, and our top tips to make sure you know what …
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Increasing science and engineering capability across government
Dame Angela McLean, Government Chief Scientific Adviser, explores how the Government Science and Engineering Profession is embedding scientific expertise across government to improve policymaking and public services.
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Geography in the United Nations - it's not just about where things are
Discover how the UK’s geospatial experts are shaping global policy at the UN, tackling challenges from climate action to governance. Melanie Hutchinson, International Geospatial Lead in GDS, shares insights from her secondment in New York, revealing the impact and importance …
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Helping schools find better banking options: a simple approach to saving money
Managing a school's finances effectively has never been more important. With a focus on getting maximum value for money to best deliver for children, we want to make sure schools have the best possible tools and information to make informed …
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“Must” and “could” in the trust framework and whether the rules apply to your service
If a Part or Section in the trust framework applies to your role, then all of the rules in that Part or Section apply to your service. Your service must conform with all of the “must” rules, and service providers can choose whether or not to implement any “could” rules.
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Transforming our caseworking system to improve outcomes for our users
In line with our ‘Digital First’ agenda, we’ve modernised the Home Office caseworking process by digitising the customer journey through greater automation and better system integration.
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UK NSC announces engagement event for organisations developing novel cervical screening tests
The UK National Screening Committee is hosting a roundtable information-sharing event on new technologies relating to cervical screening tests.
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Biosecurity without borders: APHA’s global impact
Through global partnerships like Ghana, APHA Weybridge drives One Health progress by sharing expertise, building capacity, and strengthening biosecurity against zoonotic threats worldwide.
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From apprentice to forester: a pioneering cohort’s journey
Gareth Biggins, former apprentice and now Forest Officer at the Forest of Marston Vale Community Forest, reflects on his experiences as part of the first ever cohort on the Forestry Commission’s Professional Forester Degree Apprenticeship.
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How the AI Airlock is charting a path for regulating AI in healthcare through sandboxes
When I think of adventurers and explorers, space exploration comes to mind. The courage to step into the unknown, to test the limits of what’s possible, and to bring back knowledge that advances the understanding of the collective. Regulation isn’t …
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Standing Firm in Power and Pride
I am a Black woman of Jamaican heritage, born and raised in London. My parents instilled in me the values of dignity, honesty, and compassion. They taught me to stand up for myself and for others. My father had a …
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What is meningitis? Symptoms, risks and how to protect yourself
Meningitis is a serious condition where the protective layers (meninges) around the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. It has many causes, such as different germs, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. In the UK, most cases are due to bacteria or viruses. Some of the bacteria that cause meningitis can also lead to septicaemia (blood …
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How the government is tackling corridor care
The government’s position on corridor care is below: Health Minister Karin Smyth said: “No one should receive care in a corridor - it’s unacceptable, undignified and we are determined to end it. “To tackle a problem you’ve got to be …