7368posts
-
Thinking of a career change? Switch to be a Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) professional
Four professionals reflect on how and why they changed career path and share top tips for making the switch
-
Evaluation: the icing on the cake?
Why evaluation is an inseparable ingredient of great policy making. You may sometimes hear evaluation described as the ‘icing on the cake’. Some might say it is a ‘nice to have.’ In other words, once we’ve announced the shiny new …
-
The MMO ramps up plans to further protect English marine sites
We’ve launched the next stage in our ambitious project to manage all fishing activities and protect valuable marine habitats in England’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by 2024. On 17 January 2023, we launched our Stage 2 formal consultation, to seek …
-
The principles of delegated healthcare
The further embedding of delegated healthcare interventions in the care workforce represents the ongoing initiative to marry social care experience with clinical excellence to deliver enhanced, high quality and consistent care. Deborah Sturdy, Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, and Oonagh Smyth, CEO Skills for Care give an update.
-
'What do I need to do to prepare for my early years inspection?'
We want practitioners to have the confidence and freedom to do what they do every day. Our inspectors are tasked with finding out what it is like for children to attend their setting not just on the day of the inspection but every day. Therefore, we ask providers not to do anything differently just for the inspection.
-
How we ran a discovery for GOV.UK publishing permissions
We’re always looking to improve GOV.UK for users, including government publishers. Here is how we identified some of the next improvements to the publishing experience.
-
British Sign Language Act: Improving how government communicates with the Deaf community
The British Sign Language Act 2022 requires the Government to report how departments in scope are using BSL when communicating with the public about policy and changes to the law.
-
Apply now for the Forestry Apprenticeship 2023
Applications have opened for joining our Forestry Apprenticeship this September. Programme Manager Gareth offers advice for anyone considering applying and looks at how the current apprentices are getting on.
-
Windrush Schemes Factsheet – December 2022
We are determined to put right the terrible injustices faced by some people from the Windrush generation and the wider Commonwealth, which happened under successive governments.
-
Improving drought situation - but the work doesn't stop here
With above average rainfall in the last few months, and precautionary activity by water companies and abstractors, water levels are returning to normal across most of the country. Water storage reservoirs are rapidly refilling, and most river and groundwater levels …
-
A blueprint for a better future: new Green Infrastructure advice
My connection with nature started when I was a small boy, aged 9, sat by a small pond no more than 10 feet across, watching sticklebacks swimming around in the weeds. As I sat there a kingfisher arrived and started …
-
Shauna's journey
Working in the Probation Service can open up a lot of interesting opportunities. We talk to Shauna who joined us as a case administrator and now works in one of our key probation services officer roles. She specialises in working …
-
Edwina Dunn: Reflections from the CDEI Advisory Board
I have long believed in the power of data to make a meaningful difference to people's lives. Working in the field for over 30 years, I have seen the ways in which data can be used as a powerful force …
-
Watch: Getting the balance right between farming and nature
This is the third in a series of films exploring how environmental improvements and farming go hand in hand in the Lake District. Local farm facilitator Danny Teasdale talks with auctioneer and Managing Director of The Farmer Network, Adam Day, about the importance of building environmental solutions that fit with farmers’ businesses.
-
Join a new training pilot to help you manage your contracts and maximise your budget
Charlene Pink is an Innovation Lead at the Department for Education and is currently working on a project which aims to give those who buy for their school the knowledge, skills and confidence to do so as effectively as they can. In this blog post, Charlene highlights a new training pilot which launches in February 2023.
-
My journey as an international working at HMRC
About me Hi, I’m Prerna - I would like to share my experiences as an international working for HMRC. I moved to the UK from India in 2017 with my husband. In India, I worked as an Interior Designer for …
-
Coverage of plans to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme
Today we are looking at coverage of our announcement of the next steps for our Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers.
-
Slurry Infrastructure grant: time to apply
At the end of this month, the first round of the Slurry Infrastructure grant will close for applications. So, if you haven’t yet applied, now is the time to. In this post, I’ll give you a recap of the grant and the process to apply before the 31 January.
-
How we let GOV.UK Notify users set their own branding
Find out how the Notify team made it quicker and easier for services to add the right logo to their emails and letters.
-
Around the world in 28 days for Active Wellbeing
New Year, but could it be a whole new you? Matt Bazeley says it’s time to kickstart Active Wellbeing Month to get moving and recapture your mojo! Active Wellbeing is back for its fifth year, helping civil servants make positive …
-
Reporting on septic tanks in Cornwall
There has been inaccurate coverage about issues of septic tank storage in Cornwall. It includes claims that the Environment Agency (EA) has changed the rules on firms being able to spread waste from septic tanks on land. This is not the …
-
How has the increase in economic inactivity affected low-paying occupations?
Why is employment still lower than it was three years ago? Total employment in the UK fell following the pandemic and still has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The red line in the figure below shows that in August 2022, …
-
Removing gsi-family domains from the public sector
Public sector organisations are no longer using gsi-family domains and therefore they are scheduled for removal by the beginning of April. Read this post to find out more.
-
Rotherham Local Authority "School Attendance Matters Pathway"
Background Prior to the launch of the Early Help Service in 2016, there was a standalone Education Welfare Service (EWS). The EWS carried out enforcement using Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) when leave of absences was taken during term time and further …
-
Dragons’ Den, Episode 3, Series 20
This week's Dragons' Den was packed full of entrepreneurial flavour. Here we take a look at how the Dragons were fired up by a range of homemade chutneys and inspired by the seed of an idea that will get us all gardening...with a difference!
-
Switching to a design career in my forties
I have always loved art and design, but following this passion as a career didn’t seem possible until I joined the Ministry of Justice. Since 2021, I have been re-training as a designer, having previously worked as a Business Support …
-
A resolution to restore our natural world in 2023
Blog by Tony Juniper CBE, Chair of Natural England January is a time for new beginnings and new resolutions to drive self-improvement, and that applies to nations just as much as individuals. In Canada last month almost 200 countries at …
-
Slamming the gates on reoffending
How a new recruit Tassie Ghilani took an evidence based approach to improve the life chances of prison leavers Tassir Ghilani joined the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) in June 2021 via the Going Forward in Employment scheme. It improves life …
-
National Crime Agency help tackle child abuse
NCA top Civil Service Awards Productive Partnerships category in for their valuable tooling to help identify, locate and protect vulnerable victims of sexual abuse. National Crime Agency (NCA) officers’ close collaboration with BAE Systems is protecting children around the world …
-
How the new DDaT Academy is helping to build our talent pipeline of business analysts
Since the ONS DDaT academy was launched 6 months ago, we've used a variety of approaches to attract new talent to the organisation. We had a great response when building our business analysis talent pipeline.
-
The top 3 things you need to know about D2S in 2023
Over the past year, the Defence DevSecOps Service (D2S) has focused on delivering value for our users and the wider Defence community. As the D2S Service Owner, I am proud of what we have accomplished in partnership with our user …
-
An Update On Countryside Stewardship Capital Payment Rates
On 5 January 2023, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) announced the Countryside Stewardship (CS) Capital grants payment rates for 2023. We have listened to feedback from farmers and landowners and have now amended the scope of the updated payment rates …
-
Calling graduates: Grad scheme opportunity at the CMA
Recently or soon to be graduated and looking to start up your career? Applications for our September 2023 Grad Scheme are open! Find out more in Louis' blog.
-
Location, location, location data: improving the UK's property system
Holly West, Senior Policy Adviser gives an update on how the Geospatial Commission is identifying future opportunities for innovative use of location data for the property sector.
-
How we're providing better data to power decision making - the technology behind making critical data assets available on IDS
Tom Scott, Deputy Director Data Platform Delivery, shares how we're using technology to build the Integrated Data Service which is helping to deliver mission three of the 2022 to 2025 government roadmap for digital and data.
-
UCAS applications deadline – what you need to know
The deadline for UCAS applications is fast approaching. Here we provide everything you need to know about UCAS applications. When is the UCAS application deadline? The deadline for most undergraduate UCAS applications is 6pm UK time on Wednesday 25 January …
-
The business analysis mindset – are we born or are we made?
Chris Penner, Deputy Director for Cloud, shares his thoughts on the mindset that makes a business analyst.
-
Launching MANIFEST, our new initiative to evaluate the role of art in policy
Policy Lab has an eight year history of testing innovative approaches to policymaking. Central to this story is collaboration between different disciplines, whether they be from the social sciences, sciences, humanities or arts. Some of the methods, such as design …
-
Cutting the Queue at the Chemist
DWP’s data ninjas invent a genius passport benefit checker to instantly solve the pesky issue of whether you qualify for free meds. The winners of this year's Best Use of Data and Technology category at the Civil Service Awards succeeded …
-
Ignite Space 2023: agenda now available
Tickets are now available for the UK Space Agency's Ignite Space event - Tuesday, 7 March 2023, Aerospace Bristol