7607posts
-
Avoiding the simple errors that cause delays
We’re seeing too many avoidable errors on applications, causing a bottleneck that is leading to weeks of delays on applications. Help us overcome this.
-
Measuring our Justice Digital Story
The Justice Digital 2025 Strategy was published earlier this year to provide a common direction of how we transform our services and deliver great outcomes for our users. This is our vision, providing simpler, faster and better services for all …
-
Introducing SFI Management Payments and changes to Countryside Stewardship rates
In this, the first blog post of the year, I’d like to share two updates with you and explain the rationale behind them. The first update is a change to Countryside Stewardship payment rates. The second is the introduction of the Sustainable Farming Incentive Management Payment.
-
Your business data and how we protect business confidentiality
Data drives decision-making for international trade and business decisions. It is the lubricant that oils the wheels of trade and fuels the core of the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA). At the same time, we’ve previously written about transparency being imperative …
-
Capital Grants 2023
Since we posted this blog on 5th January we have listened to feedback from farmers and landowners and have now amended the scope of the updated payment rates to allow more farmers to benefit from the higher rates. Changes to …
-
Putting BATUS to bed: how we prepare the British Army’s Canada estate for the winter
The British Army Training Unit Suffield (BATUS) in Canada is home to one of the largest training estates that the British Army operates on, and it is used to deliver some of the most complex and testing training exercises that …
-
’Get comfortable with being uncomfortable’ - FSA in NI’s Boardroom Apprentice reflects on her first few months
FSA in Northern Ireland’s Boardroom Apprentice Judith Hanvey shares her latest update.
-
Positive voices: myth busting and living with HIV
To mark this year’s World AIDS Day, the Insolvency Service’s LGBT+ Network welcomed speakers from the Terrence Higgins Trust to share with staff their experiences of living with HIV.
-
The evidence we collect during revaluation
Alan Colston is our Chief Valuer and Head of Surveying Profession. He explains how the evidence collected during Revaluation 2023 compares to previous revaluations.
-
UK Space Agency: Education and Outreach Officer - HEO
The UK Space Agency (UKSA) is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and provides technical advice on the government’s space strategy, supporting the UK space sector to deliver the government’s vision. This is an opportunity …
-
Coverage on the impact of avian flu on free range egg rules
There has been speculative coverage in the Telegraph and Guardian today on potential changes to free-range egg rules in response to bird flu outbreaks. We are experiencing our largest ever outbreak of avian influenza and housing measures remain in force …
-
When do schools go back after the Christmas break?
By now, schools in England will have broken up and closed for the Christmas Holidays. With multiple bank holidays over the holiday season, here’s everything you need to know about when your child goes back to school in the New …
-
New powers introduced to crack down on illegal tree felling
Today we are looking at media coverage of Defra’s announcement on measures to tackle illegal tree felling.
-
Coverage on water targets and River Basin Management Plans
There has been coverage following the Environment Agency’s publication of updated River Basin Management Plans for England, which incorrectly claims that the target for Good status of England’s water bodies has moved back to 2063.
-
£8.5m for fight against veteran homelessness
More than £8.5million of funding has been announced to ensure no veteran should sleep rough this Christmas and veteran homelessness is ended in 2023. The funding will deliver services in more than 900 housing units in England, where specialist help …
-
Expand your global reach with a Queen’s Awards for Enterprise
Being awarded with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in both 2019 and 2022 has helped Coltraco Ultrasonics expand their global reach. Coltraco Ultrasonics achieved their second Queen’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade in 2022 as a …
-
Podcast – Think digital, act human: some insight for people applying to be a senior civil servant
Former colleagues, Jack Collier and Emma Stace, talk candidly about their experience of applying for and working in senior roles.
-
Top of the Blogs - 2022
It’s that time of year again when we can finally unveil the Civil Service’s most popular blog posts of 2022. Time to reveal all! As we prepare to clear our inbox and set that out-of-office message before the Christmas break, …
-
A fresh approach to service assessments
It’s fair to say that some people don't like service assessments because they take up a lot of time and preparation. In this post, Reema Fardous explains how her team took a new approach to assessments, which also made them more accessible.
-
Making carers visible
At Cygnet Health Care we were excited to recently launch our first ever Carers Passport. It is important to us to improve the experience for carers looking after adults with mental health and learning disabilities.
-
DVLA Code Challenge 2022 - celebrating STEM skills across Wales
We recently hosted our 7th annual Code Challenge, providing 7 to 18-year-olds the opportunity to develop their STEM skills and win fantastic tech equipment prizes for their schools. STEM lead, Mark Jones, tells us more about the event.
-
Increased fishing opportunities worth £750 million agreed for 2023
Today we look at coverage after the UK reached an agreement with the EU to secure over £280 million of fishing opportunities for the UK fishing industry.
-
A message for the festive season from Deborah Sturdy
Strength through adversity It’s been another eventful, challenging, but productive year, a year in which adult social care colleagues have continued to deliver amazing care and support right across the country. In a constantly changing world, your compassion, skills and …
-
Visiting the secret state: Margaret Thatcher and Intelligence
An early task of any new Prime Minister is to familiarise themselves with the UK's intelligence agencies – the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS/MI6), Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the Security Service (MI5). Yet, for all the interest they may have …
-
Developing a user research community to improve our digital services
Find out how our user research team work together to share best practice and help teams to design and deliver user-centred services. This is the fourth and final blog post in a series from our user-centred design team on how we ensure we design services with the user at the forefront.
-
Cyber Insiders: Being App Aware
There’s an ‘app’ for everything these days and whether it’s social media, online banking, or gaming, digital applications are a part of daily life for the majority of us. Downloadable from both official and third-party app stores, as well as …
-
Local Digital: 2022 in review
Local Digital is on a mission to bring together everyone required to make excellent local public services through the Local Digital movement. The community was drawn together around the Local Digital Declaration, a shared ambition for the future of local …
-
Lessons in Leadership with Luis Von Ahn
When the co-founder of the Civil Service Languages Network (CSLN), Matt Brown, met CEO of Duolingo, Luis Von Ahn, he received a masterclass in leadership and in the importance of having a strong mission to deliver results. Duolingo has become …
-
Landmark deal for nature reached at COP15
Today we are looking at media coverage on the COP15 Global Biodiversity framework agreement to protect nature.
-
Continuous Data Assurance Helps to Make Better Services
In September 2020, the Energy Performance of Buildings Register Find an energy certificate service went live on GOV.UK. This was DLUHC’s first public-facing digital service and replaced a mature but out-dated service that had been run by an external supplier …
-
Government Digital Service: updates on our 2021-2024 strategy
18 months on from when we first outlined the GDS strategy for the next 3 years, our CEO Tom Read reflects on what has gone well, where we have adjusted our approach, and where we are now focusing our work.
-
The next steps for the SFI annual health and welfare review
The SFI annual health and welfare review is a fully funded vet visit which farmers can receive each year. With the help of volunteer farmers and vets, we started testing the review in September. In this post, I’d like to give you an update on what we’ve learned through testing. I’ll also share our plans for 2023.
-
Biodiversity and solar farms: An insightful experience during our placement year
Jess and Jade, aspiring environmental professionals and university students on placement at the Planning Inspectorate, shine a light on the effects of solar farms on biodiversity.
-
A message for the festive season from Lyn Romeo
As I prepare to make arrangements to travel to the north of England to spend Christmas with friends, I am reminded I was making the same plans this time last year, but ended up home alone for 10 days isolating with Covid!
-
Opportunities for Stewardship agreement holders from 2023
We wanted to help farmers understand the latest updates regarding their Stewardship agreements, so we are writing to all existing agreement holders to explain what the changes mean for them, and to outline some opportunities for 2023 and beyond. As …
-
Seasonal workers visas for 2023
Defra has announced 45,000 visas for seasonal workers will be available to horticulture businesses next year - an uplift of 15,000 compared to what was available at the start of 2022.
-
In deep water? Understanding the future climate risks to Pitcairn’s coral reefs
The UK overseas territory of the Pitcairn Islands is one of the most remote in the world. Spanning the four small islands of Pitcairn, Oeno, Henderson, and Ducie, they form part of a remote volcanic outcrop in the Southern …
-
Music Is Magic: the charity Christmas single connecting people with learning disabilities and military musicians
The Music Man Project, an award-winning music education and performance service specifically for children and adults with learning disabilities, has teamed up with the Royal Marines Band Service to release a charity Christmas single. The single, Music Is Magic, aims …
-
Introducing The Anti-racist Listening Project podcast
I am delighted to once again host adult social workers Nimal Jude and Liz Howard as guest bloggers, this time introducing their latest exciting venture, the Anti-racist Listening Project podcast. Making sure social work practice always challenges discrimination and oppression is imperative if we are to truly promote a human rights and social justice based approach.
-
Getting vaccinated saves lives (and helps the health and care system too)
"If I hadn’t had the vaccine, I would have died." It's great to have Think Local Act Personal's Clenton Farquharson back to explain why everyone, including vaccine hesitant care colleagues, should have their COVID-19 booster and flu jabs now.