8861posts
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Building a culture of inclusion
Katrin Lehmann, Vice Principal of Inclusive Learning, Creative Industries and Student Experience at West Thames College in London, shares how the college ensures students with SEND are visible, valued and supported to succeed.
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Championing inclusion through early intervention
Pete Hines OBE, headteacher at Perryfields Primary Pupil Referral Unit, shares how they support pupils to stay in mainstream education.
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Enabling cross-border use of digital credentials: views from the DVS sector
In OfDIA, we’re working to prepare for a future where people who want to use digital verification services across national borders have the option to do so in a way which is secure, privacy-preserving and inclusive. That’s why the UK’s …
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Making the most of your trees: discover the medium-value timber products from your woodland
Chris Watson, Woodland Resilience Advisor at the Forestry Commission, explores a variety of medium-value timber products available from UK woodlands.
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GDSA Summit returns: building on our progress
Lydia Tabbron reflects on the progress of the Government Digital Sustainability Alliance (GDSA) as we prepare for our forthcoming summit. Over the past 18 months the GDSA has taken on a new form. It’s transitioned from a group of 40 …
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A message from the Cabinet Secretary
Dame Antonia Romeo was appointed as the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service on 19 February 2026. In her first message to the organisation, she set out her reflections on the role and her pride in public service.
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Vaccines for students: how to get up to date
Vaccines for students: how to get up to date Research shows that around 1 in 8 new students starting university or college this year are unprotected against 4 deadly types of meningitis capable of causing serious health complications. It’s really important …
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How to protect against measles – vaccines for school pupils
Measles is an infection that spreads very easily and for some people can cause serious problems. Cases of the virus are rising across England, including among children. There’s no specific medical treatment for measles, so it’s important to get vaccinated …
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UK-backed space weather mission sets sail for launch site
A landmark joint European-Chinese space mission, with significant UK involvement, has departed Europe for its launch site in French Guiana ahead of a planned April launch.
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What user research taught us about designing useful digital planning case studies
What turns a case study into something people can use? Insights from local planning authorities shaped a user-centred approach to a series of digital planning case studies, helping them sit alongside plan-making guidance, support peer learning and build confidence in how planning teams use digital tools.
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Dragons Den IP Blog - Series 23 Episode 4
What’s the connection between sea moss and aids for gripping better? Both were featured in pitches in Dragons’ Den this week in front of Dragons Peter Jones, Deborah Meaden, Steven Bartlett, Touker Suleyman and Tinie Tempah. Here to pick out the IP in the pitches is guest author, Emma, who tells us more.
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The DARTS challenge: modernising our most complex court system
This two-part blog series looks back at our behind-the-scenes technological transformation. Part two focuses on our biggest challenge: migrating the Digital Audio Recording Transcription and Storage (DARTS) system – one of the largest data migrations HMCTS has ever undertaken.
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Kickstarting a career with our University Leavers Graduate programme
Applications for the 2026 University Leavers Graduate programme cohort close on Thursday 5th March.
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North West pioneers place-based cross-sector leadership programme
An exciting new leadership initiative in the North West is bringing together senior leaders from across the Civil Service, local government, private sector, higher education and not-for-profit organisations to strengthen leadership capabilities and collaboration across Greater Manchester. This year-long programme …
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Evidence Parliament can trust
How the Regulatory Policy Committee’s independent scrutiny supports democratic accountability
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Introducing the One IPO roadmap
Since we’ve started rolling out the One IPO service, we’ve had lots of requests for a clear roadmap of the updates and improvements that can be expected. This blog dives into the new roadmap.
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UK NSC consults on targeted antenatal screening for HTLV-1
The UK NSC has opened a consultation on evidence relating to targeted antenatal screening for Human T-lymphotropic virus 1.
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Join our webinar: grants for farmers on lowland peat
Next week, we will host two webinars to introduce the new lowland peat grant schemes for farmers. We will explain how we are developing the schemes and give you the chance to ask questions.
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Coverage of new political donation rules
There has been significant coverage in the media of our changes to political finances. These tough new rules will protect our democracy against foreign interference and respond to longstanding stakeholder recommendations, including from the Ethics and Integrity Commission (formerly the …
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Response to claims on housebuilding and flooding
There has been national reporting today about research from the insurer Aviva claiming one in nine new homes is at risk of flooding. Some of the figures quoted in Aviva’s research are misleading as they don’t factor in flood defences …
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How we’re making technology procurement more sustainable
Harry Kenny talks about how in Defra we are reimagining our approach to technology procurement. In Defra, we are putting this approach into practice through our new End User Services (EUS) contract. This is the contract that provides laptops, phones, …
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First Impressions of Working in NSpOC
Today we talk to James Carmichael, Deputy Head (Civil Operations) who recently joined NSPOC and has responsibility for civil operations.
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How does cold weather affect health? Our new report explores the hidden impact
When we talk about winter deaths, we may think of hypothermia or people dying directly from low temperatures. The reality is more complex - and often invisible.
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A year of partnership and progress for the Leeds Health and Social Care Hub
2025 marked a transformative year for the Leeds Health and Social Care Hub, cementing its position as a pioneering model of collaboration between national government and local health and care systems. Emma Heeson, Head of the Hub, tells us more. The Hub …
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Launching BluePrint: Expanding citizen science across England's waterways
We’re delighted to announce the launch of a new digital tool that lets you report on the health of your local rivers, lakes and beaches in real-time, directly from your phone. BluePrint, developed by the Environment Agency in partnership with Hello Lamp Post, builds on the success of WaterWatch - a year-long pilot that gathered public observations at five bathing water sites. Now, the concept is going national.
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Help shape the Farmer Collaboration Fund
Through the Farmer Collaboration Fund, government will help farmers and land managers share knowledge more easily, so best practice becomes common practice. We’re inviting people to hear our latest plans and share their views at a series of in-person workshops.
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Driving Pro-Consumer Regulatory Reform in partnership with ASEAN
This blog post explores how recent research from OPSS is contributing to shaping inclusive economic growth in the Philippines. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is the UK's national product regulator, yet our commitment to research and impact …
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Driving success through digital adoption
Digital adoption is about people. Our work on Data Hub shows that change is a process, and through collaboration and support teams can embrace tools that help improve workflows, strengthen business engagement, and enable smarter decisions.
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Stress-testing an AI tool to explore its potential for faster local plans and greater citizen engagement
We’re exploring if AI can help support faster local plan preparation. An AI tool developed by Greater Cambridge Shared Planning and the University of Liverpool is now being stress-tested by 5 local authorities, to see if the initial results – accurate consultation summaries produced in a fraction of the time - can be replicated elsewhere.
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Ramadan and Lent: Celebrating generosity, protecting good intentions
As Ramadan begins for Muslims - and as many Christians observe Lent, another period of reflection, fasting and charitable giving - I want to start with a simple message: thank you. The generosity of Britain's faith communities is extraordinary. Every …
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What to know before applying to register with Ofsted: choosing names for your childcare setting and legal entity
Selecting a name for your childcare business is an important early decision. Getting this right from the outset helps us process your application more quickly and limits the need for follow-up questions. In this blog, we explain what your legal entity name …
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What to do if you think your child has measles and when to keep them off school
This blog has been updated to reflect the introduction of the Measles, Mumps, Rubella and Varicella (chickenpox) (MMRV) vaccine into the routine childhood immunisation schedule from 1 January 2026. Eligibility for the MMRV vaccine is dependent on your child’s age. …
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A Snapshot of Lunar New Year Celebrations in East & South East Asia
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government civil servant Aggie Michael shares the meaning of the Lunar New Year on 17 February, drawing parallels between the Chinese Zodiac and traditional Civil Service values. This February, I’ll be joining the largest …
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DHSC/NHSBSA Request a Baby Loss Certificate Beta Reassessment
Read about the beta reassessment on Request a baby loss certificate from DHSC/NHSBSA.
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UKHSA Health Publications Alpha Assessment
Read about the alpha assessment on Health Publications from UKSHA.
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Update on May 2026 local authority elections
We have today issued the below statement for immediate use on the local authority elections taking place in May 2026. An MHCLG spokesperson said: “Following legal advice, the Government has withdrawn its original decision to postpone 30 local elections in …
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Call for evidence on ownership and control in financial sanctions regulations
OFSI has launched a call for evidence to seek industry’s views on how UK financial sanctions regulations on ownership and control are applied in practice, including how firms implement the regulations and where they face challenges. The ownership and control …
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Are schools closed because of snow? Everything parents need to know
On snowy days schools make every effort to stay open but sometimes they must close or partially close if it’s unsafe for pupils and teachers to attend.
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Unearthing the leisure and tourism potential of our woodlands
Nik Evans, Economist at the Forestry Commission, shares the significant contributions woodland leisure and tourism make to the UK economy.
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Beyond the Reef Caribbean Expedition: Spotlight on The Cayman Islands - Part 2
In Part 2 of this Q&A, we dive beneath the surface with Kelly Forsythe, Blue Belt Programme Officer for the Cayman islands’ Department of Environment, to learn more about the crew, and how the data generated will be used to support marine management in the future.