GOV.UK blogs

Transforming with Digital: Walk in our users shoes

I was excited (and slightly daunted) to be asked to speak in the ‘Walk in our Users Shoes’ series as part of the recent 'Transforming with Digital' campaign. As a user researcher, the opportunity to walk in users shoes is …

Updating the GOV.UK licence finder

We’ve launched a new tool to help people find licences for their businesses, homes and other activities. Here’s how we delivered a successful outcome for users and what happens next.

VMD AMR team International Engagement

Over the last couple months, our AMR team has been meeting international colleagues to discuss and showcase ways of tackling AMR globally. The team showcased the UK’s progress in reducing antibiotic sales for food-producing animals by 59% and learnt of …

An opportunity to grow shared living

"At Shared Lives Plus, we oversee two models of shared living: Homeshare, and Shared Lives. Shared Lives is a simple concept; it is a person-centred model which matches people who need support with those who can give it."

British Sign Language GCSE: Everything you need to know

Students will soon be able to study British Sign Language (BSL) as a GCSE following a consultation into the course content. Parents, teachers and organisations from the deaf and hearing communities, overwhelmingly agreed with the proposals it set out. The …

Climate change and sustainability in education: 5 steps we’re taking

Education is a key tool in the fight against climate change. The Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy was launched in 2022 and its aim is for the UK to be the world-leading education sector in sustainability and climate change by …

Developing a set of principles for the design and delivery of greener services

A guide to the 8 principles for the design and delivery of greener services.

How we are making our forms accessible and easy to use

Jenny Taylor reflects on the work she’s been doing to develop a solution which she hopes will reduce our reliance on paper forms in the future.

Navigating climate change challenges – key findings from our academic network net zero event

The close of the COP28 climate summit provided an opportunity for us to reflect on our contribution to efforts towards addressing the urgent threat of climate change, and to consider some of the findings of our recent Net Zero event at Newcastle University.  

Housing Secretary Planning Speech

Yesterday the Housing Secretary gave a speech held at the Royal Institute for British Architects called ‘falling back in love with the future’ with a range of stakeholders and journalists in attendance. As part of this he announced a series …

Natural England welcomes Government's commitment to Nutrient Mitigation

The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to enabling sustainable development by investing in schemes to reduce nutrient pollution in England’s rivers and estuaries. Read more on GOV.UK. Natural England welcomes the announcement which provides the certainty needed for all providers …

Complete our surveys for your say on two key Fisheries Management Plans

We have launched two short surveys to enable stakeholders with an interest in skates and rays in the English Channel and Southern North Sea or demersal non-quota species in the Southern North Sea to give us their views on the …

Delinked Payments News

RPA will replace the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in England with delinked payments in 2024. The 2023 scheme year will be the last year of BPS.  Delinked Payments Information Statement  We have finished sending out initial Delinked Payments Information Statements …

New data identifies amount of pollution from different sources in Windermere

Andy Brown, Environment, Planning and Engagement Manager at the Environment Agency, and chair of the Love Windermere partnership, explains how new data will help tackle pollution in Windermere and protect the lake for generations to come.

Department for Education: Our experience of joining GOV.UK One Login

In this guest blog, hear directly from Jane Farrington from the Department for Education about how her team implemented GOV.UK One Login to improve the sign in experience for apprenticeship services.

Sharing our expertise on access to justice on a global stage

Our Head of Insight, Luc Altmann, shares his experience of presenting at Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Global Roundtable on Equal Access to Justice.

Celebrating a Decade’s Work Returning Fish to the River Derwent.

Since the River Derwent was dammed 300 years ago – at the start of the Industrial Revolution – its fish stocks dwindled. Devoid of fish since the mid-20th century, a project to open it back up to the likes of salmon began in 2013. Now, fish are flourishing along all 20 miles of the Derwent.

Our hidden marine mammals - the harbour porpoise

What is the first animal that springs to mind when you think of a UK marine mammal? A cousin to dolphins, harbour porpoises might not have been your first answer but there are many reasons to care about these fascinating …

DLUHC's Digital Planning Programme: 2023 in review

As we wrap up the year, it's time to look back through the 2023 highlights of DLUHC’s Digital Planning Programme.

2023: reflections on a busy year for social care nursing

It’s hard to believe another year has passed and there is still so much to do. For social care nursing, we have seen some real changes. We began some great projects in 2023 and we can now look forward with optimism as we work to embed and build on them further in 2024.

It’s time to take a look at our standards and guidance

Learn more about how the Transforming Government Services team at CDDO is redesigning the products and services offered to other government departments to support service delivery.

Desk Research in Discovery

Desk research can help you find your bearings at the start of a project. Finding information about your users’ habits and priorities will give you a good basis to work from when user research begins. In some cases, you may …

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Lyn Romeo: "As the year draws to a close, I find myself reflecting on the journey we have undertaken together over the last year. We have continued to relentlessly seek improvement in the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, friends and carers."

Adopting TCFD recommendations in the public sector (part 1)

As we in the Government Actuary's Department are preparing to produce climate-related financial disclosures for the first time, this blog post is the first in a series that will explore the adoption of TCFD recommendations in the public sector.

Championing kinship care

In this blog Hayley, Yvonne and Adelaide share their personal experiences of being kinship carers, from overcoming bumps along the way to helping the children and young people thrive. 

MoJ’s Data Strategy – one year on

Data is at the heart of the Ministry of Justice’s work. It helps us to measure the impact of policy interventions, gives us operational insight into prisons and probation, and gives us insights which help us to deliver better services …

Gender questioning children: Everything you need to know about new draft guidance for schools

In recent years, an increasing number of children have been questioning their gender. This is why we have published new guidance for teachers on how best to support these students in schools and colleges. In England, children can’t obtain a …

AI have a cunning plan - take aways from Think Data for Government

Matthew Benjamin, Programme Delivery Manager for Digital Partnerships at the ONS, takes the opportunity to share his thoughts on the Think Data for Government event, highlighting some of the successes, challenges and opportunities around increased data usage.

Three chapters added to UK NSC screening manual

Three chapters added to UK NSC screening in healthcare manual which gives an overview of best practice for implementing health screening programmes anywhere in the world.

How the children’s social care reforms will affect inspection

The Department for Education (DfE) has published several documents as part of the children’s social care reforms: The National Framework and Children’s Social Care (CSC) dashboard Working Together to Safeguard Children (‘Working Together’) The kinship strategy A data and digital …

Going underground: developing and testing an international standard for subsurface data

Dr Neil Brammall, NUAR Technical Product Owner, reveals his key learnings from the recent Open Standards code sprint event organised by the OGC and the role the NUAR data model has played in the implementation of key subsurface standards.

Response to Birmingham City Council council tax reports

An article in the Telegraph today claims that Birmingham City Council residents face a 10% rise in council tax, and that this has been confirmed by lead commissioner Max Caller. This is not correct. No decision has been made or …

Take a look at our Christmas-related creatures and plants on the Defence Estate

  It’s the most wonderful time of the year – but that doesn’t stop the hard work that goes on behind the scenes across the Defence Training Estate every day. Our ecology and environmental management teams work tirelessly alongside the …

Efficiencies and the power of integrating grant-making systems

By connecting Find a Grant, Apply for a Grant and Spotlight, we have further reduced the time, cost and potential for fraud and error in grant-making.

Environment Agency bathing waters storm overflow data

The Environment Agency has analysed Event Duration Monitoring data on storm overflows associated with bathing waters across England for 2023. This data, provided to the EA following the end of the bathing water season (May to September inclusive), is a …

Wigan Greenheart Landscape Recovery: an industrial past and a thriving future 

The Wigan Greenheart Landscape Recovery project covers a combined area of approximately 1,446 hectares in Lancashire. In this post, project manager Tony Da Silva shares an overview of the site, its history and the project team's ambition to support a thriving natural environment in which people, wildlife and agriculture can flourish.

Make a difference: helping older people cope with depression

Supporting and helping to improve the health of older adults is paramount. Depression is a common condition and while it is a problem all year round, as we approach the festive season, it does know harm to renew our vigilance and support of those who may feel particularly lonely or isolated at this time.

Your Grants 'Introducing you to...'

RPA offers a wide range of grants and rural payments to farmers, businesses and local authorities. In this series of blogs, we look at the grants available in more detail, using case studies to showcase those who have taken advantage …

Designing content for the ONS - an insight into the whats, wheres and whys of the team and how content they are in their roles

Our content designers help to ensure all of our publications are as well put together as possible, carrying out proof-reading, making sure our writing style is consistent and paying attention to the accessibility of our official written content.

Jacob Starling speaks to Cariad Sealey, one of our current content designers, who gives an insight into the whats, wheres and whys of the team and how content they are in their roles.

Response to i News' political newsletter about Blackpool

A political newsletter in i News on Friday (December 15) accused the government of ‘broken policy promises’ made to Blackpool and a lack of funding and investment. We strongly reject these claims, and our investment in Blackpool speaks to our …