GOV.UK blogs

Even for a pandemic expert like me, life in isolation has been a struggle

I love my job. For ten years I have worked at Public Health England (PHE) and its predecessor, the Health Protection Agency, responding to major public health emergencies including the ebola outbreak and the Novichok poisoning. There is nothing more …

Bidfood: How to keep your business ticking over

Leading foodservice wholesaler, Bidfood, has successfully diversified its business to sell direct to consumers during the coronavirus lockdown.

Leadership in Action

As she leaves the Civil Service, Clare Moriarty describes a new initiative on leadership that she has helped to develop.

Closure of the Defence in the Media Blog

The Defence in the Media blog is now closed. In future all media updates and responses may be found on the official MOD Twitter account. All previous blog posts will remain accessible, but no new posts will be made. The …

The butterfly effect

'From what I’ve observed, policy solutions are often narrow in focus and are limited to a certain sector. A genuinely interdisciplinary approach means we can identify and carry out multiple targeted interventions across sectors. Consider the butterfly.'

Blockchain technology

In this latest blog, we find out how blockchain technology helps us with everyday transactions. The technology shows that money does not have any intrinsic value of its own – it is the trust that people have for the authority issuing the money that creates its value.

Reaction to UK aid support for coronavirus vaccine

Positive UK media coverage for UK aid funding for research to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Free School Meals

Today's blog outlines the launch of a national voucher scheme aimed at children eligible for free school meals while schools are closed due to coronavirus.

How to interview people online

We're all adjusting to new ways of working. Here Katie Pether talks about how recruitment teams can make sure interviewees get he same high quality experience as they would in a face-to-face interview.

Transgender Day of Visibility

Civil Service LGB&TI Champion Jonathan Slater says Transgender Day of Visibility is "a time to share and uplift the voices of our trans community", but we should treat all our colleagues with respect at all times.

Advice for Good Laboratory Practice facilities in relation to coronavirus (COVID-19)

It is recognised that there are potential challenges specific to GLP facilities and studies at this time. The aim of this post is to provide you with information that will enable a flexible but compliant approach during this period.

In Their Words: First Sikh girl to study engineering

For National Intergenerational Week, last week, we spoke to mother, Arpinder Kaur Bansi, and daughter, Mandeep Bansi about their incredible careers and how the role models in their lives were so important to spur them on in their jobs to …

Introducing the GOV.UK cloud guide

GDS is putting all of its cloud policy, guidance and case studies in one place to make it easier for public sector organisations to find the information and use the cloud.

Second round of funding open to plant urban trees

In this morning's blog (31 March) we look at the opening of round two of the Urban Tree Challenge Fund.

Why 'self-isolating' should not mean 'cut off'

Georgia from Cabinet Office explains why self-isolating because of the coronavirus hasn't prevented her from staying in touch.

Baseball and Defence

What do baseball and the MOD have in common? No, this isn't the start of a bad joke. The answer, surprisingly, is data. Our Head of Data recently watched Moneyball, a film adapted from the book by Michael Lewis, which is …

Developing the first trunk identification guide for CITES-listed species: Identifying headless, finless sharks

The challenge of identifying shark trunks Trade of shark meat has increased substantially over the last decade and in Indonesia shark meat consumption is at an all-time high, providing an important source of local protein to coastal communities. As well …

Dragons' Den Series 17: Episode 13

There were many interesting products and ideas in the Den tonight, although some were successful in securing investment and others were not.

The Observer on seasonal workers in the farming sector

Our response to an Observer story on seasonal workers in the farming industry.

Mail on Sunday on food supply to care homes and hospitals

Our response to a Mail on Sunday story on food supply to the health and social care sectors.

First food parcels delivered to clinically vulnerable people

The first food boxes have been delivered to those vulnerable people being shielded from coronavirus.

Staff who miss out on holiday due to coronavirus can carry it over for 2 years

On Saturday 28 March there was widespread media coverage of an announcement that staff who might have forfeited annual leave due to Covid-19 could carry it over for 2 years.

Government cuts business red tape to help firms deal with coronavirus

Today’s papers cover the announcement to remove red tape to get vital supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS frontline.

The power of data in a pandemic

The NHS is facing an unprecedented challenge. Responding to the COVID-19 crisis will require everything we have and more. In the fight against this pandemic, decision-makers will need accurate real-time information.

Prime Minister pledges UK aid backing for coronavirus vaccine search

The Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday that the UK is using its aid budget to help find a coronavirus vaccine, has been widely covered in media. Much coverage featured his plea to world leaders to unite to develop a vaccine – …

Lloyds Banking Group: Supporting customers through coronavirus

David Oldfield, Group Director, Commercial Banking at Lloyds Banking Group tells us how the bank is supporting its customers and has been able to take on a key role to support the national effort to tackle coronavirus.

Duncan Selbie's Friday Message - 27 March 2020

This week our Chief Executive's message covers shielding for the extremely vulnerable people at highest risk from coronavirus, the many volunteers that have signed up to support the NHS, and the results of the 2019 Civil Service People Survey.

Finding our strength in unusual times

Claire Wood is a first placement social work student from Bradford College. She is currently placed at Roshni Ghar, a mental health charity providing culturally appropriate, responsive services for South Asian women experiencing mental ill health. Like many in her situation, her placement has been paused because of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Claire offers some honest, empathic and ultimately positive reflections on the world we find ourselves in and suggests how we can look out for each other, professionally and personally, in these most unusual of times.

From Tasmania to Paris: My Veterinary Career Part 1

In this special blog, the Australian Chief Veterinary Officer, Dr Mark Schipp, talks about his veterinary career and how he went from undecided student to OIE president.

Timpson: Accessing government support for coronavirus

Chief Executive of Timpson, James Timpson, talks us through the measures they are taking to deal with the impact that coronavirus is having on their business.

Long-term needs require long-term plans

Guest blog on marine plans for England from Mark Russell, British Marine Aggregate Producers Association (BMAPA).

Facing the coronavirus pandemic together

Civil Service Health and Wellbeing Champion Jonathan Jones highlights a new toolkit of information and advice available to civil servants to support their wellbeing and mental health through the coronavirus pandemic.

Working from home during challenging times

Many people will be working remotely during these unprecedented times. We've collated top tips and advice on how best to manage working from home.

Mastering the dance

Last autumn, I was part of a small team of volunteers from the Department for Education (DfE), HMRC and the Department for International Development (DfID) who spent some time working with the Systems Unit in the Cabinet Office.  We wanted to explore what systems leadership meant. 

Sky News opinion piece on veterinary medicines

Our response to an opinion piece on Sky News about veterinary medicines

Civil Service People Survey 2019 – the results

John Manzoni, Chief Executive of the Civil Service and Cabinet Office Permanent Secretary, comments on the results of the latest Civil Service People Survey.

Kicking off the cyber security pre-discovery

The Local Digital team have started work on a pre-discovery to understand how we can better support local government on cyber security. Read about the work being planned into reducing cyber risks and becoming more cyber resilient across the sector.

Appoint Us Services (Midlands) CIC – facing the challenges set by the Coronavirus

Read about what Appoint Us Services (Midlands) CIC are doing during the Coronavirus outbreak and the challenges they face yet still lifting people's spirits up.

Response to calls for food rationing

Our response to the Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and MailOnline which have published articles speculating about food rationing, highlighting that action is being taken to ensure people are getting the supplies they need.

Spare more than a thought for our care workforce

Our care and support colleagues need our understanding, compassion and support, just as we expect them to do the same for the most vulnerable in our society. As the #COVID-19 outbreak continues, Lisa Lenton, England Director for the Association for Real Change and currently Chair of the Care Provider Alliance explains why the way we treat and perceive these amazing professionals is critical to the health and wellbeing of us all.