GOV.UK blogs

Join us in celebrating England’s most important places for nature – National Nature Reserves

By Jamie Neale, NNR Week Coordinator, Natural England 2023 is a pioneering year for England’s most important places for nature, National Nature Reserves (NNRs). Between May 20th and May 29th, the very first National Nature Reserves Week (NNR Week) will …

SATs English reading test: Were the year 6 tests more difficult in 2023 than previous years?

Every year 6 pupil takes key stage 2 (KS2) national curriculum tests, known as SATs, to measure school performance and to make sure individual pupils have the support that they need when they move into secondary school. This year, the …

Don't forget to check for hep - testing and treatment for hepatitis

Many people who have hepatitis are unaware they have the infection, because the viruses can be symptomless. This means they aren’t getting the treatments they need and are possibly passing the virus on to others without knowing.

Teachers’ professional development remains a work in progress

The ongoing professional development of teachers is fundamentally important for education quality, and has been shown to improve teacher satisfaction and retention. Teaching practice based on an up-to-date, and deep understanding of relevant evidence is a hallmark of a high-quality …

Water UK’s national apology from sewage and water companies

Defra and Environment Agency reaction following a national apology from Water UK, on behalf of water and sewage companies, for not acting quickly enough on sewage spills.

Accessibility: designing an inclusive and barrier-free user experience

Chris Jenkins, Zico Harris and Christopher J from the Defra Digital, Data and Technology Accessibility Team asked an artificially intelligent large language model a question around this topic. When it served up a generic blog, they decided to write their own instead.

Landscape Recovery: apply for the second round

Landscape Recovery funds long-term, large-scale, bespoke projects designed to enhance the natural environment and deliver significant environmental benefits. I’m pleased to say that you can now apply for the second round. The deadline is midday on Thursday 21 September. In this post, I’ll share an overview and links for you to learn more.

Why is school attendance so important and what are the risks of missing a day?

Being around teachers and friends in a school or college environment is the best way for pupils to learn and reach their potential. Time in school also keeps children safe and provides access to extra-curricular opportunities and pastoral care.   That’s …

Commissioner Robin Simcox visits Birmingham to meet counterterrorism and counter-extremism professionals

Robin Simcox, the Commissioner for Countering Extremism, this week visited Birmingham to meet those who are tackling extremism and learn more about specific local challenges. Robin met the Prevent team at Birmingham City Council, Prevent Leads and Co-ordinators within West …

Help us to shape digital services that work for all

Global Accessibility Awareness Day was a landmark occasion which was marked at the Legal Aid Agency with a renewed call to join our digital accessibility panel, writes Josh Dresner, who works in digital user research. Designing accessible services We ran …

Building an accessible culture at HMRC

I’m Graeme, and I joined HMRC as Head of Accessibility in 2021. One of the reasons I joined the Civil Service in this role was because I passionately believe that government services should be easy for everyone to use. I …

Improving the accessibility capability of government

Here, Richard Morton reflects on the past 7 years of accessibility work in the Government Digital Service, Central Digital and Data Office as well as across government and the wider public sector.

Digital accessibility - working together to break down barriers

On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, 18 May 2023, visually impaired civil servant Ben Merrick shares the importance of inclusion at work. Global Accessibility Awareness Day was established 12 years ago to get everyone talking about digital access and inclusion. As …

Media coverage following the UK Farm to Fork Summit

There has been widespread coverage, including in The Daily Mail, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph, following the UK Farm to Fork Summit hosted by the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Downing Street yesterday (16 May). The event was also …

National Numeracy Day 2023: What we’re doing to support children, young people and adults with maths

Studying maths provides people with the life skills they need to thrive, from managing personal finances to boosting their career prospects. Adults with good numeracy skills are also more likely to be employed and earn higher wages. Despite this, more …

Marine licences approved to benefit communities across England

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has issued a number of environmental, economic and socially important marine licences in the last few months as part of its role as England‘s regulator for marine licensable activities. Each marine licence application is carefully …

Coverage on Ofwat’s £11 million funding announcement

Today, we are looking at coverage following Ofwat’s announcement that their funding capacity will be bolstered by £11 million in additional funding from HMT.

Site evaluation studies in Mid Copeland – interview with the Siting Manager

Nuclear Waste Services has started its initial investigations to begin to understand the suitability of hosting a Geological Disposal Facility (GDF) in Mid Copland. The desk-based studies will look at the feasibility of delivering a surface facility connected to the …

Major Conditions Strategy: What you need to know

The government has launched a call for evidence to inform its landmark Major Conditions Strategy to tackle the main causes of ill-health, ensure care is patient-focused and relieve stress on the health and care system. This call for evidence seeks views …

Workplace adjustments - how we can support colleagues with health conditions

We spoke to Therese about her experience of work place adjustments and how a supportive line manager and working culture have made it easier for her to work despite wide ranging health problems.

Reflections on a Royal Coronation

I was hugely honoured to be asked to represent IfATE at the King’s coronation. As IfATE is the employer voice for skills, it was so nice for apprenticeships and technical education to be celebrated in this way.  It’d been a …

Foster care fortnight 2023: 5 reasons why you should consider becoming a foster carer

Foster carers support thousands of children around the country, providing them with a stable and loving home in times of need. While becoming a foster carer is a big decision which requires dedication and commitment, it can be a hugely …

The Commissioner discusses the new era for live facial recognition after the Coronation

Amid all the traditional pomp and ceremony for which we are known around the world the recent coronation of King Charles III provided a glimpse into the future of policing, not just in this country, but globally. While an estimated global …

UK NSC sponsors new research into use of AI in breast screening

Researchers are being invited to apply to lead a prospective evaluation study on the use of artificial intelligence in breast screening.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2023: Karen's story

Mental Health Awareness Week 2023: My anxiety story In honour of Mental Health Awareness Week and this year’s theme being anxiety, we caught up with Karen, a mental health supporter to find out more about her struggles with mental health, …

GaraDry® recognised with the prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise

Lancashire-based product design company, GaraDry Ltd, celebrates after achieving the King’s Award for Enterprise for International Trade, following the official announcement on Friday 21st April 2023. The King’s Awards for Enterprise are the highest accolade UK businesses, being approved by …

Helping people to navigate the justice system and access the support they need

Head of User Inclusion and Engagement, Miriam Davidson, explains our signposting strategy to help people access the support they need.

Showcasing UK seabed mapping to British maritime community

Was there a more fitting venue for the UK Centre of Seabed Mapping (UK CSM) showcase event than at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the beating heart of the global shipping industry? Clearly not, as anyone who joined us and …

Addressing fuel poverty and the importance of understanding your client

Frankie Rushton, Project Delivery Adviser at the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA), shares her thoughts following a site visit to Coventry, to see the Social Housing Decarbonisation Wave 1 projects in development delivered by DESNZ. The UK has some of …

Join the CMA’s Digital Markets Unit

Are you excited about the potential offered by digital technologies and interested in making a real difference for people and businesses? Joining the CMA’s Digital Markets Unit offers you the opportunity to scrutinise digital markets and shape the future of …

When you might need a lasting power of attorney

[English] - [Cymraeg] To mark dementia action, mental health, and action for brain injury awareness weeks, we look at three scenarios when a lasting power of attorney (LPA) might be helpful. An LPA makes it easier for the people you …

Mental Health Awareness Week: reflections on the role of adult social work

It’s Mental Health Awareness Week, which this year takes a theme we can all relate to: anxiety (#ToHelpMyAnxiety). It's not only a chance to shine a light on our psychological wellbeing (and how to maintain it) but also take stock on mental health service provision and the evolution of societal attitudes to an issue which affects us all.

Children & Nature Programme: the importance of integrating time spent in nature at school

Across government, we share an aspiration to create healthy, happy societies. One mechanism for achieving this is by improving the connection people have with nature, which provides better mental and physical health. For children, the effects are more profound, with …

UKHSA Science Strategy: A vision for how science can secure health and prosperity

At UKHSA science powers everything we do so I’m delighted to announce the publication of a new science strategy setting out how we will harness the power of our science to secure health and prosperity over the next decade. The strategy highlights how UKHSA’s science can save more lives, secure major public health victories and contribute to the UK as a global science superpower.

Data apprenticeships at the Office for National Statistics

Our 2023 intake of Data Apprentices has just gone live and it's a hugely exciting opportunity to kickstart a career in the data profession. We ask Jacob what it's like to be a data apprentice at the ONS.

What’s it really like working as a prison officer?

Thinking of applying to be a prison officer, but not sure if it’s for you? Our interactive online activity will give you more of an insight into the role. What's it like working as a prison officer? Working as a …

Bathing water season for 2023 officially begins

5. The blog is an overall summary to explain what the bathing water season is, how and why the Environment Agency takes water samples, an explanation of the pollution risk forecasting service and the new bathing water designation sites.

Foster Care Fortnight 2023

As we begin another Foster Care Fortnight, I want to again offer our rightful appreciation to the people providing incredible yet often unremarked-on foster care to tens of thousands of children every year.

Fostering a child is an incredibly generous and selfless thing to do even in the best of circumstances. But in the tough context we currently live in, it is a remarkable act.

Designing a new career path

We are four early-career designers at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We’ve developed a buddy group to support each other, building on the wider support we’ve received from others in the MoJ user-centred design community. We’ll be talking more about …

Learn while you earn through a DWP Digital apprenticeship

Sophie recently took on an apprenticeship here at DWP Digital. Find out how she learns while she earns this Learning at Work Week.