6994posts
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The night sky in December
December brings the shortest day and longest night of the year – and with more than 16 hours of darkness, it’s the perfect time for some stargazing!
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Coverage of the Environment Secretary’s announcement: Food and farming industry crucial to Government’s levelling-up agenda
Today’s blog focuses on coverage of the Environment Secretary’s speech at the CLA conference, where further details of the Sustainable Farming Incentive were also announced.
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Local court initiatives making a difference to our recovery
Responding to, and recovering from, the impact of the pandemic has been a real team effort. Whether it’s large scale national projects running at pace to deliver more capacity for court hearings, or creative solutions to challenges faced by individual …
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International Volunteer Day: Volunteering through the Insolvency Service
Lisa, one of our financial investigators, writes about using her volunteering time allowance to work at her local foodbank.
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Promoting Competition Bulletin December 2021
Today the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its draft Annual Plan 2022 to 2023 for consultation. It sets our proposed overall direction and main themes for the coming year. We look forward to receiving your views. Setting our …
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REACT – The COVID-19 study helping piece together the bigger picture
Surveillance studies for COVID-19 have been crucial in helping the Government’s response to the pandemic. This blog looks at the REACT study and why it is important people continue to take part.
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Why I joined DWP’s Blind and Visually Impaired Network
International Day of People with Disability is celebrated on 3 December. To mark the day Andrew, a DWP Digital Product Owner, has shared his reasons for joining DWP’s Blind and Visually Impaired Network.
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Acorn Academy Coaching: reaffirming the importance of social worker wellbeing
Rachel Baker, Academy Learning Lead in Warwickshire, talks about her journey as a social worker and life coach. She shares how she is helping social workers to take control of their wellbeing.
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How the National Tutoring Programme could help boost your child’s learning
Launched in November 2020, The National Tutoring Programme (NTP) is helping boost the learning of those pupils most affected by the impact of missed time in school during the pandemic.
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Making the Sustainable Farming Incentive work for tenants
We are developing our new environmental land management schemes so that there is an offer for all farm types. This includes tenants on tenanted land. In this post, I’d like to share how we’re designing the Sustainable Farming Incentive so that tenants can access the scheme in a fair and straightforward way.
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Introducing the Moorland and Rough Grazing Standard
I recently joined the Sustainable Farming Incentive team to help develop some of the standards for 2022/23. In particular, those focused on upland farming and moorland management. In this post, I'll share more about the Moorland and Rough Grazing Standard.
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The Sustainable Farming Incentive: what’s new, improved and coming in 2022
Today we published further information on the Sustainable Farming Incentive. You can find it, in full, on GOV.UK. In this post, I’ll share a summary of the things that are new, the things we’ve changed following feedback and what you can expect in 2022.
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International Day of Persons With Disabilities 2021
Deaf civil servant Richard Purvis sheds insight into his life, the daily challenges and dreams that motivate him. To celebrate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December, the Civil Service Deaf and Hard of Hearing Network (CSDHHN) …
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Exploding animal populations – how can we co-exist?
Using contraceptives to slow reproductive rates in exploding animal populations may offer an extra tool to manage human-wildlife conflicts. In this blog, we hear from senior ecologist, Giovanna Massei, as she outlines this global issue and humane, evidence-based and sustainable solutions.
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An important moment for social work and social care
I am so pleased to be writing this blog, celebrating the publication of ‘People at the heart of care’, the Government's adult social care reform White Paper.
Social work and social care values are at its core. This is about valuing people and what matters to them. -
Nuffield Report on Gene Editing
A look into recent coverage on the Nutfield Report on gene editing
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Charting a course to end HIV transmission in England by 2030
On World Aids Day 2021, a new Action Plan has been published to move towards ending HIV transmission, AIDS and HIV-related deaths in England by 2030. In January 2019 the government committed to this bold ambition and the four-year plan, …
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Reform will be driven by an empowered workforce
With or without reform, the quality, reliability and effectiveness of our adult social care system depends on a workforce that feels valued, supported and encouraged to be the best. It is no accident the White Paper on social care reform is called ‘People at the Heart of Care’, as our Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, Deborah Sturdy explains.
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People at the heart of care
The desire to reform, rebuild and strengthen social care has been a longstanding ambition of successive governments and, while these objectives may be simply put, achieving them has often been anything but. This week, we took another big step forward with the publication of People at the Heart of Care, our adult social care system reform white paper.
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One Login for Government: December 2021 update
In this blogpost, we address the GDS approach to identity checking and our delivery plan for a new system - Natalie Jones, Director of Digital Identity explains.
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Podcast: Improving services with user research
In the final episode of the DWP Digital podcast for 2021, hear all about how we're improving our services through user research.
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Working together to protect important marine habitats in Studland Bay
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) recently announced the introduction of a voluntary no-anchor zone in Studland Bay Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) In this blog, Chris Graham from MMO’s Marine Conservation Team answers questions that came up during the consultation. …
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Grief Awareness Week 2021
To mark Grief Awareness Week from 2 to 8 December, we want to signpost channels of support available from the Charity for Civil Servants. Linda Eades shares a new app designed to support staff experiencing grief and loss. This post …
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Restoring England’s ‘Great Barrier Reef’
By Charles Rangeley- Wilson, Chair of the Chalk Stream Restoration Group. On 15 October 2021, the Chalk Streams Restoration Group marked a major milestone on the journey to restore England’s chalk streams. The group was formed in 2020 to bring …
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Desistance: finding a humane and authentic voice
“It’s horrible, being called an ex-offender. It’s a label that you can’t peel off.” The quote above came from a person speaking at a support group. It’s a reminder that it matters how we talk about people. The words we …
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Introducing the government’s Chief Technology Officer Council
Central Digital and Data Office's new Chief Technology Officer, Dan Bailey, outlines plans for the Office of the Chief Technology Officer and the CTO Council.
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99.9% of schools are open – how new safety measures will help them stay open to the end of term
Attendance is a top priority for the government as we know that being in school is vital both for protecting young people’s education and for their mental health. The latest statistics show that 99.9% of schools remain open and our guidance …
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Fighting against micro-aggressions for minority ethnic nurses
Racism and micro-aggression have no place in the workplace, yet many minority ethnic nurses and healthcare professionals report experiences of discrimination. Care colleague, Irene Ibanda, has made it her mission to promote diversity and inclusion across the field so that future generations can get on with the important job of caring, without fears about prejudice.
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Podcast: Maps in services
Colleagues from the GOV.UK Design System and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs discuss how teams can help make maps in public services better.
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Inside our Surge and Rapid Response team
Created in 2015 in response to a challenge by CS People Board to improve operational resilience across the civil service the SRRT’s purpose is to support any central Government department or agency manage forecasted and unexpected peaks in demand …
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How Many Commissioners Does it Take?
How Many Commissioners Does it Take…? It may sound like it came from a Christmas cracker but the question of how many commissioners are needed in the area of surveillance camera regulation is a key part of the government’s review …
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Defence Science and Technology – Strategic Policy Adviser - 168416
Defence Science and Technology – Strategic Policy Adviser - 168416 Defence Science and Technology (DST) supports MOD Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) as the overall strategic leader for the Defence S&T enterprise. DST-Policy supports the CSA by crafting Defence and cross-Government …
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The importance of the Workplace Adjustment Passport for Civil Service employees
The importance of the Workplace Adjustment Passport for Civil Service employees What is a Workplace Adjustment Passport? The Workplace Adjustment Passport is a very helpful tool to support employees with a disability, health condition or those who are undergoing gender …
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Carers Rights Day
Blog for carer’s rights day (November 25 2021) Carers Rights Day - Carers UK Caring for Mum with Dementia, Christine Maggs, Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Chair Government Science and Engineering Diversity and Inclusion Action Womens Group Yesterday, following cremation at …
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How inclusive services help us to deliver effectively
In the Home Office we’re building services that are accessible for everyone. It’s a commitment built into our recently published DDaT Strategy 2024.
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Working together in Wales to respond to the pandemic
As Delivery Director in Wales, I’ve seen first-hand how, over the last 18 months, it’s the challenging times that bring people together to work towards a common goal.
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A Document Management Service fit for the future
Environment Agency Data and Intelligence Manager Andrea Purdy reflects on the work to modernise an ageing records management system and the learning that has been gained from the project.
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How farmers in protected landscapes are using their funding
You might remember that the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme opened for applications in July. In August, we shared a video made by some of our Protected Landscape colleagues about the sorts of projects that were eligible for funding. In this post, I’d like to share some examples of the things land managers and farmers are doing with their funding.
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National Tree Week launch media coverage
As part of National Tree Week, we have announced a new community forest for Cumbria and awarded £12million of funding to help plant over quarter of million trees
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What is our new Algorithmic Transparency Standard?
The Central Digital and Data Office has developed the Algorithmic Transparency Standard to help public sector bodies in the UK share information on their use of algorithmic tools with the general public.