7160posts
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Removal of school ‘bubbles’ cuts disruption as more than 91% of pupils attend school
Earlier this month, all pupils returned to schools following the summer holidays. Our latest attendance statistics help paint a picture of how Covid-19 is impacting schools, and we’ll continue to release attendance statistics throughout the year.
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Welcome to the Buying for Schools blog
Welcome to the Buying for Schools blog. David Allen, Stakeholder and Engagement Lead, provides an overview of what you can expect from the new blog.
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What is the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA)?
We asked Helen Lumb, Schools Engagement Manager in the Schools Commercial Team, 10 quick questions on the Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA).
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Biodiversity Net Gain – more than just a number
It has been great to see the growing amount of coverage in the news about Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), including a recent episode of BBC Countryfile. Under the Government’s flagship Environment Bill, both Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) and …
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New development in the newborn outcomes solution
Changes to the newborn outcomes solution reflect feedback from users and include improvements for laboratory users and changes to data entry pages for laboratory and clinical (nurse/medical) users.
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An update on the accessibility of conditionally revealed questions
The GOV.UK Design System is improving radio buttons and checkboxes that conditionally reveal fields to make them more accessible. This post provides an update on our work and research.
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Lasting Power of Attorney and Wills - what are they and why do they matter?
Due to the popularity of these sessions in previous months we have added extra dates available to colleagues in any location.
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Working with international partners to promote natural flood management
Read about how Environment Agency Officers have been involved in the recently launched ‘International guide on using Natural and Nature Based Features’. This guide is for river and coastal managers worldwide – to inspire them, showcasing nature-based approaches to flood and coastal management.
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Rising to the sustainability challenge through recycling and waste reduction on the Defence Estate
It’s Recycle Week, the nation’s annual celebration of recycling and an opportunity for us all to consider how we can ‘Step It Up’ in our efforts to recycle and re-use more of the right things, more often.
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HPValidate sites go live
We have selected 32 sites to take part in the HPValidate study.
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Speculative coverage on the gene editing consultation response
On today's blog we look into reports on speculation around the upcoming government response to the recent Gene Editing consultation
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NHSE/I Innovation Service beta assessment
Read the beta assessment report for the NHS England and Improvement Innovation Service.
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Bovine Tuberculosis – Testing and examining bTB-positive animals
Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) is an infectious disease of cattle. It is one of the most significant animal health challenges that England faces today, costing taxpayers more than £100 million each year. In 2020 alone, more than 27,000 cattle had to be slaughtered to curb its spread.
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NHS to deliver COVID-19 vaccines to 12- to 15-year-olds: your questions answered
This autumn all children aged 12 to 15 years are being offered the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. The vaccines will be delivered in schools by the School Aged Immunisation Service (SAIS).
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Restoration Grants awarded to restore thousands of hectares of peatland
Climate FundThe Nature For Climate Peatland Grant Scheme (NCPGS), administered by Natural England, has awarded Restoration Grant funding to five successful applicants. Over the next four years they will each receive a share of £16 million from the Nature for …
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Coloboma and me – managing a rare genetic condition in the workplace
This Jeans for Genes week, Registration Officer Heather Stringer shares her story on living and working with coloboma, a rare genetic condition.
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Managing dengue fever with space technology
D-MOSS uses satellite data to predict dengue outbreaks up to six months in advance.
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Considering wider impacts when scrutinising Impact Assessments
RPC member Professor Brian Morgan discusses the range of impacts that should be considered in regulatory impact assessment.
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Creating a digital approach to paper forms
In the age of digital first, the use of paper forms is a problem. These forms are often designed to be printed out and filled in by hand, not completed on a screen. When we make them available on GOV.UK …
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Flu jabs save lives too
When PHE's Dr. Éamonn O'Moore was seeing patients, he knew how crucial it was for all who work directly with vulnerable people to make sure they had a flu jab every year. He felt it was his professional responsibility to protect himself, his colleagues, and those in his care. A new winter vaccination campaign has launched to encourage all health and care staff to get their flu and covid-booster jabs sorted.
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Join our Wellbeing Event.
This virtual event will provide a mix of sessions focusing on mental health and wellbeing.
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The oak lace bug: A potential threat to oak trees
The oak lace bug is a tree pest that feeds on oak leaves. It’s not known to be in the UK, but it’s vital that we keep an eye out for it to protect our oak trees. Our Biosecurity Officer, Freddy Toft, explains more.
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"With your help, we are going to transform the lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged": an open letter to education and care professionals from new Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi
Nadhim Zahawi, the new Secretary of State for Education, has written to all those working in education and care to introduce himself and thank them for all their work To all those working in education and care, I am writing …
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Countryside Stewardship – An update
Countryside Stewardship (CS) provides financial incentives for farmers, woodland owners, foresters and land managers to look after and improve the environment. It’s one of the schemes that we administer in the RPA. There’s been quite a bit of activity recently …
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Leading the design community
"For a designer, this is a great place to work because you get to solve problems and stretch your skills”. Find out more about DDaT’s design community
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What Londoners can expect this winter
After the recent warmer weather and summer of more freedoms, it could be easy to think the pandemic is behind us. London currently has the lowest COVID-19 case rate of any region in England but people are coming back together …
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Online recruitment, working remotely and yet to meet our team-mates
Two of our data analysts, Josh George and Junayed Islam, who joined Defra at the height of the pandemic, reflect on their experiences of online recruitment, working remotely, and having still never met their colleagues in person.
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We want to hear from you on modernising LPAs
There is still time to share your views on proposals to modernise lasting powers of attorney (LPAs). The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) started a 12-week consultation in July and it’s easy to respond online or in writing. More than 140 …
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Living with loss: A little message goes a long way
When Keela Shackell-Smith was rocked by her mum’s death, she founded The Grief Cafe to bring bereaved staff together, and her subsequent blog struck a chord with you. Now she’s back, determined to help staff who lost loved ones during …
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Digital Forensics at HMRC
When you hear of HMRC you may immediately think about the ‘taxman’, Self Assessment and other Government Gateway services provided to the public, but we have over 20 different professions across the department. Deborah has been working as a Forensic …
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NHS diabetic eye screening services and the National Diabetes Audit join forces to evaluate diabetes care
All 57 diabetic eye screening providers successfully submitted data to this year’s National Diabetes Audit which now includes a complete picture of the diabetic eye screening care process nationally.
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Learn about Neurodiversity in the workplace
If you want to increase your awareness of neurodiverse conditions and gain practical knowledge and skills to apply in assisting colleagues in the workplace, then this is the session for you
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GSE Returners' Pack
The GSE profession team has launched a returners’ pack; a toolkit for recruiting managers to encourage them to consider diversifying their workforce through the development of local returners’ programmes. Returners are individuals who have been away from the workplace, typically …
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National Audit Office Report on Future Farming
Today the National Audit Office has published a report on Defra’s Future Farming and Countryside Programme.
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One South West Civil Service careers showcase
Tickets are still available for our event on Wednesday 29 September, find out more and book online...
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What the Health Profile for England shows us about the wider impacts of COVID-19 on health
Today we have published the Health Profile for England 2021 report. The Health Profile for England report provides the most comprehensive look at the state of the nation’s health. Like in previous year’s reports, this update looks at a range of population …
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Applying to register a children’s home: top tips
Yvette Stanley, our National Director for Regulation and Social Care, sets out some top tips for completing an application to register a children’s home.
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Why the UK NSC is needed now as much as 25 years ago
Reflections from Dr Robert Sherriff about the early days of the UK NSC and why it's just as important today as when it started in 1996.
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Report published marking 25 years of UK National Screening Committee
Today, we publish a report summarising the work of the UK National Screening Committee over the past 25 years.
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A Question of Honours
The nation’s favourite celebrities may dominate the headlines when they’re awarded honours, but also included in every honours list are members of the public from a range of backgrounds. Civil servant Stephanie Karpetas shares the story of her own Palace …