GOV.UK blogs

Managing worries around results day – some strategies that might help

When we talk about worry around exams, we often focus on the exams themselves, or the process of revision and can forget that waiting to receive your results and results day itself can be just as worrying. This may be …

Power of Collective Wisdom!

More than 5,000 civil servants were hungry to learn why ‘Knowledge is Power’ at this summer's Civil Service Live. Philip Humphries explains how the the Knowledge and Information Management  profession can help all civil servants best manage their knowledge and …

Disability and Access Ambassador blog - on the role of being a public servant in the financial sector

As the inaugural Disability and Access Ambassador for the Insurance sector, I was able to make significant changes across the industry for disabled people. I welcomed both the opportunity and platform that the public appointment gave me to raise awareness, …

Red tape cut for wine imports to save British wine lovers £130m a year

There has been substantial coverage in the Sun on Sunday, Financial Times, Bloomberg, The I, Daily Express, The Daily Telegraph, The Grocer and multiple others, reporting that Ministers have pledged to cut red tape for British wine importers.

Improving our appeals service: Working wider

Stephen Read explains how we have developed the new Appeals service to look at the planning appeal journey and the work we are doing to link up with other projects in the wider planning sector. He also invites planning agents who make planning appeals on behalf of clients to help with our user research.

Sun, sea and samples

Lucy takes us through a day in the life of a bathing water sampler #WaterWarrior

Participatory Futures: Integrating Public Voices in Futures Thinking

Public voices are increasingly being integrated into government’s foresight processes. This was one of the findings from GO-Science’s recent report with the School of International Futures, Features of effective systemic foresight in governments globally. Participatory Futures enables this integration and …

From Fossil Fuels to Clean and Green

The story so far! How £1bn government funding is transforming public buildings on the way to the UK’s goal of net zero ready.  Across the UK work is underway to improve hundreds of buildings at the heart of our communities, …

Rediscover Reading this summer with your local library

Caroline Dinenage MP, Minister for Digital and Culture marks the start of Reading Week for Rediscover Summer

Podcast: Technologists at GDS

Himal Mandalia and Louise Ryan join Louise Harris on this month’s podcast to chat about the breadth and depth of what technologists do at GDS.

Too good to be true? How to play your part in protecting the UK medicines supply chain (updated)

The MHRA is inviting you to attend a free webinar as part of its commitment to providing guidance to industry and supporting stakeholders to prevent falsified medicines entering the legal supply chain.

In-form-ed consent

We have devised the new form RXC to use when a consent or a certificate is needed to comply with a restriction in the register. Use of the form is optional but has the advantage of ensuring consents and certificates are correct first time.

New image review tool for ultrasound practitioners

An image review tool has been developed to help the screening support sonographer working in antenatal screening to review ultrasound images of nuchal translucency and crown rump length.

What's next?

We’re over half way through 2021 and there is a lot of activity going on across the RPA, as we work on current and new schemes, processing applications and agreements and preparing payments. 31 May 2021 saw the final date …

Food industry Covid testing rolled out to support sector

In today’s blog, we look at new targeted testing measures for certain workplaces in the food and drink industry.

Passing the ‘GDS test’ feels like such an achievement

Two members of the Digital delivery team responsible for Defra’s flagship Get a Fishing Licence service reflect on their recent experience of navigating the final stage of the Government Digital Service accreditation process, moving the service from Public Beta to Live.

New ‘all-in-one’ FASP handbook published

The newly updated handbook is now available in HTML format, making it easier to use and keep up to date.

GIAA Annual Report and Accounts 2020-21: Delivering Through Challenging Times

This week the GIAA laid it’s 2020-21 Annual Report and Accounts before Parliament. I invite you to take a moment to read through it. I am immensely proud of our organisation for all that we have achieved in the most …

COVID-19 vaccinations protect us all

COVID-19 vaccination has to be comprehensive to be truly effective as protection – particularly for those most vulnerable to infection. While the SAGE recommended levels of at least 80% of care home staff and 90% of residents have been reached and exceeded in many parts of England, regional variation persists.

Deborah Sturdy, our Chief Nurse for Adult Social Care, explains why the Government, following wide consultation with the care sector, has taken the difficult decision to make vaccination a mandatory condition of deployment in care homes.

Why we are preparing for a worst-case scenario winter season

Alongside COVID-19 there remain other serious threats that stretch our health and social care services every year. Right now, to ensure we plan for these as well as for the continuing pandemic, our attention is on autumn and winter, ensuring we prepare for the challenges this will bring.

Automatically creating and rotating GOV.UK application secrets

How we reduced toil when managing infrastructure for 50 applications.

Nature-based Solutions for Climate Change at the Landscape Scale: a new £12.5m pilot programme

Natural habitats, such as peatlands, forests, saltmarsh and grasslands contain large amounts of carbon and will play an important part in reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions.  There are two aspects to this: stopping emissions from damaged habitats and starting …

NHS pay review announcement - key questions and guidance

Information on DHSC's announcement that all NHS staff within scope of the pay review will receive a 3% pay uplift.  Independent pay review process The NHS Pay Review Body (NHSPRB) and Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) are composed …

Chair’s stakeholder message - welcoming the National Food Strategy

Our new Chair Susan Jebb takes over this edition of the FSA’s stakeholder update to discuss the National Food Strategy and delivering on the government’s vision for food policy.

Bridging the language gap when working with new people

Senior service designer Martin Price shares how he worked with stakeholders to identify and then bridge language gaps at the West Midlands Combined Authority.

Returns, Deportation and Charter Flights Factsheet

The purpose of this factsheet is to provide information to explain the deportation process, use of charter flights and the checks and balances in the system to ensure our work is carried out both fairly and in accordance with the …

Going further to support intimidated witnesses

Witnesses may face difficulty when required to present evidence at trial. After a successful pilot of special measures to protect vulnerable witnesses, HMCTS is rolling out section 28 across England and Wales to allow witnesses to pre-record their cross examination and preserve the course of justice.

Modernising lasting powers of attorney – safer, simpler and fit for the future 

This week the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), in collaboration with the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), published a consultation on plans for how lasting powers of attorney (LPAs) can be modernised.   Our modernising LPA project aims to improve the process of making and …

New inherited metabolic disease (IMD) information leaflets have been published on GOV.UK

PHE has public information leaflets for all NBS conditions, including the IMDs, to support parents throughout screening and diagnosis.

Exploring the role of data intermediaries in supporting responsible data sharing

At the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation (CDEI), we aim to drive trustworthy innovation in data and data-driven technologies, including AI. Exploring, developing, and promoting mechanisms for supporting responsible data access and sharing across the economy is therefore a …

Everything you need to know about The Queen's Awards for Enterprise

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses and is a globally recognised royal seal of approval for UK companies.

Biodiversity Metric 3.0 – a milestone moment for biodiversity net gain

Publishing Biodiversity Metric 3.0 was a landmark moment for biodiversity net gain, it will become the metric used to calculate and evidence whether a project has achieved the biodiversity net gain requirements set out in the Environment Bill. Biodiversity Net …

Reshaping health and care with data

Matthew Gould, CEO of NHSX and Michelle Dyson, Director General for Adult Social Care at DHSC set out what the Government's Health and Social Care Data Strategy means for the adult social care sector.

Complex and challenging: why land registration takes time to master

Our caseworkers need to learn and keep pace with changes in the law, practice and systems – there are no shortcuts to building land registration expertise.

Windrush Compensation Scheme factsheet - July 2021

Windrush Compensation Scheme factsheet - July 2021 The Windrush generation were wronged by successive governments. To help right those wrongs, the Home Office has put in place a range of initiatives. Windrush Compensation Scheme The Windrush Compensation Scheme was launched …

Engineers in Leadership: Talking with Alison Baptiste, CBE

On International Women in Engineering Day - on June 23rd - the GSE Diversity and Inclusion Action Group and the Engineering in Policy network spoke with Alison Baptiste about being an engineer. Alison is Director of Public and Security Services …

From academic research to user research – 6 months in the Apprenticeship Service

User researcher, Dan Clayton, talks about his transition from academic research to user research in the apprenticeship service, and how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted how he works with colleagues and gathers research from users.

Excellent new video underlines importance of attending NHS diabetic eye screening

A new short film emphasises the importance of attending regular diabetic eye screening (DES) for everyone living with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

How we’re making it easier to design, test and publish forms at MoJ

When the child funeral fund team were given just 6 weeks to launch a service, they turned to a new platform called Form Builder. They needed to move fast, iterate quickly, and didn’t have the time or resources to work …

Managing flood risk in the face of a changing climate

Climate change is happening now Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy & National Adaptation, Environment Agency The kinds of extreme climatic events experienced in Germany and the Low Countries this July, leading to devastating flooding, is sadly likely to …