7365posts
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So long and thanks...
This is my farewell post before I step down as Chief Social Worker for Adults. It was a privilege and an honour to take on this role over 10 years ago, the first of its kind in England. I am so very grateful for all the support I have received from so many people...
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Watch: webinar for tenant farmers
On Thursday 8 February, we hosted a webinar for tenant farmers. In the session, we gave an overview of the actions and payments available through our environmental land management schemes in 2024. This post includes the recording of the webinar.
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New actions to support seabirds, wildlife and Net Zero
Today, one year exactly since the publication of the Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP), we are taking further actions to halt and reverse the decline of nature in our country. Firstly, to protect an important forage fish for a range of …
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The Environmental Improvement Plan: Our progress one year on
Read about the actions Defra has taken since 31 January 2023, from supporting England's wildlife to cleaning up our water.
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Welcome to the new Environment blog
Welcome. This is the first post on our new Defra Environment blog. We’ve expanded the previous Land Use blog so that we can showcase a greater range of stories about the environment. From now on, we’ll cover topics like nature, …
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Environmental Improvement Plan one year on: Driving Nature recovery on land and sea
By Alan Law, Deputy Chief Executive, Natural England This time last year, Defra’s Secretary of State launched the Environmental Improvement Plan to an audience of nature conservation bodies and the media in the nature rich setting of Camley Street Natural …
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New deadlines for Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payment queries and appeals
A new 60-day deadline for BPS queries and appeals is now in place. The deadline, approved by ministers, will help RPA manage the closure and administration of BPS efficiently. We sent an email (or letter) to our customers in December …
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Getting the data fundamentals right at the Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) launched its Data Strategy in August 2022 and since then we’ve been making progress against the goals we set out. We’re also looking to the future - planning our roadmap for the next three years …
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Coverage of new social housing reforms
There is significant reporting on the announcement of new social housing reforms to make the system fairer and not available to those who abuse it. The measures proposed in the new DLUHC consultation could ban those who blight communities and …
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Losses of tagged hen harriers higher than normal
Hen harriers are rare birds of prey that breed in the uplands of northern England. While we have welcomed increases in breeding numbers in recent years, up to a high of 54 nests in 2023, their recovery remains threatened by …
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HMP Highpoint - The Circular Economy of IT Disposal
I was recently fortunate enough to visit HMP Highpoint to see a fully operational ‘Prison Industry’ digital workshop, where old or end-of-life printers are taken to be dismantled and recycled. HMP Highpoint is a category C training and resettlement prison, …
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The coast is clear: strengthening shoreline management planning
Article written by Julie Foley, our Director of Flood Risk Strategy and National Adaptation, Environment Agency Our treasured coast is a dynamic and exciting place for all those that live, work and play there. It’s a complex environment and how …
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A short guide to unit pricing
What kind of shopper are you? Do you buy exactly the same things when you shop? Or maybe you’re happy with whatever’s on offer? However you like to shop, we all know there’s pressure on household budgets right now. People …
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Launching the Healthy System Indicators: A new way of relational working across local and national systems
How do we know if we are healthy? What do we look out for? We have a regular temperature, we know our energy levels, our body doesn't ache. These are indicators of good health. Much like the body, we can …
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Guidance updates on to how to notify the MHRA of changes to the PV System
Amendments to the guidance on the MHRA website stipulating changes to the way updates to a MAH’s PV system should be notified to the MHRA have been published. The changes aim to make administration burden less for both MAHs and …
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Our Business Analyst development programme - what a difference a year makes
In December 2022, ONS welcomed 11 new Business Analyst apprentices through our Business Analyst Development Programme. One year on, Jodie Stephens, Head of Practice for Business Analysis, takes the opportunity to reflect on their incredible development.
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Spotlight on new actions for arable and horticulture farmers
At the beginning of the month, we published a post which summarised the recent Agricultural Transition Plan update. The update includes the full range of new and improved actions plus the payment rates available this year. Following the update, we said we'd set out the offer for each farm type in a series of posts. This post is for arable and horticultural farmers.
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RPA’s strong performance helps farmers and rural businesses across the country
Farmers and rural businesses across the country have been once again helped by a strong performance from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) in all its services across 2023. Ensuring consistent financial support for farmers Throughout 2023, RPA has continued …
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Changes to the Energy Performance Certificates open data service
The Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) open data service has been improved incrementally over the years. Another round of improvements has been applied in January 2024 and you can read about it in this post.
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Restoring the River Axe: a Landscape Recovery spotlight
In this guest post, vet Alasdair Moffett describes the work of the Upper Axe Landscape Recovery Project team. Their project aims to demonstrate that productive agriculture, the natural environment and a will to counter climate change can co-exist.
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RPC holds launch event for the Better Regulation Framework
Guests from across the regulatory world discussed how the RPC will work in the new system
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Ban on disposable vapes
Today’s blog outlines reaction to the government’s ban on disposable vapes.
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How we are improving GOV.UK Pay with user satisfaction feedback
We used user satisfaction feedback to improve GOV.UK Pay.
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How we’re transforming children’s social care
Children’s social care supports children, young people and families who need additional help to protect children and young people from harm. Its main aim is to keep families together, but when this isn’t possible, the system provides an alternative home …
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Bringing more environment topics to the blog
On 31 January, the one-year anniversary of the Environmental Improvement Plan, we will permanently expand this Land Use blog into an Environment blog. That means we’ll change from defralanduse.blog.gov.uk to defraenvironment.blog.gov.uk. The new Environment blog will showcase the breadth of …
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Biodiversity net gain: where to start
Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is an ambitious government strategy to make sure that habitat for wildlife is in a better state than it was before development. We are delighted to celebrate Defra's confirmation that Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for major …
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Government Communication Service tips to deliver better British Sign Language content
The Government Communication Service has published guidance including handy tips to help departments deliver better British Sign Language content to meet the needs of Deaf BSL users.
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Disposable vape ban and what it means for young people
The number of children using vapes has tripled in the last three years and there is strong evidence to suggest that cheap and easy-to-use disposable vapes are partly to blame. Our research shows that in 2023, around 69 per cent …
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Coverage of devolution deal with Devon County Council and Torbay Council
There is widespread regional coverage reporting favourably on Minister Young’s visit to Paignton yesterday , where he signed a historic devolution deal with Devon County Council and Torbay Council. Press office issued a press release ahead of the signing event, …
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How can we be world-class?
The third Transforming Infrastructure Performance (TIP) Live summit took place on 27 November 2023 at the Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) headquarters in London, hosted in collaboration with the ICE, the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), the Infrastructure Client Group, and …
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RPC Chair gives evidence to the Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee
Stephen Gibson discussed the RPC's role in the new Better Regulation Framework
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The innovation book club: great reads to give a hoot about!
What are the best books to read on innovation? We asked a range of leaders across the Civil Service for favourite literary recommendations to inspire innovative thinking, from popular guides to to inspirational novels, with a few videos and podcasts …
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RPA grants and rural payments
RPA offers a wide range of grants rural payments to farmers, businesses and local authorities. In this series about grants and the team that delivers them on the RPA blog we look at the grants available, using case studies …
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Civil Service Data Challenge shortlist announced
Find out more about the shortlisted entries for 2024’s Civil Service Data Challenge, the data competition designed to find a data-led solution to a technical or societal issue.
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One Big Thing 2023: putting the ‘big’ in big data!
The Civil Service launched One Big Thing on 4 September 2023, as a new annual initiative for civil servants to take shared action each year around a reform priority. Our theme for 2023 was data skills and we committed to …
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Our approach to Welsh language content and testing
For the past year, the Modernising Lasting Powers of Attorney (MLPA) team has considered its approach to the Welsh language. Here they share what they’ve learnt from testing Welsh content, and challenges they need to solve in the run-up to …
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Water transformation: source to sea.
Helen Wakeham, Director of Water Transformation at the Environment Agency delivered a keynote speech today (25 January) at the annual Coastal Futures Conference in London. Here, Helen shares her thoughts on the history and future of our estuarine, coastal, and …
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Looking at the future of remote hearings
Since the pandemic remote hearings have become an integral part of the justice system. Senior Service Manager, Claire Jukes, explains how we’re developing the remote hearings of the future.
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Introducing RegBox: using serious games in regulatory development
Today Policy Lab is introducing RegBox – a toolkit enabling policymakers to convene stakeholders and work together to make decisions affecting regulation, using serious games. The toolkit will consist of game patterns for different use cases, a collection of case …
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Coverage of additional local government funding announcement
There is widespread reporting of the additional local government funding announcement, proactively briefed by press office yesterday. The Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Times, Independent, Evening Standard, PA, The Sun, Daily Mail, BBC, The Guardian, Politico and many regional outlets …