10092posts
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From messy data to meaningful connections: Introducing Splink 5
We are excited to introduce Splink 5, the latest version of the Ministry of Justice's open-source software for linking records across datasets. Developed to tackle some of government's most complex data-linking challenges, Splink has grown into a tool used across …
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Join our FluSurvey programme and contribute to protecting the nation’s health this winter
Our scientists are tracking influenza (flu) and other respiratory viruses and they need your help. Join our FluSurvey UK-wide citizen science programme and contribute directly to protecting the nation’s health this winter.
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Progressing SFI26 applications from Windows 1 and 2
This blog gives an update on the nearly 19,000 applications received during Windows 1 and 2 of the SFI26 offer. It also confirms arrangements for Window 2 exception groups.
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How Derbyshire County Council successfully transitioned 250 schools to the DfE's Risk Protection Arrangement (RPA)
Hazel Coates from Corporate Services and Transformation at Derbyshire County Council, shares how her local authority realised greater benefits for schools and saved over £600,000 by switching to RPA. Reasons for change For years, Derbyshire County Council provided insurance cover …
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NHSE Home Test Alpha Assessment
Find out about Home Test alpha assessment by NHS England.
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What is severe drought?
On 15 October 2026, Severe drought status was declared for parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex after the driest April to September in over a century depleted local reservoir levels - with further dry weather expected for the rest of October.
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Ebola: what are the symptoms and how does it spread?
Ebola has been in the news since the World Health Organization's declaration of a public health emergency of international concern on 17 May 2026, for an outbreak affecting the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. This blog post outlines what the disease is, how it spreads, and what it means for the UK.
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Name the UK Space Agency’s First National Mission! 🛰️🌍
Be a part of history by naming the UK’s Active Debris Removal Mission, the UK Space Agency’s first ever national space mission.
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What can a small flatfish tell us about pollution in our seas?
For more than three decades, a small flatfish in the UK has been helping scientists investigate some difficult questions: is pollution in the marine environment getting better or worse, and does it have an impact on the marine life that …
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UKHSA Complete UK Pre-entry Health Screening Beta reassessment
Read about the beta reassessment of Complete UK pre-entry health screening from UKHSA.
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Lessons from steering a speedboat: what leading the Manage People on Probation service taught me
As Women in Tech Week is being marked across government and the wider community, I have been reflecting on my own experiences of leading digital transformation in a complex environment. Over the past year, I have had the privilege of …
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Working together sustains Hen Harrier numbers in 2026
By Matt Heard, National Delivery Director Hen Harriers are one of the UK’s most distinctive birds of prey and, after decades of decline, have gradually returned to northern England as their population has recovered. Natural England and its partners are …
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Organic Action Plan for England published today
Published today, the Organic Action Plan for England (OAPE) sets out steps to support the growth of the domestic organic sector and help more English farmers and businesses meet growing consumer demand.
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Direct consumer enforcement: 18 months on
How we’ve used our new powers to protect consumers in the second year of the regime, and our priorities for the months ahead.
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Take part in the 2026 Space Sector Skills Survey
The third national Space Sector Skills Survey has launched to give all space sector employers across the UK the chance to tell us about the challenges they are facing with securing the right workforce they need.
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From condition to confidence: caring for flood defences in a changing climate
Behind England’s flood defences are thousands of engineers, inspectors and specialists working in all weathers, around the clock.
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Using AI to analyse legacy systems faster: what our pilots revealed
Activities estimated to take weeks were completed in hours. Automated test coverage increased from 0% to 96%, meaning almost all code in a legacy application could be checked automatically before making changes. These findings from our pilots show how AI assisted approaches can help organisations analyse legacy systems faster and modernise them with greater confidence.
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UK NSC seminar on HPV vaccination and the future of cervical screening
The UK NSC's recent online seminar discussed the impact of HPV vaccination on cervical screening.
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Inaccurate reporting on Community Recovery Fund
Several outlets have claimed that Angela Rayner, Secretary of State has provided funding directly to partisan organisations via the Community Recovery Fund. This is not correct. The facts Put simply, councils are not permitted to spend taxpayers’ money on partisan …
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Beneath the surface: what my award taught me about school finance
Chris Bramall didn't set out to win an award. He set out to fix a school's finances, save money for pupils, and do his job well. Here's what winning taught him about the quiet, invisible work of school business leaders …
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Designing a digital CAF for local government service
Local Digital is building a digital Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) for local government service to make cyber resilience assessments easier to complete, manage and repeat. This blog provides an update on the development of LG WebCAF, shares an early prototype and invites councils to take part in the next phase of testing and development.
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More time and clearer warnings before council tax action 🏠⏰
New government rules will give people more time to get help with council tax debt – in a shake up that will support people before they face enforcement action. Here is everything you need to know about what is changing …
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A royal visit to APHA: Science, conservation and the future of red squirrels
Reflecting on Red Squirrel Awareness Week, discover how APHA science, innovation and conservation are helping protect Britain's beloved red squirrels, highlighted by a royal visit.
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Engineering quality into digital services
The cross-government testing community’s Quality Engineering Principles have been developed to help teams build quality throughout the lifecycle of a digital service.
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Avoidable requisitions continue to fall as we work together
Avoidable requisitions have fallen by more than 47% since 2022. In the first of two blogs, we look at what the latest data tells us, how HM Land Registry and its customers are working together and why the progress is not simply the result of fewer applications.
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New funding backs innovative satellite projects to grow the UK’s climate services sector
The UK Space Agency is backing seven new projects that will use satellite data to help organisations better respond to climate risks, supporting the continued growth of the UK’s climate services sector.
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Beating the beetle: Ips typographus eradicated from 2022 outbreak sites
Andrea Deol, Head of Plant Health Forestry at the Forestry Commission, shares the successful eradication of Ips typographus from 13 outbreak sites and how to help prevent future establishment.
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OPSS Research Fellowship Scheme
What happens when academic researchers bring fresh thinking to real-world product safety challenges? The OPSS Research Fellowship Scheme 2025-26 brought specialist academic expertise into OPSS to strengthen evidence, test new thinking and help us respond to complex product safety challenges. …
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The future of Adult Social Care: the National Care Service, Free Personal Care and the Workforce Action Plan
Last week marked an important moment for the future of adult social care. The Prime Minister has committed to establishing a National Care Service in the next Parliament founded on the same principles as the NHS, where everyone contributes and …
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What is group A strep, and how do you catch it?
Group A streptococci (GAS), also referred to as strep A, are common bacteria. Some of us carry strep in our throats and on our skin and it doesn’t always result in illness. However, GAS does cause infections, some mild and some more serious.
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Tackling dangerous homes: private renters closer to faster repairs through Awaab's Law
If your landlord ignores dangerous problems like severe damp and mould, they won't get away with it. The government is consulting on how to bring forward tougher rules to get dangerous problems fixed faster, by setting legal deadlines for landlords …
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Making national infrastructure planning services easier to use
Oliver Blower, Operations Lead at the Planning Inspectorate, shares how we're improving our national infrastructure planning services, from application submission and project mapping to public participation.
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OCEAN uplift: helping community-led ocean conservation grow and last
I’m Hannah Boyne. It has been my great pleasure to lead the Ocean Community Empowerment and Nature (OCEAN) Grants Programme, part of the Blue Planet Fund, for the last three years. To date we have funded 34 programmes across 21 …
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Modernising our courtrooms: introducing the DAVE programme
Courts and tribunals in England and Wales, and non-devolved tribunals in Scotland, are changing. The way we present evidence and run hearings today looks very different to how it did a few years ago. Evidence is often shared as video, …
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Training and wellbeing top the agenda for MCA delegates
Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Chief Medical Adviser Dr Sue Stannard and Chief Examiner Ajit Jacob will be taking part in panel discussions in the Philippines.
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NHSE Share blood pressure readings with your GP Alpha assessment
Read about the alpha assessment of share blood pressure readings with your GP from NHS England.
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How we are supercharging Test, Learn and Grow through movement building
True system change doesn't rely on a single central team or a fixed project timeline. Alongside our accelerators, we are supercharging a national movement of champions, practitioners, and supporters across the whole system who adopt agile and innovative ways of working as second nature. This blog takes you through the three main pillars of our …
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MCA develops new guidance to support safe growth of floating offshore wind
Colleagues from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) visited the second largest wind farm in the UK to inform a new Marine Guidance Note (MGN).
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Skills and careers opportunities for young people in retail and hospitality, by Dame Fiona Kendrick
Retail and hospitality have traditionally provided first jobs to huge numbers of young people on the shop floor, behind a bar, working in a kitchen, or waitering. These are sectors dear to my heart because of my background with Nestlé. And like so …
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Join our webinar: how ADOPT funding can support your farm business
Join our webinar on 22 October, 11am to 12:30pm, to understand how the ADOPT Support Hub and funding can help you access new technology on your farm.