Steven Woods's day job didn't quite suit him plus he'd very recently become a dad. So breaking into software development seemed like a daunting task. But an opportunity to become an apprentice software developer came up. He talks here about how the Northcoders bootcamp helped him learn a new craft, and the challenges he's overcome.
Laboni Paul is a representative of the south-Asian community, and an ally to her Black colleagues. Here she shares her Black friends' experiences following the recent protests. Laboni also outlines what's going on in DfE Digital to explore the issues of race and racism more deeply.
Patrick Taylor has been writing content for parents of school children during coronavirus (COVID-19). This meant working in a different environment, using different methods while under pressure. He shares some ways to quickly get content published while maintaining quality.
As the number of our services grows, so does the need for clear DfE-specific guidance for our service teams. We've been developing a DfE Service Manual to meet that need. Here we talk about our alpha and what we've learned so far.
As well as coronavirus, there’s been a constant stream of reports about racially motivated incidents and murders within the United States. Kelsey Williams talks about how that feels as Black person in the UK and what people can do to be supportive.
The theme of this years Mental Health Awareness Week is kindness. Here we share some personal stories of managing our mental health, as well as how we look after and support each other as an organisation.
From 4 people in a basement to 120 across 3 sites, DfE Digital has grown to respond to its users' needs for excellent, user-centred services. Here, chief digital officer Emma Stace reflects on how far we've come, what's been difficult and how we're shaping up for the future.
The coronavirus outbreak has brought about a lot of change for DfE Digital. Here Ella Beaumont shares some of the biggest challenges her team have faced so far, and how they've overcome them.
We're all adjusting to new ways of working. Here Katie Pether talks about how recruitment teams can make sure interviewees get he same high quality experience as they would in a face-to-face interview.
People are now using the new, live 'Apply for teacher training' service. Feedback so far has been positive especially in relation to how easy it is to use. Laura Tennant talks about how improving the usability of the service makes a big difference to who applies.
From running continuous discoveries to hacking bureaucracy to make things easier for service teams - here Rachel Hope shares her top tips for service owners a year on since DfE began using the service ownership model.