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The latest public sector news, opinion and features.
Got a story? Contact Ian Griggs on 020 8267 4893 or ian.griggs@haymarket.com.
News and news analysis
Campaign plays on emotional connection for care work recruitment drive
The emotional, rather than financial, rewards of care work are at the heart of a new push by the government to tackle a severe shortage of staff.
Public health body offers contract to support new healthy lifestyle schools programme
A tender document released by Public Health England (PHE) has outlined a two-year marketing contract that will be worth £500,000 and aims to build on the success of campaigns such as 'Change4Life' and 'Rise above'.
NHS comms manager quits to form agency
Kristina Wilcock, assistant head of external comms at NHS Digital, has taken voluntary redundancy and will launch her own agency - Gifted Media Relations - next month.
Exclusive: Which UK fire and rescue services are best at using social media?
Use of social-media platforms by fire and rescue teams across the UK provides a window into their world and the range of services they provide to the public - from those we typically think of, including rescuing people from burning buildings or putting out fires in public spaces, to helping people trapped in their vehicles following a road accident.
Community engagement expert calls for balanced reporting in counter-terrorism debate
The Prevent programme - part of the Government's counter-terrorism strategy aimed at preventing extremism - is being blighted by unbalanced reporting, according to one of Britain's leading experts on deradicalisation.
Case study: Perks of the job prompt 32 per cent rise in students choosing nursing degrees
A campaign created by Grayling for Health Education England has elevated nursing as a career choice to the extent that the number of students choosing to study nursing at university rose by a third last year.
Menacing take on normal life for sexual consent campaign
Everyday scenarios, such as being offered a free food sample in the supermarket, take a sinister turn in a series of disturbing films made by police forces to highlight the issue of sexual consent.
Case study: Police stop preaching in safety campaign to reach a third of all shoppers
For the first time, the Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) went with positive messaging in a campaign warning people about the dangers of dodgy electrical products that could cause electric shocks or house fires.
Campaign nudges public to pharmacists rather than GPs for minor ailments
A major behaviour-change campaign launched by NHS England this week urges people with minor medical problems to see their local pharmacist for advice rather than a doctor in the first instance.
Health comms agency rebrands with SIM-shaped logo
Brighton-based health and social care agency On The Level PR has completed a rebranding exercise which began last year, carried out by web design and marketing firm Isev.
Five Campaigns We Liked in January: vote for your favourite
From clocks and cats to AI football managers and army 'snowflakes', PRWeek has picked its five top January campaigns. Vote below for your favourite.
Vexatious, expensive and lacking support: Government failing on FOI, think tank warns
The government is disclosing less and less information under Freedom of Information laws, with refusals of FOI requests at record levels, according to the Institute for Government (IfG).
Local luminaries unite to promote council's 'Discover Our Land' campaign
The Duchess of Northumberland, folk singer Billy Mitchell, and former Newcastle United Football Club chairman Sir John Hall are among more than a dozen ambassadors fronting a campaign by Northumberland County Council to promote the area.
Exclusive: Tourism chiefs on charm offensive as Brexit looms
VisitBritain is to mount a £1.7m campaign aimed at persuading travellers from European countries to continue to come to Britain, amid concerns over a "slowdown" in tourism, PRWeek can reveal.
Opinion and features
Stopping Shamima Begum returning to the UK is a wasted comms opportunity for the government
The Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, is reported to have revoked Shamima Begum's British citizenship and, in doing so, has scored an own-goal in the comms battle against Islamist terrorism.
So, you want my job? PR and comms manager, Lake District National Park
PRWeek takes a sidelong look at recruitment in public sector comms. Do you fancy Sarah Calderbank's job as PR and comms manager at the Lake District National Park?
Three reasons why you should follow a four-day week
It's hard to believe that there's still taboo around mental health in the workplace, and it's even harder to believe that only a handful of companies have realised that unhappy, tired and under-appreciated staff aren't going to make you any money.
A digital content bubble is bursting - and we helped inflate it
So it's happened. The digital content 'bubble' has burst. From layoffs at Buzzfeed, Vice and HuffPost to The Pool going into administration, it turns out, startlingly, that there likely isn't a sustainable business model for giving away news for free online.
Communicating the NHS Long Term Plan to the public is vital for its success
We fully support the call to action for the NHS locally that their implementation plans must be developed with input from the public, patients and, crucially, the people who work on the frontline.
Heroes and villains, police and thieves
The world is constantly changing and as professional communicators it is vital that we are also observers of the world around us. If we become trapped in our environment we can start to lose our effectiveness.
Bridging the reputation gap is a catalyst for business success
It is regularly said that we live in an era when businesses are more closely scrutinised than ever.
Five things I've learned since returning to corporate comms from maternity leave
It's been a year since I've left my little munchkins at home and returned to work after 10 months of maternity - how time flies.
Showcase: PHE's Train like a Jedi initiative is a Force for good
Freuds helped Public Health England add some star power to its campaign to promote a healthy lifestyle to children.
Why PR people need to protect influencers' mental health
Here's a test. Open Instagram and go through the first 10 posts. How many of them are from people you know?
The benefits of the government's ethnicity pay-gap proposals are both moral and economic
It's popular to quip that - as a consequence of Brexit - "there is no domestic policy agenda" and it's right that we consistently look back at the commitment to wide-ranging social reforms the Prime Minister promised to correct society's "burning injustices".
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Communications Manager (Maternity Cover) The Financial Reporting Council London
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Digital Content Manager The Financial Reporting Council London
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Intern (Paid) - Disputes, Top PR Agency, Great Benefits Portland Communications London (Greater)
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External Affairs Manager Department for International Trade London
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Senior Media Manager UK Sport London (Greater)
Recent public sector people moves
Brunswick appoints Freshfields' Brussels founder as senior advisor
Brunswick Group has strengthened its regulatory, competition and foreign investment practices with the appointment of John Davies, who joins as a senior advisor based in London and Brussels.
H+K UK hires ex-BAE strategy lead as head of public affairs
Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has appointed Scott Dodsworth to head up its public affairs team in the UK with a specific focus initially on the energy, industrials and defence sectors.
Crowdfunding platform GoFundMe hires head of PR and partnerships
The world's largest crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has appointed Helen Dagley as head of PR and partnerships.
Nudge Factory hires former CIPR president to lead corporate comms
Corporate affairs consultancy Nudge Factory has strengthened its leadership team by hiring the former CIPR president, as well as a Conservative Party candidate, to head two practices.
Senior 10 Downing Street aide to join Cicero Group
Nikki da Costa, the former director of legislative affairs at 10 Downing Street, has agreed to join Cicero Group as strategic counsel, pending Cabinet Office approval.
BAE Systems group comms chief departs
BAE Systems comms chief Claire Divver has left the defence systems manufacturing giant, PRWeek can reveal.
Instinctif replaces Wes Himes with new Brussels managing partner
Instinctif Partners has appointed Brandon Mitchener as the managing partner of its Brussels office, succeeding Wes Himes, who will return to the UK to pursue a new challenge.