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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
NHS plans multimillion-pound campaign to push opt-out organ donation
NHS Blood and Transplant is readying the £18m, four-year drive in support of the government's decision to change its policy on organ donation, prompted by demands by the public for the new approach to be properly communicated.
Do they do digital? APComm audits members to identify skills gaps in police comms
The Association of Police Communicators (APComm) launched its first nationwide audit this week to identify skills gaps among its members.
Future of government's new comms 'rapid response unit' in doubt
The unit, established in April this year, could be closed down by this autumn because it has been funded for only six months, PRWeek has learned.
Case study: Swindon sausage dog steals the show and turnout increases in local authority voter ID pilot
A small dachshund by the name of Slinky was the unlikely star of a campaign by Swindon Borough Council to get people to use their polling card as a form of ID to enable them to vote.
Case Study: Food is GREAT campaign celebrates surge in exports
A direct approach to promoting British food and drink, through a 'Food is GREAT' campaign led by the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), has achieved significant success since it launched last year.
DfE offers comms tips to teachers
Schools are being offered advice on how communications can reduce staff workloads, in new guidance from the Department for Education. A range of materials has been developed to help teachers use comms to their benefit.
Rochdale Council complaint to IPSO backfires
The council's decision to complain to the Independent Press Standards Organisation about the actions of a local news website has backfired, after the complaint was dismissed and the council criticised by leading journalists.
Government comms drive to boost take-up of electric cars
The benefits of choosing electric cars will be the focus of a renewed government push to promote ultra low emission vehicles to both consumers and businesses and combat public confusion about electric cars.
NHS targets BAME people in organ donor recruitment drive
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) has launched a new 'Words save lives' campaign as part of its push to reduce the number of people from BAME backgrounds who die every year while waiting for a transplant.
How the NHS tapped into national pride to recruit the next generation of nurses
With nursing vacancies at a record high, the NHS and agency MullenLowe London launched a long-term campaign to inspire a new generation to keep the health service going for decades to come.
Animated characters bring fire safety messages to life
A cartoon featuring the exploits of a risk-taking family is the centrepiece of a new summer safety campaign by two fire and rescue services in England.
British Transport Police and Network Rail launch holiday campaign warning teenagers to stay off the tracks
A distressing film recreating the moment a young man was electrocuted is at the centre of a summer campaign by BTP and Network Rail warning of the dangers of trespassing on the railway.
Fire service summer campaign tackles dramatic spike in deliberate outdoor fires
A fire service has launched a campaign called 'Flames aren't games', timed to coincide with the start of the school summer holidays, which aims to discourage teenagers from setting outdoor fires.
Spoof rabies poster in government publication goes viral
An illustration from an in-house government publication went 'viral' this weekend after it included a spoof poster advocating shooting children infected with rabies.
Opinion and features
The truth about the state of public relations degrees
This week brought disappointing reports that public relations degrees at Bournemouth University are shutting their doors.
BBC unveils tender process for regional PR agencies to promote licence fee
The BBC has issued a tender process worth up to £2.5m to promote and explain the licence fee to the public.
So, you want my job? Senior comms manager at the Food Standards Agency
PRWeek takes a sidelong look at recruitment in public sector comms. Do you fancy Marisha Cysewski's job as senior comms manager at the Food Standards Agency?
What Jeremy Hunt's 'Japanese wife' gaffe says about political messaging in the UK and China
It's 2pm, Beijing time, Monday. Two delegations - one British, led by Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt; the other Chinese, led by his counterpart Wang Yi - face each other across a table. Hunt's introduction breaks the ice with a faux-pas.
Majority of women in GCS do not feel supported in their careers, survey finds
Most women in the Government Communication Service are not getting the support and help they need, according to a new survey by members of the GCS Early Talent programme.
So, you want my job? Comms Officer (Media), The Academy of Medical Sciences
PRWeek takes a sidelong look at recruitment in public sector comms. Do you fancy Naomi Clarke's job as communications officer for The Academy of Medical Sciences?
Kremlin's web of lies on Novichok exposed by government's security comms team
A Russian propaganda offensive in the aftermath of the Salisbury poisoning deployed more than 25 false narratives to attack claims that the Kremlin was responsible, according to UK government officials.
So, you want my job? Digital content manager at the Local Government Association
PRWeek takes a sidelong look at recruitment in public sector comms. Do you fancy Josh Warwick's job as Digital content manager at the Local Government Association?
'There were some scary moments': the UN Refugee Agency on making a positive case after Brexit and racism fears
The UN body focused on refugees' rights has its work cut out to protect and support displaced people globally. PRWeek met the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' UK external relations team.
Profile: 'Don't call us the taxman' says HMRC comms director Poli Stuart-Lacey
Poli Stuart-Lacey, the director of communications at HMRC, is on a mission to consign the stuffy 'taxman' image of the institution to the history books and reposition it as a vibrant, diverse and fair organisation in the eyes of the public.
Comms has a central place in the Government's modern industrial strategy
The strategy has enormous potential to boost the UK economy and society, looking beyond the Brexit process, and comms isn't just supporting the strategy's delivery - it's also an industry supported by it.
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Head of Campaigns - EU Exit Ministry of Justice London (Greater)
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Head of Communications, Office of the Public Guardian Ministry of Justice Birmingham
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Head of Communications, Office of the Public Guardian Ministry of Justice Birmingham
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Head of Communications, Office of the Public Guardian Ministry of Justice Birmingham
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Account Executives - Cool Consumer cloudTen Recruitment £excellent
Recent public sector people moves
Government comms veteran made comms chief at Barnardo's
Sagar Sharma will join the children's charity Barnardo's as director of policy and comms at the end of July, following nearly a decade and a half in Government comms.
Government comms chief departs for senior policy role
Sam Lister, the director of comms at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has left his job to take on a senior cross-government policy role, PRWeek has learned.
Norfolk County Council appoints new comms chief
Clive Power, a veteran public sector comms consultant with a background in health and local government, has been appointed interim head of comms at Norfolk County Council.
DVLA promotes Elin Price to senior external comms lead
The Driver Vehicle and Licensing Agency has promoted Elin Price to the role of senior external comms lead, handing her the reins to the government body's press relations and marketing.
Hanover recruits ex-Liberty Global and News UK comms chief Guto Harri
Hanover has hired former Boris Johnson aide Guto Harri as a senior adviser, following his two-year stint at Liberty Global.
Number 10 makes ex-Sun PR man Dylan Sharpe head of broadcast
Dylan Sharpe, a former adviser to Damian Green, has been named as Theresa May's new head of broadcast.
New government comms chief plans to build HMRC's reputation and review 'brand persona'
HMRC has appointed veteran government communicator Poli Stuart-Lacey as its new director of comms with plans to build the department's reputation and review its "brand persona".