Leadership

Workforce shrinks by 8,000 posts – with GovCos and privatisations accounting for much of the change

Director general for civil service reform to take up post as Home Office’s second permanent secretary, with responsibility for immigration and free movement

When members of the public want to complain about government bodies, it falls to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to investigate. Sarah Aston speaks to the watchdog's newly-appointed non-executive directors Julia Tabreham and Ruth Sawtell about efforts to simplify the system, and change the perception that complaining doesn't make a difference

Lord Macdonald tells File on 4 that policy and legal advice functions will “suffer” amid squeeze on resources – but current director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders praises "dedicated" staff

With the new cross-government learning contract currently out to tender, Civil Service Learning director Hilary Spencer explains how the system will work in future – and why it will pave the way for better public services 

Treasury minister Greg Hands tells pay review bodies to target higher rises in areas which would improve recruitment and retention

What’s life like at the sharp end of public services? A modern foreign languages teacher tells Sarah Aston about the pros and cons of changes to the schools system

Public and Commercial Services union makes "strong representations" to tax authority about "timescale and process" of 90-day talks, which department says may result in compulsory redundancies

Unionised civil servants to lose right to automatic payroll deduction of fees - known as “check-off” - under plans set out by Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock

What do ministers really think of their civil servants? We asked Liberal Democrat former justice minister Simon Hughes to appraise the civil service

Cabinet Office says departure of the government's digital chief will prompt rethink of the "best structure for the next phase of digital transformation"

Annual report from the Civil Service Commission says senior civil service pay curbs could lead to loss of "some of the most talented" officials