Leadership

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

BIS and DfE urged to take "strategic" action over struggling colleges, while separate report confirms that the Skills Funding Agency's accounts have been qualified

PCS members in two-day walkout over "oppressive" Universal Credit working conditions, but department says plans in place for "smooth running" of the service

Letters published on Thursday night show that Cabinet Office perm sec sought rare ministerial direction over fresh grant to the charity, but Matt Hancock and Oliver Letwin say they had agreed "clear conditions" for the funding

Sir Simon Fraser expresses regret over lack of women on shortlist to succeed him as Foreign Office permanent secretary

Outgoing Foreign Office permanent secretary stresses the need for “balance” between the centre of government and individual departments ahead of further reforms

PAC chair Meg Hillier accuses the DCLG perm sec of "sophistry" as Melanie Dawes seeks to explain communities department's handling of scheme to free up public land for new homes