The Civil Service Awards ceremony is one of my favourite events of the year. It’s a rare opportunity for the Civil Service to come together and celebrate the success of hard-working teams, colleagues and departments. And it’s one of the few occasions each year when we quietly blow our own trumpets.
Kindly sponsored by EY, the awards are now in their 10th year and I continue to be amazed, but not surprised, by the passion, imagination and ingenuity of civil servants, and the scale and range of our work.
Like all the best businesses and organisations we in the Civil Service are constantly looking to do things better - to be more innovative, to work more efficiently, and to become more effective. At a time of continuing financial tightness, this need for continuous improvement is even more important than ever. We rose to the challenge in the last five years, and in this new Parliament we need to do the same all over again.
From using digital technology to transform public services, to saving taxpayers’ money with smarter commercial management – the awards are about showcasing and spreading excellence across government, making the exceptional the norm.
The award categories and criteria reflect the core values of the Civil Service and the breadth and depth of skills, abilities and behaviours expected of us. The awards showcase some truly excellent examples of the incredible work being undertaken across all areas of Government.
The Working Out Team at HMP Standford Hill, an open resettlement prison, have worked innovatively to open up genuine job opportunities for prisoners in preparation for their release. The project has doubled the number of prisoners that it assists, with four times as many in paid employment prior to their release. Almost three-quarters of the prison’s population now leave with either a job, education or a training placement.
The Drug Driving project by the Home Office and Department for Transport is helping to make our roads significantly safer every day. Enforcement against drug driving has gone up four-fold and the successful conviction rate of those charged under the new offence is now above 90%, far exceeding the 52% rate from 2012.
These projects are excellent examples of the impact the Civil Service’s day to day work has on the lives of the public, and they are just the tip of the iceberg. By recognising outstanding work, we enhance the reputation of the Civil Service not just among ourselves, but importantly among the people we are here to serve and who pay our salaries.
Sir Jeremy Heywood is the Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home Civil Service
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Bjorn Conway, Judge at the 2015 Civil Service Awards and Head of Government and Public Sector at EY, comments on tonight’s awards:
“The Civil Service Awards celebrates the best the Civil Service has to offer and we are proud to have supported the awards over the last decade.”
“As one of the judges, the diversity of submissions is incredible. They cover everything from improving operations and inspiring staff at the front line, to developing innovative policies and running very large and complex programmes. There are often many projects worthy of winning which makes our jobs, as judges, very challenging.
“We are strong believers in the mutual benefits of the private and public sector working together. Some of the most demanding, stretching and satisfying projects that EY undertakes aren’t just with businesses and corporations, but in Government and there are really some talented and motivated people providing professional services to Government.”
“Although there are uncertain times ahead, the Awards will no doubt continue to shine a light on the invaluable work that makes a huge difference to the public every day.”