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“We need to seize opportunities” – improving the Essex SEND system
Councillor Tony Ball shares what is being done to improve the local SEND system in Essex and supports call for national reform.
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Stars align and point the way ahead for Essex’s future councils
Councillor Kevin Bentley, shares his latest update on local government reorganisation in Greater Essex.
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Cost of Living Index PART 2: Connecting the dots - How we applied the impact of financial pressure to Type 2 diabetes-related outcomes
We know, readers. You’ve all been waiting with bated breath for our next instalment of the Cost of Living Index blog series! Thankfully, there is no need for any more sleepless nights; we are here to deliver what the doctor …
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Central government vs local government
Over the last six months I’ve been on a secondment to the heart of government, the Cabinet Office, after 20 years working in local government across the Essex partnership. I’m here to unequivocally answer the question on everyone’s mind, the …
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Less is More: Fewer councils the right option for Greater Essex
Councillor Kevin Bentley reflects on the latest research on council numbers and what it means for local government reorganisation in Essex.
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The journey to a smoke-free generation begins with a needs assessment
The tobacco epidemic is one of the biggest threats the world has ever faced, and it kills 8 million people a year worldwide. In 2019, a national ambition was set for England to become smoke-free by 2030. Essex has also matched this ambition by signing the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control on October 2023.
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Essex County Fire and Rescue Service Migration to Microsoft Fabric – Fab or Drab?
Guest blogger, Rob Ellis, from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, shares the organisation's migration to Microsoft Fabric.
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LGR: Getting the balance right to protect essential services
Leader, Councillor Kevin Bentley, shares why it's so important to get the balance of new councils right during Local Government Reorganisation.
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We chose the Birkenstocks! The key lessons we learned from redesigning the Essex Area Profiles dashboard
I was embarrassingly late to the ‘Barbie’ bandwagon. In 2023 everybody seemed to be doing the “Barbenheimer” challenge, but I resented the idea of paying to see a film that would inevitably end up on a streaming service, so I …
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Assessing the Cost-of-Living Pressures on Our Residents – Part 1
We’ve all noticed increasing financial pressures in the shops, in our bills, and in all aspects of life over the past few years. It can often feel like every time we tune in to the news there is some worrying …
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Doing what is right for the people we serve
Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, writes that after 50 years, it is time for change for our local councils.
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Running a design sprint about consent: lessons and challenges
We ran a design sprint over five consecutive days in February 2025. We’ll share the outcomes from the sprint in another blog. Here we’ll be exploring running the sprint itself, what went well and what we’d do differently next time. …
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Covid-19 five years on: a Day of Reflection for Essex
Councillor John Spence commemorates the selflessness of Essex residents on the Covid-19 Day of Reflection 2025.
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Experiences of moving websites to LocalGov Drupal
At Essex County Council, we now have several websites on the LocalGov Drupal (LGD) platform. These websites are managed by editors from within their respective services. Some have managed web content before, for others this is a new responsibility. We’re …
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A look at Foster Carer Recruitment Inside and Out
How do you ensure that your recruitment approaches are reaching the right people? How do you know whether there is anything internally that you could do differently to increase recruitment? These are questions that every service, company or team will …
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Learning by doing: How research is a bit like learning to ride a bike
I’ll be honest, I’ve never been one for learning from books. I wouldn’t like to tell you how many times my Mum caught me having a nap while I was meant to be studying! I have always preferred to get …
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Devolution: “Have your say on this momentous step forwards for Essex”
Essex County Council Leader, Councillor Kevin Bentley, updates on the Government’s consultation on Devolution plans for Greater Essex, launched this week.
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New Year, New Hosting for our LocalGov Drupal Platform
What we learned when we changed our web platform's hosting and support arrangements. Why we needed to do this We’ve done a lot of work on our websites since we first started to adopt Local Gov Drupal (LGD) in 2022. …
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It’s all About the Journey
Sometimes it is difficult to see a way through. Sometimes, what we have always done no longer works. Sometimes the solution is so simple and obvious in hindsight. Of course, in our world of data, there is always a journey …
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Devolution - “We must have the vision to seize this opportunity…”
The Leader outlines the opportunities devolution could bring to Essex.
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Essex Residents' Survey Reports & Dashboard 2024 - Knowing Our Residents
With another resident survey coming to a conclusion, the door for creating a new blog post emerged. Now, let’s open up word before piling my sentences through copilot (AI might be a focus in here…) Here’s the cheeky plug to …
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Help us make a consent form that works with demand avoidance
Have you made any new year’s resolutions? I did. I made one. Go to the gym more? Nope, not that. Drink more water? Nope, should do, but not that either. Make consent forms better? That’s the one. I enlisted the …
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Paving the Way: Supporting planning for Healthy School Streets
Someone recently pointed out to me that it’s been 4,261 days since I first started at Essex County Council (pause for shocked gasps). So, it’s been a while since I’ve thought much about my days walking to school. Or at …
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Creating an inclusive Essex
Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Integration, Councillor John Spence talks about how the council and partners are working hard to create an inclusive county.
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How to become a Senior Analyst: 101
It’s not a secret that I fell into a career in data analytics. After a scarily close encounter with a medical degree and then a stint at a well-known beverage company, I left my in-house barista, unlimited snacks, and free …
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Using Data to Shore our Defences
This year there have been global news reports of water everywhere – and not a drop we'd like to see creeping into our homes (even if some of us may like a little beach activity)! Flooding is no joke - …
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Harnessing linked data to better manage frailty in North East Essex
Nerdy fact alert, but did you know that frailty is classified as a “syndrome” rather than a disease? Diseases typically have a known cause, a distinct course, and an established pathway of care. In contrast, syndromes like frailty generally don’t …
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Incoming! An Analyst Travels to the Top Floor
Essex County Council’s HQ is a big place. It needs to be, to be the base for around 8,000 staff. The office is organised by department, and us Data Analysts tend to hang around the first of five floors. Not …