Thread by @LouiseDowne

The new UK government service standard is now live!!

This is the first time our government has had a standard for whole services, not just the digital bit.

gov.uk/service-manual…

Here are a few of the major changes...

The name -
this is no longer the ‘digital service standard’ but the ‘service standard’ including policy and operational parts of a service 🙌🏼

2. Solving a whole problem for users

Designing services that fix whole problems across departments. Not just doing loads of research and never changing the policy

3. Provide a joined up service across channels

Don’t just improve the digital service, make sure all of your other support channels are just as good and make sure people can switch if they need to

5. Make sure everyone can use the service

Not just people with disabilities, but everyone of any age, race, gender, sex, religion, sexual orientation, income, access to technology...EVERYONE

9. Create a secure service that protects users privacy

Collect only information you *need* to collect and keep it safe. Give your users control of their data

13. Understand and contribute to standards components and patterns

Don’t just use them. Make them, adapt them and improve them 👏🏼

We’ve only changed what needed to be changed. All the awesome stuff that worked before - like starting with users - is still there.

This is just the first step towards government working together towards whole, end to end services that meet user needs, so expect more exiting changes in the future.

There are so many people who’ve helped us to get here, not least the awesome contributions from across gov. This is YOUR service standard.

But special thanks go to the service standard team inc @s_t_gill and @Steph_Marsh8 for their incredible patience and determination👏🏼

Whoops, @Steph_Marsh81 sorry, forgot the 1!