Excellence in Delivery Award Shortlist
Air India 171 crash response
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and Department for Transport
On 12 June 2025, flight AI171 from Ahmedabad to Gatwick crashed killing 260 people, including 52 British nationals—the largest loss of British life in an air accident for more than two decades. The continued impact of this tragic event on families and loved ones of those that died cannot be overstated and our thoughts remain with all those affected.
Officials immediately stood up a crisis response to provide direct support to bereaved families, establishing response centres in Ahmedabad, Delhi and London with additional staff rostered in the UK, India and the wider region. The needs and welfare of British nationals were front and centre of the response, with specially trained consular staff deployed to Ahmedabad to support families through the immediate period following the crash.
In addition, HMG logistics teams, joined by Disaster Victim Identification-trained experts, Red Cross specialists and UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigators, helped deliver a coordinated response on the ground, working with Indian authorities to establish information needed. The Foreign Office continues to provide support to bereaved families including dedicated consular caseworkers to each family who requests support.
BOLD Programme - North Essex Probation Delivery Unit Case Information Dashboard
Ministry of Justice
Better Outcomes through Linked Data (BOLD) programme created a digital system for probation officers which brings together holistic information from across prisons, probation, and police into a single unified view of an individual for the first time. This represents a huge step forward in breaking down siloes between public services, allowing probation officers to spend less time chasing up information and more time engaging in meaningful rehabilitation activities. As a result of this work, over 70% of probation practitioners said that it made a positive impact on their way of working and enabled them to make evidence-based decisions.
The work has resulted in an improvement in both efficiency and quality of service. Tentative evaluation findings indicate a 17-minute reduction in time spent preparing for an appointment with an offender resulting in over 33,000 hours of time saved per annum (equivalent to c.£1m savings) for the North Essex Probation Delivery Unit. In addition, over 70% of users said that it made a positive impact on their way of working and enabled them to make evidence-based decisions. Over two thirds of users reported high confidence in assessing risk of offenders as a result of using this tool. The proportion of probation practitioners reporting that they had confidence in having a good understanding of an individual’s needs as a result of using this tool increased by 40%.
National Transfer Team
Home Office
The National Transfer Scheme (NTS) team has played a vital role in ensuring the safe and supported accommodation of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) arriving in the UK, particularly via small boats into Kent. Since its mandate in 2021, the team has facilitated over 10,000 UASC transfers, ensuring each child is referred to a local authority and placed in a suitable home.
Operating under significant pressure, the team works collaboratively to provide a seamless process, prioritising the safety and individual needs of each child. Referrals are carefully assessed to meet physical, mental health, and family support requirements, with efforts made to place children near relatives already in the UK whenever possible.
Through clear and effective coordination with local authorities, devolved nations, central government departments, and Strategic Migration Partnerships, the team has embedded a high standard of consistency, compliance, and timely placement for all children placed through the NTS. The team’s dedication and resilience enable children who have faced dangerous journeys and traumatic experiences to begin safe and fulfilling lives in supportive homes.
Through fast-paced, operational work that often involves complex and sensitive information, the NTS team has become an essential part of the UK’s response to supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Their efforts have had a profound impact providing thousands of young people with security, stability, and hope for the future.