It’s been a while since I last updated. I wrote a year’s review but forgot to post it or even upload it, but that wasn’t a shock when I wanted to back off using social media over the Christmas period.

It was a year of ups and downs, but 2025 has to be better. It certainly made me think about what I wanted and what to work on, which leads nicely into my next sentence…

So, if you missed it (and life is much bigger than my tiny LinkedIn announcement), I have returned to DWP. Last year, I realised that 2025 was the time to return to the public sector; more specifically, my number one choice was to return to DWP, where I had previously worked for many years and loved it (in parts)!

It’s a strange turn of events how it happened, too. I woke up one day and saw a post on LinkedIn from a person I do not know mentioning, “When looking for work, check out these websites.” Within the list was PSR. I clicked, and BOOM—there was a contract for DWP. I clicked apply, and then an hour or two later, I got the call, and then the wheels were in motion.

It’s wild how life works out; sometimes, it’s being in the right place at the right time.

It’s been lovely since I’ve been back. I’ve seen familiar faces in the office, chatting on our various chat platforms, onboarding, and meeting the team (and I’ve loved this). It’s like I’ve never been away, and I adore that. I worked around the office at Quarry and felt like a lead singer. People came at me from all angles, welcoming me back, some even hugging me, and it felt like home (in a work sense).

At Bobbin and Bumble HQ, we have given the website a huge lick of paint and an overdue rebrand. The creative agency managed to deliver a design with personality—Emma’s personality. The logo, colour palette, and little touches were a dream to work with when we redesigned the website. Now, to tackle content changes, etc., oh, the joys.

Finally, but obviously not least, we said goodbye to an absolute hero and, more recently, friend, Vicky T. I worked with Vicky at DWP, while not in the same team (or even city), she helped me get things sorted out when I was leading the design for the Design System team, and that started a relationship where we could moan and rant at random times or even advise each other on the next career move (her more so to me). I will miss her popping up on every design question on x-gov, her week notes and her fantastic support of all things government.
No one gave back to the community like Vicky, and we must keep her work as a memory and teaching, as she spoke in complete sense, clearly, and honestly. I’ll miss ya.