How we use AI technologies
We use a small number of carefully selected AI tools to help improve how we deliver services. These tools support our staff with administrative or repetitive work, allowing them to spend more time helping residents. They are never used to make decisions about residents or services.
We follow national guidance on safe, ethical and responsible AI use, and review all tools before they are introduced. We remain committed to transparency so you can understand how these technologies are used and how your data is protected.
What AI tools we currently use
Expand the sections below to find out more about the different AI tolls we use.
We use Microsoft Copilot to support staff with a wide range of day‑to‑day administrative and communication tasks. Copilot helps with:
- drafting letters
- summarising information
- organising notes
- translation
- retrieving relevant guidance
These tools allow staff to work more efficiently and provide clearer, faster responses to residents.
Copilot is always used under human supervision. Every output is checked by a council officer before it is shared or used.
Magic Notes is an AI transcription tool used primarily in Adult and Children’s Social Care. We are, however, exploring where this tool can be used across other services within the council. It securely transcribes in‑person and online meetings with high accuracy and produces structured summaries that help practitioners prepare records more efficiently. This means social workers and support staff can spend more time directly supporting residents and less time on administrative tasks.
Magic Notes is also being trialled to help with the first draft of certain types of reports, such as Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) drafts and assessment summaries, always with full human review. Staff consistently report that this tool reduces their administrative burden and improves the clarity and consistency of case notes.
We use several AI powered features within our Zoom telephony and Contact Centre platforms to help improve resident experience.
AI call summaries
After a call ends, Zoom can generate a summary for staff to review. This helps ensure follow ups are timely and accurate.
Real time support for advisors
During some calls, AI can provide helpful prompts such as next steps, relevant process information, and sentiment cues, all of which staff review and use at their discretion.
Virtual agent (chatbot)
A Zoom AI powered chatbot is currently used in Waste Services to help answer common queries directly on the website. This has been effective at resolving routine questions and reduces waiting times for residents who prefer instant answers. A member of staff always remains available for queries the chatbot cannot answer.
Translation and accessibility features
Zoom AI can assist with clearer communication during calls and virtual agent interactions, including live translation where needed, helping ensure our services are accessible to everyone.
How AI helps you
We use AI to improve the experience of contacting and receiving information from us. Expand the sections below to find out more.
Some of our customer facing services use AI to handle routine enquiries, so you can get quick, accurate information without waiting in a queue. Where issues are more complex, staff step in immediately.
During calls, AI can summarise information and suggest next steps, helping advisors give consistent, accurate guidance and arrange follow ups more efficiently.
Meeting transcripts and call summaries help our teams respond more accurately and consistently.
In some services we use trusted tools to draft the first version of notes or documents. A qualified officer always reviews, edits, and approves the final version.
By reducing repetitive admin, practitioners, especially in social care, can spend more time engaging directly with residents and families.
How we keep it safe
Expand the sections below to find out more about how we keep AI safe.
Our Use of Generative AI Policy sets clear principles on lawful, ethical and secure use, with monitoring by Information Governance and IT Services.
We assess risks, use approved suppliers, and protect your information in line with data‑protection law.
Our services review AI outputs, check for quality and bias, and maintain a human‑approval step before any decision or communication is finalised.
Every piece of AI generated content is reviewed by a council officer before being used. This applies to written drafts, meeting summaries, and any information prepared with the help of AI tools. AI never replaces professional judgement.
Some documents processed by our AI tools may include personal data. In these cases:
- we remain the data controller, and suppliers act only as data processors
- we have signed data processing agreements with each supplier to protect your information
- your data is processed and stored only in the UK or EU
- no AI provider uses your data to train their own commercial models
- all personal data is handled in line with GDPR and our data protection policies
AI tools do not make decisions about eligibility, support, assessments, or access to services. All decisions are made by trained Council officers with full human oversight.
Our commitments
A human is always accountable. AI supports our staff; it does not replace professional judgement or make decisions about you.
We only use approved, governed tools. All AI tools we use must meet our policies, data‑protection requirements, and security standards, and are checked through our governance processes before use.
Before any new AI tool is introduced, we assess:
- data protection impacts (including Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) where needed)
- ethical risks
- accuracy and reliability
- accessibility and fairness
We only introduce AI where there is a clear benefit to residents or where it can reduce administrative burden without affecting professional oversight.
We minimise data, protect confidentiality, and complete risk assessments where appropriate. We do not enter special category or sensitive personal data into public AI tools.
We follow the UK Government’s AI Opportunity Action Plan and our internal Generative AI Policy to ensure safe, ethical, transparent use of AI. We monitor for accuracy and bias, write in plain English, and offer translation and reasonable adjustments where needed.
Looking ahead
We will continue to introduce AI carefully and responsibly, focusing only on tools that directly improve services for residents and support our staff to work more efficiently - always with full human oversight. Several developments are planned for the coming year. Expand the sections below to find out more.
We’re continuing to help staff build confidence with Microsoft Copilot and use it effectively in day to day work. Over time, we plan to introduce additional features where they can make a positive difference for residents, such as helping staff find accurate information more quickly or supporting accessible communication.
There are plans to expand Magic Notes into more services beyond social care, so that more teams can benefit from high‑quality, consistent meeting summaries. We’re also enhancing our Magic Notes templates, including those used for structured reports, so that the tool continues to support clear, accurate documentation.
We plan to expand the use of Zoom AI across more services that have frequent interactions with the public. This will help create a more connected, multi channel customer experience - whether residents contact us online, by phone, or through other channels.
Future updates will focus on improving the accessibility of our contact services, including support for SMS, WhatsApp, and British Sign Language (BSL) video communication. We will also continue to monitor performance indicators such as customer satisfaction and call handling times to ensure these tools are genuinely improving service quality.
The Community Wellbeing Hub is exploring the idea of a dedicated website based AI agent (“Sadie”) to help visitors find information more quickly and get the right support. This could include signposting people to wellbeing services, community support, or other forms of assistance.