ICS.AI is rolling out a new AI platform that is designed to boost council staff productivity, potentially saving up to one day per employee per week.
Projected to deliver £5 million in savings for mid-sized local authorities, ICS.AI said SMART: Staff Copilot significantly reduces AI adoption costs, cutting purchase expenses by 50 percent and operating costs by 30 percent compared to multiple standalone AI tools.
The platform integrates several AI capabilities into a single product for the entire council workforce. This approach “avoids the cost, complexity, and security risks” associated with procuring and managing disparate tools, said the company.
“By deploying AI strategically at the workforce level, councils can achieve economies of scale, converting productivity gains into significant savings or enhanced service delivery,” said ICS.AI.
The platform features two core capabilities. SMART: GPT is a “secure, policy-aligned, and locally-grounded” generative AI tool that is similar to tools like ChatGPT. It includes more than 1,800 pre-built, role-specific smart prompts enabling workers to draft standardised resident communications, summarise complex policy documents, and quickly find information.
SMART: Notes is an intelligent voice documentation capability providing real-time voice recording, transcription, and automated document production, specifically designed for front line council teams such as Social Care.
The company said SMART: Notes improves productivity by handling administrative tasks, meaning staff can focus on higher-value work and engage more meaningfully with residents.
Council-wide impact
Developed with over 1,800 role-specific templates aligned with council policies, ICS.AI said SMART: Staff Copilot demonstrates significant potential across local government.
This reportedly translates to up to £5 million in savings for mid-sized unitary councils; 40 percent reduction in administrative time across departments; 80 percent faster documentation completion (e.g., reducing assessment backlogs from six weeks to one); one full day per week potential time saving per staff member, and 98 percent accuracy in conversation recording and transcription.
“The combination of secure generative AI capabilities and SMART: Notes is exciting for our social care and SEND professionals, who see tremendous potential in how it can reduce administrative burden while improving documentation quality,” said Andy Brammall, director of digital & physical infrastructure & customer engagement at Derby City Council. “The platform’s ability to safely analyse documents, automate engagement with internal services, and enhance productivity across departments, all while maintaining the highest security standards, aligns perfectly with our digital transformation strategy.”
Matthew Wallbridge, chief operating officer at Hillingdon Council, added: “SMART: Staff Copilot represents an exciting opportunity to enhance staff productivity. We’re particularly interested in how its SMART: Notes capabilities could help streamline Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP) and care assessment documentation. This combination of advanced note-taking and secure AI assistance could be transformative for our teams.”
Future-proofing local government
Martin Neale, CEO and founder of ICS.AI, said: “Local government teams face unprecedented pressure, and AI offers a powerful way to improve service delivery and efficiency. With SMART: Staff Copilot, we’re providing more than a productivity tool; we’re delivering a secure, future-proof foundation for councils to thrive in the AI era while realising compelling economic benefits. The platform’s vendor-agnostic approach future-proofs council investments by avoiding lock-in to any single AI provider, while our cost-optimised architecture ensures maximum value.”
The platform supports various council departments, said the firm. Planning officers can streamline report preparation and response handling. Revenue and benefits teams can manage complex applications and changing regulations more easily. Corporate services can better oversee administration, reporting, and budgets, while SEND assessment officers gain tools to coordinate EHCPs more effectively.
