Local authorities harness AI to transform services and free up staff time

Local authorities across the UK are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to improve digital services, streamline workloads, and ensure residents can access the support they need more efficiently.

Medway Council has partnered with technology company Jadu, a provider of low-code Web Experience Management software, to roll out Agent-Ex: Search, an AI-powered search agent designed to provide instant, multilingual answers through the council’s website.

The tool, which is the first product on Jadu’s new Agent Experience platform, has been trained directly on Medway’s web content. Unlike generic chatbots, Jadu says it ensures responses are accurate, fact-based, and compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards.

Residents can access answers in more than 70 languages, via both text and speech, making information more inclusive and reducing reliance on call centres.

“We are committed to making it easier for our residents to access the information they need, when they need it. By introducing AI-powered search, we are ensuring that our communities can find trusted answers quickly and in a One Medway approach that is inclusive for everyone,” said Vince Maple, leader of Medway Council, in a statement.

Alex Paterson, portfolio holder for digital services, added that residents increasingly expect seamless, digital-first services.

“Jadu Agent-Ex: Search enables us to deliver accurate, accessible and instant support online, reducing pressure on our contact centre and giving people confidence that they can self-serve effectively.”

Somerset Council: Freeing up social workers’ time

While Medway is focused on digital self-service, Somerset Council is the latest local authority to deploy AI to support frontline staff.

Following a successful pilot, the council is rolling out Magic Notes, an AI tool that converts meeting recordings into detailed reports and case notes. The aim is to give social workers more time to focus on people, not paperwork.

As a result, weekly admin time fell by 46 percent, assessments and reports were completed 65 percent faster, and 95 percent of staff wanted to keep using the tool. Social workers saved an average of 11 hours a week, with business support colleagues saving five.

For staff like Yvonne, a frontline social worker, the benefits go beyond efficiency: “I got into frontline work because I wanted to help people, and Magic Notes has freed me up to do more of that face-to-face and less time taking notes and filling out paperwork… It’s liberating.”

The tool has also improved accessibility for workers with dyslexia or visual impairments, creating a more inclusive workplace culture.

“Our approach is rooted in responsible, ethical AI use, with robust governance frameworks in place. And whilst the function of AI tools is to reduce bureaucracy, paperwork, and administrative tasks, a human being will always be involved in the process,” said Cllr Heather Shearer, Somerset Council’s lead member for children, families and education.

“AI gives us the opportunity to get practitioners back on the frontline, where they want to be, and where they do the most meaningful work… It really has been built by frontline workers, for frontline workers,” said Seb Barker, co-founder and COO of Magic Notes’ developer, Beam.