Peterborough City Council’s digital transformation journey: empowering its workforce and delivering better outcomes for people
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Tina Hornsby shares how digital innovation at Peterborough City Council, including its use of AI is improving outcomes for social care practitioners and people who draw on care and support.
Peterborough City Council’s Adult Social Care (ASC) team is undergoing a significant digital transformation, aiming to empower communities, streamline services, and support both staff and residents through innovative technology. The programme is built on clear priorities: remaining CQC ready, integrating with health partners, enabling adulthood transitions, continuous improvement, financial recovery, and crucially, improving digital capabilities and the use of assistive technology.
Peterborough City Council’s digital transformation journey began with a clear purpose: to reimagine local government for the modern age. Faced with financial pressures and rising expectations from local people, the Council recognised that traditional approaches could no longer deliver the efficiency, resilience, and innovation communities deserve. By embracing technology and data, we’ve not only streamlined services but transformed lives introducing predictive analytics to anticipate needs, shared care records to improve health outcomes, and assistive technology that empowers independence. These changes have earned national recognition, but more importantly, they’ve built a foundation for sustainable public services. Measurable impacts have included a 41% increase in planned reviews and a 33% decrease in unplanned crisis reviews, as the teams have had the capacity to complete reviews in a timely manner.
Digital isn’t just a project for us; it’s a mindset. It drives prevention, strengthens resilience, and ensures Peterborough is ready for tomorrow’s challenges. That’s why we remain committed to prioritising digital because it’s how we deliver better outcomes for every resident, every day
Listening to Staff, Shaping the Vision
Staff feedback has been central to shaping the digital vision. While 66% feel equipped with the right tools, many report pressure and the need to do more with less. Despite these challenges, there is a shared sense of purpose and a clear strategy for the future.
The ASC Digital Vision is to harness digital solutions to empower communities, foster a skilled workforce, and maintain a strong focus on user needs. This vision translates into tangible benefits:
- Easier Access to Information: AI chatbots and unified directories help residents make informed decisions.
- Self-Help and Empowerment: Tools like the Bridgit Carer app and digital assessments promote independence.
- Streamlined Services: Automation and AI, such as robotic process automation (RPA), free staff from admin tasks, allowing more meaningful interactions.
- Intelligence-Driven Planning: Predictive analytics enable proactive support and crisis prevention.
- Technological Innovation: Flexible solutions, including AI-assisted assessments and instant translation, adapt to evolving community needs
Key Workstreams and Innovations
The transformation is structured around four main workstreams:
- Self-Service: Modernising access to support, empowering individuals, and improving digital experiences.
- Automation & AI: Tools like Magic Notes and RPA reduce admin burdens and boost productivity.
- Modernising Assistive Technology: Initiatives like the Hey Geraldine chatbot and Virtual Smart Flat help staff and residents understand and access technology.
- Data & Predictive Analytics: Using data to target support, prevent harm, and improve outcomes, such as through falls and frailty predictive models.
Challenges
We have of course faced some challenges on our journey, but perhaps not as many as you might think. Initially, there was some caution around the ethics of using AI and a concern that it might replace skilled practitioners. However, we have worked with our Principal Social Worker and Quality Practice Team to ensure that use of AI is integrated into our practice and does not replace professional judgement and practice but rather aids in saving time and enabling more informed decision making, supporting better conversations with those we work with. As with anything, some practitioners have embraced digital tools more widely and quickly than others. We have found it is best to let peers lead the way with peers and have formed a digital champion working group with representatives from all teams who can feed back the experience on the ground and also promote the benefits to their peers. The levels of take up of our digital tools speak for themselves as to the success with our workforce.
The other frequent challenge is around digital exclusion and whether are focus on digital transformation excludes some groups. Our response to this has been to ensure that digital options support the alternative forms of communication and does not replace them. By providing digital tools for those who wish to use them, we free up capacity in our contact centre to allow for longer richer calls. Our tools for practitioners also allow for more face-to-face contact time with people in our communities and tools such as Hey Geraldine aid our practitioners in providing better signposting and advice.
Spotlight on Magic Notes and Hey Geraldine
Magic Notes is an AI-enabled assessment tool piloted with the Adult Early Help Team, but now successfully rolled out across children’s and adult social care directorates. It automates notetaking and report writing, saving practitioners 4–6 hours per week and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback—over 90% of staff want to keep it. Custom templates ensure all care domains are covered, and ongoing feedback drives continuous improvement.
Hey Geraldine is an AI chatbot. It was developed using the knowledge of Geraldine Jinks, a therapy practitioner for adult social care to guide staff through assistive technology options to free up occupational therapists for more complex cases. Hey Geraldine draws on more than 500 pages of information to provide instant, sophisticated responses to staff queries and supports increased use of technology in care.
Empowering Carers and Integrating Care
The Bridgit Carer App offers a one-stop, AI-driven platform for unpaid carers, simplifying access to support and advice. Developed with input from carers and health partners, it ensures services are tailored and joined up. It was developed in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council and the local commissioned carers support organisation Caring Together.
Unpaid carers report that Brigit provides practical advice concisely, is accessible, especially during evenings and weekends and trust the app and feel comfortable engaging with it as it is from the council. Our operational carers lead reports that Bridgit has strengthened her ability to identify carers needs, improve engagement, and deliver tailored support at scale. The platform’s analytics and reporting tools allows her to monitor uptake and outcomes to ensuring our strategies remain data-driven and impactful. Its integration with community resources and health partners allows for collaboration and continuity of care which aligns perfectly with our strategic priorities around prevention, independence, and resilience.
We also use Shared Care Record which integrates health and social care data and enables faster, more informed decision-making. It reduces need for clients to repeat information and our staff have reported significant time savings and improved outcomes for clients.
Looking Ahead
Peterborough’s digital transformation in ASC is a dynamic, multi-stage process design, planning, delivery, review, and business-as-usual. With ongoing evaluation and stakeholder engagement, the council is committed to continuous improvement, ensuring technology delivers real benefits for staff, carers, and the wider community.
Tina Hornsby is the Head of Service Improvement and Development at Peterborough City Council.