For over a decade, my work has focused on one core idea: AI will only serve society well when the next generation is equipped not just to use it, but to question it, improve it, and use it ethically. Building a responsible AI future requires embedding education, ethics, and inclusion into every layer of national AI strategy – because tomorrow’s innovators are already here.

Inclusion as infrastructure

AI is often described as a tool for efficiency or productivity, but at its heart, it reflects human values. The data we use, the assumptions we make, and the people we include (or exclude) determine whether technology strengthens or fractures our society.

At Teens in AI, we run programmes for 12–18-year-olds in over 100 countries. In 2024, 80% came from diverse ethnic backgrounds, 69% attended state schools and 57% identified as girls. These numbers show the diversity of voices shaping future-facing AI.

In the UK, women make up just 22% of the AI workforce and people from minority ethnic backgrounds only 15% of tech roles.

As we come to the end of 2025 and move into 2026, a key part of our strategy is to ‘teach the teachers’. We provide educators with ready-to-use materials and resources so they can introduce AI concepts confidently, even without prior experience. By equipping teachers as facilitators and learners, we help schools embed AI literacy sustainably, ensuring understanding spreads far beyond any single programme.

Behind every AI use case is a decision: Who builds it, whose assumptions shape it, whose voices are absent. When we start AI literacy early, we embed ethical reasoning, critical thinking, empathy and inclusion into the design process – and that matters for fairness, accountability and social trust.

Why Governments must rethink AI Education

Governments worldwide are grappling with how to build AI capacity responsibly. In the UK, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has acknowledged that addressing the AI skills gap is critical to meeting the ambitions set out in the National AI Strategy. Yet progress remains uneven, with most initiatives focusing on adult reskilling or postgraduate study rather than early education. This risks leaving a generation behind.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 warns that 85 million jobs may be displaced globally, while 97 million new roles will emerge – demanding creativity, ethics, and digital fluency developed long before university

I regularly contribute to government discussions on AI education policy. Most recently, at the UKAI Roundtable at Parliament, I joined policymakers to emphasise the urgent need to equip young people with the knowledge and confidence to thrive in an AI-driven world. There was a shared understanding that to future-proof our economy, we must start with schools – but this requires long-term investment and collaboration across government, industry, and civil society.

On 5 November 2025, the UK Government published its response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review: Building a World-Class Curriculum for All – a long-awaited step towards embedding AI literacy and digital competence across the national curriculum. The response signals an important shift in recognising that AI is not just a technology issue but an education one. I welcome this direction. It’s been a long time coming.

For years, many in education and technology have called for a curriculum that keeps pace with social and technological change. The Review’s emphasis on AI, digital literacy, and critical thinking reflects a growing consensus that early AI education is essential not only for future employability but for civic understanding and ethical reasoning. As these recommendations move from policy to practice, collaboration between government, educators, and social innovators will be vital to ensure that every young person benefits from this shift.

For the past decade, we have shown how equipping young people early with ethical and practical understanding of tech and AI can inspire innovation and social good. The government’s commitment to creating an agile curriculum and embedding technology across all subjects aligns closely with what we see daily in classrooms worldwide: when young people understand AI’s real-world context, they develop curiosity, empathy and confidence to lead responsibly in the future workforce.

The UK Government’s White Paper on AI Regulation proposes a pro-innovation model, where regulators apply five principles: Safety, Accountability, Transparency, Fairness, and Contestability. While legislation is not yet fully in place, this framework underscores why early education in AI literacy and ethics matters. Globally, frameworks such as UNESCO’s AI Competency Guidelines for Schools are setting a new benchmark for how countries embed AI understanding into national curricula.

If AI is to serve the people, not just profit, we must reimagine what progress looks like. For governments, this means treating AI literacy as a civic skill – as essential as reading or numeracy – and ensuring every young person, regardless of background, has the chance to participate.

What the Private Sector can do differently

The private sector has a unique opportunity to drive social impact while addressing its own talent shortages. The UK AI Opportunity Action Plan highlights that demand for AI skills far outpaces supply, with 60% of businesses citing recruitment as their biggest barrier to AI adoption.

This year’s wave of layoffs reveals a short-sighted pattern. As organisations replace junior roles with AI systems, they may gain short-term productivity but lose long-term capacity to grow human expertise. Every algorithm trained today still depends on people who can ask better questions tomorrow. Forward-thinking companies recognise that sustaining innovation means investing in young minds, not eliminating them.

This is where partnership matters. We collaborate with global organisations including Sage, Capgemini and Red Hat to strengthen AI education while advancing social good. Together, we co-design real-world challenges that equip young people with the skills, ethics and confidence to build responsible AI solutions. For our partners, this is not philanthropy – it is strategic investment in a diverse, future-ready workforce that reflects the values and needs of a fairer digital economy.

When organisations share mentorship and technical expertise, young people learn not just how to build with AI, but why to build responsibly. In turn, businesses gain imaginative, ethical, and globally aware insights from the next generation.

Education as the foundation for responsible AI

AI will continue to evolve faster than most institutions can regulate it. The only scalable safeguard is education – for students, teachers, parents, policymakers, and employers. We must move from ‘awareness’ to ‘agency’.

That is why our focus is not just on teaching coding. We integrate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into every programme, fostering a culture of ethical inquiry and social responsibility. When young people understand bias, fairness and sustainability, they carry these principles into every innovation they create. Our alumni now lead university projects, apprenticeships and careers in AI ethics, data science and policy – proof that early investment builds lifelong impact.

The choices we make today about who gets to learn, create and lead with AI will define the values that underpin our future. As we look ahead to 2026, our ambition is to make AI literacy as universal as literacy itself – accessible across subjects, languages and cultures. If we want technology that reflects the best of humanity, we must invest in the people who will build it. The time to act is now – not when the gap has already widened, but while we still have the chance to shape it together.

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2025 marks a decisive moment in our relationship with artificial intelligence. Across governments, industries, and communities, we are asking not only what AI can do — but who it serves and who it might exclude.

For years, the promise of AI innovation has coexisted with a growing awareness of its blind spots: bias, lack of representation, and the replication of structural inequalities through data. The challenge now is to ensure AI evolves as a tool for social repair, not reinforcement of injustice.

As an academic working on the intersections of AI, community safety, and digital inclusion, I have seen both the harm and the hope that accompany technological progress. The future depends on whether we can make AI more human-centred, transparent, and inclusive.

Seeing the streets differently: Turning hate into insight

Through my project StreetSnap, we are implementing image recognition to identify and analyse hateful graffiti in public spaces – turning what is often dismissed as vandalism and nuisance into real-time data about belonging and exclusion. 

By combing image recognition, practitioner reporting and creative arts interventions through the sister project of Flip the Streets, StreetSnap enables local authorities and residents to respond together, replacing hate with creativity.

This work reimagines what AI can be. Instead of a distant, data-hungry system, it becomes a lens of empathy – mapping the stories that shape our shared spaces. 

If you can’t see the data, you can’t see the problem – but if you can’t see the people behind the data, you can’t solve it.

Listening as data: The power of lived experience

Bias in AI is rarely just a technical flaw; it reflects the social inequalities embedded in our datasets. Communities most affected by discrimination are often the least represented in the data used to design digital systems. 

That insight inspired the work that is being developed on the Lived Experience Repository of Racism in Wales – a soon to be open digital archive that gathers existing studies and testimonies from people who have experienced racism and exclusion. This platform ensures that policy, research and innovation are guided by real stories, not abstract statistics. 

The lesson is simple: inclusion starts with listening. StreetSnap listens to the language of the streets; the repository listens to the language of lived reality. Both show that narratives are data too – essential for designing technology that reflects, rather than erases, human experience. 

Beyond bias: Building accountability into AI

Much of the public conversation about AI ethics remains focused on mitigating bias, but we need to go further. Accountability means asking who participates, not just how the algorithm performs. 

In these projects, I work with artists, young people, community safety teams and policymakers to co-design how data is gathered and interpreted. When diverse groups are part of the design process, the outcomes are not just more ethical – they are more trusted, relevant and resilient. 

True AI accountability cannot be achieved through audits alone. It depends on shared ownership, where communities shape the tools that shape their lives and experiences.

Digital inclusion as democratic infrastructure

Digital inclusion is often described as an access issue – broadband, devices, or skills – but it is also a democratic issue. If participation in digital systems determines access to services, safety and opportunity, then inclusion is foundational to social justice. 

Projects like StreetSnap and the repository demonstrate how inclusive AI begins with inclusive story telling. By valuing local knowledge, creativity and lived experience, we are not only collecting better data – we are redefining whose experiences matter in the digital public sphere.

This approach echoes the broader shift in responsible AI practice: from designing systems for people to designing them with people. 

The opportunity ahead: AI for human connection

The next phase of AI development must move beyond efficiency toward empathy. To build AI for good, we must reimagine what ‘good’ looks like in practice.

That means:

• Embedding ethical reflexivity into every AI project — continually asking who benefits, who is visible, and who is missing.
• Merging data and creativity, making social issues visible and actionable through digital storytelling.
• Empowering communities to co-create and govern the technologies that impact them.
• Bridging sectors — academia, policy, tech, and the arts — to ensure innovation serves the public good.

AI can, and should, help us see ourselves more clearly — not just predict outcomes, but reflect our values.

Key takeaways for leaders

• Prioritise representation: Build datasets that capture the diversity of lived experience, not just convenience or scale.
• Design with empathy: Invite communities into the design process to ensure AI reflects the realities it seeks to address.
• Invest in digital inclusion as social infrastructure: Equity in data access and participation is essential for ethical innovation.

Looking forward

Recognition in the Digital Leaders AI 100 list reflects not only technological progress but a growing movement toward ethical, community-driven innovation. 

As we look ahead, the most transformative AI systems will not be those that think like humans, but those that help humans think more compassionately about one another.

Read More AI for good

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Sunderland is leading by example. Recently recognised with the Digital Leaders People’s Choice Award and shortlisted in the Social Transformation category, Sunderland’s Smart City programme is demonstrating how technology and innovation can create meaningful change in communities and improve lives.

Tackling inequality through digital inclusion

At the heart of Sunderland’s transformation is a mission to tackle digital exclusion, ensuring that every resident – regardless of age, background or income – can benefit from the opportunities the digital world offers.

Through the city’s award-winning Digital Inclusion Programme, thousands of people have been empowered with the tools, skills and connectivity needed to thrive. 

From building 30 Digital Health Hubs across the city delivering over 10,000m² of free public Wi-Fi – used over 60,000 times a month – this programme is bridging the digital divide and creating access for all.

Many residents who were previously excluded from online services – whether through lack of devices, connectivity or confidence – are now connected, supported and empowered. Over 1,500 people have been upskilled through training and community-led digital sessions, raising confidence and opening opportunities for residents in a digital era. 

“Digital Hubs have been a massive part of our smart city strategy – to absolutely bring that connectivity and those digital services out to local communities.”
Liz St Louis, director of smart cities at Sunderland City Council. 

Over 1,000 donated devices have been refurbished and redistributed to those who need them most, directly addressing the issue of access to digital equipment, alongside reducing e-waste and its related emissions.

Smart, sustainable and inclusive

Connectivity underscores Sunderland’s smart city journey, it’s the bedrock for social, economic and environmental good. Our ambition is to create inclusive communities – using technology as a catalyst for sustainable change.

Sunderland has introduced technology-enabled care across the city, from sensors supporting safe and effective hospital discharge, to monitoring hydration and falls, supporting over 5,500 people to live safely and independently at home to date. 

Meanwhile, innovative programmes like the 5G Innovation Region’s (5GIR) funded projects have driven sustainability and economic growth, while improving safety and operational efficiency.

By prioritising inclusivity, sustainability and innovation, Sunderland’s smart city achievements have fostered stronger communities, improved quality of life and inspired other cities to follow their lead.

Sunderland’s Digital Health Hubs have been instrumental in bringing the opportunity to go online into the heart of local communities. The Hubs have addressed health and digital inequalities, supporting over 11,000 vulnerable people to date. 

Over 284 volunteers have been recruited to foster community participation and boost digital confidence. This has created valuable volunteering opportunities and a pathway into education and employment. 

The city’s launch of a ‘Links for Life’ platform has provided a digital platform for residents and professionals to ‘join the dots’ between communities and services, with over 300 local organisations registered across all sectors. 

The digital transformation across Sunderland is a model that integrates Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) values at every level, by:

• Reducing e-waste and using data to drive sustainable urban planning
• Empowering underserved communities and building digital confidence
• Building partnerships across health, housing, education and the voluntary sector to ensure joined-up, community-led solutions thrive

And it’s not just the city council leading this change – Tech Mates and corporate supporters are helping neighbours and communities gain confidence online. A true citywide movement for digital empowerment is underway.

A model for others to follow

Sunderland’s efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. The city has become a beacon of best practice for other towns and cities looking to tackle digital exclusion and build smarter, more resilient communities, and was named the UK’s smartest city earlier this year by The Times. 

“Technology evolves all the time and I think it is important that people keep up with that, and are supported to do that in a safe way that works for them. 

To be able to use technology, to be able to improve people’s lives and to have the community space like we have with the Hubs is super important.”
Claire Venners, director delivery UK & Ireland at Boldyn Networks,

By using data and analytics to identify areas of need, and collaborating across sectors, Sunderland is delivering smarter solutions where they matter most. Its work with the North East Combined Authority on Minimum Digital Living Standards could soon set the bar for digital inclusion efforts across the UK.

The future is resident-centred and tech-enabled

Sunderland’s story shows that true smart city success isn’t just about the tech itself – it’s about the people it helps, the lives it changes and the communities it brings together.

Through bold leadership, strong partnerships and a commitment to leaving no one and nowhere behind, Sunderland is proving that digital transformation, when done right, is a powerful force for good.

As the recent Digital Leaders Awards celebrate those embedding positive impact into everything they do, Sunderland continues to lead from the front – putting people at the heart of innovation. Follow Sunderland’s smart city journey here. 

Read More Digital Inclusion

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In a time of rising inflation, growing consumer debt, and increasing financial vulnerability, the UK financial sector is undergoing a quiet but profound transformation.

We worked alongside FinTech Scotland and the University of Glasgow to create a whitepaper called ‘Consumers at the heart of innovation: Financial health evaluation in the UK’ which explores how emerging technologies, regulatory frameworks, and new models of consumer engagement are redefining financial health evaluation.

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Over a five-month pilot of Microsoft Copilot for M365 across a major UK government department, we tracked how 300 users adapted to the AI-powered platform. Twelve percent of these users identified as having accessibility requirements—ranging from cognitive conditions like ADHD and dyslexia, to physical or fatigue-related impairments such as RSI or ME.

We expected productivity improvements. What we didn’t expect was how dramatically Copilot would empower those with accessibility needs.

The quiet revolution in accessibility

Accessibility is broad and often invisible. It spans permanent disabilities, temporary injuries, and neurodivergent processing differences. Among our test group, challenges ranged from difficulty taking notes in real-time, to anxiety around written expression, to the cognitive load of switching tasks.

What we found was this: Microsoft Copilot didn’t just accommodate these users—it enabled them to perform at a higher level, with greater autonomy and confidence.

What is Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot integrates AI capabilities into the Microsoft 365 ecosystem—Word, Outlook, Teams, Excel, PowerPoint. It helps users generate content, summarise meetings and documents, refine communications, explore data, and manage emails more effectively.

Among all pilot participants:

• 50% reported higher job satisfaction
• 55% said their collaboration improved
• 65% felt their work quality increased

But the numbers for users with accessibility needs told a stronger story.

The three invisible frictions Copilot solves

1. Note taking in meetings

For users with auditory processing difficulties or neurodivergence, following a meeting while also taking notes can be mentally exhausting. Copilot’s ability to summarise discussions and surface key points after the fact significantly reduced cognitive load.

One user said, “As a neurodivergent person, Copilot has been transformative. I can be more productive with its assistance in readouts, transcriptions, engaging in meetings and rephrasing language.”

2. Writing documents and emails

Writing clearly and concisely can be challenging, particularly for users with conditions that affect focus, language, or executive functioning. Copilot’s editing and summarising tools allowed users to improve clarity, structure, and tone—without requiring additional time or stress.

3. Starting from scratch

Many users with accessibility needs reported that a blank page was one of their biggest productivity blocks. Copilot helped initiate the thinking process, whether by offering content prompts or generating a first draft that users could then edit or refine.

“It’s cutting the time taken to do tasks in half,” said one user. “It’s saving time and effort and helping me stay productive.”

The numbers that matter

When we compared outcomes between all users and those with accessibility requirements, the differential was clear:

This isn’t just a story about AI. It’s a case study in how digital transformation, when deployed with purpose, can create a more equitable work environment.

What we learned

Many users were enthusiastic about Copilot’s support. But for those with accessibility needs, it went beyond convenience—it became essential.

One user said, “I would be absolutely lost without Copilot now. It has been so brilliant I cannot imagine ever having to work without it again.”

Another added, “I would consider Copilot essential, honestly. For me, it is the single biggest productivity boost since MS Teams or even something as integral as email.”

Beyond productivity: Designing for equity

This pilot programme reinforced a critical truth: tools designed for everyone must work for everyone.

If inclusion is the benchmark for modern digital transformation, then Copilot is more than a workplace enhancement. It is a catalyst for equity. And that makes it not just an operational win—but a strategic imperative.

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We believe this shift is about reimagining the entire talent lifecycle, from nursery to boardroom. That’s why, when asked to contribute to techUK’s spotlight on the UK’s AI ecosystem, I brought together colleagues from across disciplines to co-create our collective view. What emerged was clear: technical skills for the future are vital, but they’re not enough for an AI world.

AI isn’t the future. It’s here — and accelerating.

“The rapid adoption and rate of change is phenomenal,” said David Wilson, a technical consultant. “When I first started exploring AI, I thought AGI was 20 years away. Now I think it could be five.”

This acceleration is already transforming job markets. The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 shows the most in-demand skills are not technical or literacy. Analytical thinking, creative thinking, resilience, and curiosity top the list. These are not ’nice-to-haves’ — they are critical for navigating an AI-infused economy.

As AI continues to evolve and take on more tasks, the role of human input is shifting. In this new landscape, meaning and purpose are becoming the key motivators- especially for younger generations, who may be asking “What’s the point?”. AI can feel like just another obstacle, but those who are grounded in a strong sense of why will be the ones who adapt, thrive and find their place.

Creativity and STEM

One of the most thought-provoking tensions that emerged in our workshop was between investing in creativity versus technical STEM proficiency. Some argued, reasonably, that AI development demands strong foundations in maths, data science, and engineering. As one colleague put it, “In a tight fiscal environment, prioritising vocational STEM training offers more immediate return.”

But others challenged that view. “We don’t need more professional artists,” said Joanna Finlay, Consulting Manager, “but we do need kids to do music, dance, art — because it makes their brains more agile and imaginative.”

I agree. These creative capacities are what AI can’t (yet) replicate — but exactly what we need to design the ethical, intuitive, and inclusive tech of the future.

Consulting Manager Mark Henderson captured this perfectly:

“An AI-ready workforce might actually be 80% AI. So the human 20%? That better be exceptional. It had better be creative, ethical, and curious — or we’ll just be dominated by the tools we’ve built.”

Collectively we explored a future that isn’t STEM or arts — maybe it’s Createch: the fusion of creativity and technology. As Charles Landry, a leading international authority on the use of imagination and creativity in urban change, says, “Distinctions between ‘cultural’, ‘creative’ and ‘digital’ enterprises are fast eroding.” This interplay must start early — and it must be deliberate.

Start young. Upskill wide. Embed learning for life.

Our collective view is simple: we need to start early, learn differently, and adapt constantly.

“AI should be taught at primary school,” said Jonathan Cave, Consulting Manager. “It’s as important now as maths and english.” Fellow Consulting Manager, Selina Satchell agreed: “There’s a chunk of development before primary school — nursery even — where kids are already engaging with AI-powered tools.”

But education alone won’t bridge the gap. We must rethink learning across the workforce. That means:

• Accessible reskilling now for those at risk of being left behind.
• Just-in-time training to keep pace with evolving tools.
• Critical thinking and ethical reasoning as core competencies.

We also need to govern AI learning itself. “Who decides what’s fact in an AI-generated world, and what should be taught?” asked Jonathan. “It raises important questions about how we teach truth, trust, and technology in the age of AI.”

Our call to action: Invest in humans as well as the tech.  

AI is already changing the way we work and live. To stay ahead, the UK must invest in people — not just technology.

Here’s what we need to do:

• Start early with AI education, creativity and STEM, making sure children learn how to use and understand AI from the start.
• Help businesses give all workers access to just-in-time on-the-job learning, so no one gets left behind.
• Make AI learning part of everyday life, not just something you do at the start of your career.
• Teach people to think critically about AI, so they can use it wisely and ask the right questions.
• Create a holistic approach to education, including preparing society for the impacts of AI, and not just the skills in isolation.

The AI era demands more than technical know-how. It demands human ingenuity. Let’s build a workforce that’s technically confident, creatively alive, and critically prepared for what’s next.

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I’ve worked in digital design for public services long enough to know that, no matter how good our intentions, new technology often benefits those who are already well-served. AI is no exception. The real opportunity, and the real responsibility, is making sure it doesn’t deepen digital exclusion but instead helps dismantle it.

There’s no doubt AI can unlock better public services. It can support people with disabilities, simplify complex processes, and create more flexible, inclusive experiences. But that won’t happen by default. It only happens if we’re deliberate, not just about what AI can do, but who it’s doing it for.

A huge part of the challenge lies in the scale of exclusion we’re talking about. Around one in four people in the UK has some form of disability, whether visual, auditory, cognitive, speech-related or sensorimotor, who are everyday users of public services. If AI doesn’t work for them, it doesn’t work full stop.

What gives me hope is that AI can be part of the solution when it’s designed thoughtfully. I’ve seen tools that describe images in vivid detail for people with sight loss, or convert dense, official documents into plain language for people with learning disabilities. I’ve seen public sector organisations use speech-to-text and sign language AI to bridge gaps for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. The opportunity now is to bring them into the mainstream.

But good intentions aren’t enough. We need to build these systems alongside the people they’re meant to serve. That means involving users with access needs from the start, not at the testing phase, but during discovery, design and development. It means asking, early and often: Will this help someone feel more confident, or more confused? Will it support independence, or make someone feel stuck in a loop they can’t get out of?

Too often, digital teams still default to building for the “average user.” The truth is, there’s no such person. Designing for inclusion means making space for a wide range of experiences. That’s especially true when introducing AI into services that already feel impersonal or difficult to navigate.

Take chatbots, for example. They’re often introduced to ease pressure on staff and improve access. But they frequently fall short for users who rely on screen readers, and many don’t work with assistive technology at all. For neurodiverse users, the way questions are phrased or the logic of the conversation can be confusing, making it harder to understand or resolve their issue.

If chatbots are to support inclusion, they need to be designed from the ground up with these users in mind. That means ensuring compatibility with screen readers, using clear, predictable language, and avoiding overly complex or rigid question flows. Most importantly, there must always be a straightforward way for someone to get help from a human when the bot isn’t working for them. And that experience needs to be tested with people who are most likely to face these barriers, not just those already comfortable with digital tools.

I’ve also seen how AI can help improve public service content in really practical ways. Swindon Council, for example, used AI to transform dense housing contracts into easy-read formats, making a real difference for residents with learning difficulties. What made it successful was how it was developed with the people it was intended to support. The team worked closely with users throughout, gaining regular feedback and building a clear understanding of the challenges people faced.  It meant they could make meaningful design decisions, ones rooted in real-life contexts rather than assumptions.

Where things get even more interesting is in the public sector workplace itself. AI is starting to support not just the general public but staff, helping people with various access needs work in ways that suit them, summarising meetings, or transcribing conversations in real time. When coupled with inclusive policies and things like a “Manual of Me”, which lets colleagues share how they work best, AI can support healthier, more inclusive teams.

But with all this potential comes the need for caution. AI has to be ethical, transparent and controllable. We have to understand how it makes decisions, how to challenge those decisions, and how to shut it off if something goes wrong. That means thinking beyond functionality and into accountability, especially in systems that impact people’s benefits, housing or access to care.

Ultimately, AI’s real power isn’t speed or scale. It’s the ability to remove barriers that, until now, we’ve struggled to shift. Things like inaccessible documents, long waits for support, or hard-to-navigate systems. But it only removes those barriers if we actively design it to.

So, as we explore what AI can do in the public sector, my advice is simple. Start with the people who are most likely to be excluded. Involve them in the design. Keep things transparent and human. And never assume that just because something is “smart,” it’s better.

The future of accessible public services is built on listening, testing, and designing for the full spectrum of human experience.

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Having worked across a number of SEND services, I believe that to really make progress, we need to rethink how we do things. Processes need fixing, and we need to find smart, simple solutions that actually help children and young people, their families, and schools. 

Context in SEND

At its core, the SEND system is built on a legal duty to identify and meet the needs of children and young people, so that they can do well in education and in life. But that promise is increasingly difficult to keep. Rising demand for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) places significant pressure on local authorities, schools, and associated services such as health and social care. As of June 2024, 18.4% of children in England have some kind of special educational need, up from 17.3% in 2023. ASCL – Summary of June 2024 DfE SEND data 

Many services are struggling to keep up, leading to long delays and frustration for families. During the co-production work with families, they described to me their experiences being ‘slow’ and ‘confusing’, with long waits and little information on what’s happening or why. This left them feeling frustrated and powerless, despite professionals working hard behind the scenes to keep the system moving. Those same professionals often described to me that they felt frustrated and powerless themselves trying to navigate systems which work against them, not for them. As one SEND professional told me “I feel like a detective trying to find information to create an EHC Plan”. It was only when we mapped out the process and to the end that SENCOs and SEND professionals who had been involved in the process for years, became aware of the full end-to-end process. 

The solution isn’t just about throwing more resources at the problem. The real issue is that the processes are clunky and slow, and we don’t have the right digital foundations to really innovate. Yet in the current climate, innovation isn’t optional; it’s essential. 

The parent perspective: where innovation meets real life

For parents and carers navigating the EHCP process, the experience can often feel like a maze with no clear route out. The journey is rarely straightforward, with bottlenecks at multiple points including assessment, decision-making, and provision planning. Families are understandably desperate for transparency and progress updates, not just as a matter of convenience but as a way to actively contribute to solutions. 

Think about the difference it would make if parents (or young people) could just log in and see exactly what’s going on with their case. Who’s handling it? What’s causing the delay? How can they help? This level of visibility would empower families to become partners in the process rather than feeling like passive participants. It’s an aspiration that isn’t just about good customer service;

it’s about building trust in a system that often feels opaque and impenetrable. It’s not radical innovation and yet so many parents aren’t empowered this way, leading to additional failure demand driven contact for already overwhelmed teams. 

AI isn’t the whole answer

Right now, everyone’s talking about AI as the fix for everything, including SEND. It’s true AI could help make faster decisions, draft initial plans and even improve the quality of advice submitted, and more – as long as all were reviewed by a ‘human in the loop’. But here’s the thing; until we get the basics right, AI is a high-cost, high-risk option and could be an expensive gamble. It’s the unpopular truth which I’ve encountered time and time again when working with emerging technologies, and SEND is no exception. 

Having worked across children’s services in a number of councils, including leading deep dives within SEND services to look for AI and innovation opportunities, it strikes me that right now, many SEND systems are outdated, slow, and hard to navigate. Without good digital foundations, like joined-up digital systems and accurate data, in this context AI could end up making things worse, not better. Whilst we might be being promised that AI is the way forward, in reality it’s like hiring a world-class chef to cook in a state of the art kitchen without any ingredients available; you’ll spend a fortune and still end up ordering takeaway. Instead we need to focus on making sure the right components for AI are available. 

Building digital foundations

The greatest and most rapid impact can be achieved by focusing on getting the basics in place first. We’re talking streamlining processes, automating workflows, improving communication, transparency, consistency, and data insights. Most of all it’s about ensuring processes meet the needs of stakeholders and new ways of working are embedded, before layering on AI. 

The good news is that these ‘digital foundations’ aren’t at odds with AI (their an essential enabler for it) and they would also be welcome by families working with SEND services. 

Parents I spoke to told me that having insight into the status of an application and which ‘advices’ for an EHCP were outstanding would have a significant impact. Parents told me that they’d willingly follow progress up with the relevant professional who they’re often in contact with through routine appointments. Instead, currently there is no visibility, it is a manual process performed by the SEND service with delays resulting in corresponding delays to finalising plans and high levels of rework. Additionally, parents seeing the information at the first point allows them to take part in the process as partners, ensuring the advice reflects their child’s needs and avoiding lengthy and often expensive challenges (via mediations or tribunals) to the content of plans after they’ve already been written. 

Whilst these digital foundations won’t solve every issue, they have the potential to free up staff time and energy, allowing professionals to focus on higher-value work like supporting families and making nuanced decisions about provision. They would also set the stage for bigger innovations, like AI, to make a real difference when the conditions are both right and ripe. 

Supporting inputs from other pressured services

SEND doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Fundamentally, the success of the system relies heavily on the contributions of other services, including health and social care, which are themselves under immense strain. Without high-quality, timely input from these sectors, the EHCP process falters. You can speed up the process of creating an EHC Plan using AI, but if the inputs to the plan don’t meet the needs, the benefits and the quality of that plan will be diminished. 

One of the key opportunities here is taking a systems thinking approach to innovation, which isn’t simple due to funding structures and many different systems used by each service. But this is the core of true innovation and relies on strong partnerships, shared technological infrastructure, and incentives to ensure that health, social care and other professional’s inputs are optimised to to 

improve outcomes, and the creation of more timely plans, within the EHCP process.

A culture and capacity shift: building trust in innovation

Arguably, the biggest hurdle to innovation isn’t technology or funding; it’s capacity and culture. It’s crucial to recognise the incredible work being done by SEND professionals. They’re the ones holding the system together, often going above and beyond to make sure children get the support they need. But they’re under huge pressure, and without better tools and systems (and their adoption), burnout is a real risk. We need to rethink how things work, make processes easier, and embrace new ways of working that free up staff to do what they do best, helping children and families. 

However, SEND services can at times be cautious of change, and with good reason: when dealing with vulnerable children and their families, the stakes are high. But this caution at times can lead to paralysis, with processes that are outdated remaining in place because they’re familiar, or because they are perceived as ‘safe’. At times, too little investment in change management and reinforcement of new ways of working mean new solutions aren’t adopted, inefficient workarounds remain and innovation resources are wasted. 

Innovating in this space requires a shift in mindset. It needs a move towards a culture that sees innovation as an opportunity to do better, not a risk to be avoided. It needs investment in capacity dedicated to fixing the plumbing, not just responding to the leaks. It needs change management support and capacity to ensure the successful adoption of new solutions and embedding of new ways of working. 

Innovating in this space requires agility, piloting of new ideas, gathering feedback, and iterating based on what works. Co-production partners and families must be part of this journey, with their voices shaping solutions. In a hierarchical, highly governed service, ensuring governance structures which sponsor, champion and invest in innovation is fundamental. It is also critical to build an Agile culture which allows, facilitates and enables capacity to be invested in in Proof of Concepts designed to test technology with no guarantee that outcomes so desperately needed, will be achieved. This is not an easy pill to swallow given the pressures on the service and stakes for families. 

The Autumn 2024 budget: a foundation for change

The UK government’s commitment in the Autumn 2024 budget to increase SEND funding provides a much-needed boost. But this funding must be used strategically to unlock sustainable

improvements, not just paper over cracks. Investing in technology, training, and capacity-building will be critical to achieving long-term change. 

The biggest elephant in the room

We need to stop duplicating effort. When every local authority tries to solve the same problems on their own, it leads to wasted time and resources, something Mark Thompson, Professor in Digital Economy at University of Exeter, has highlighted for years. A more joined-up, national approach could help councils focus less on reinventing the wheel and more on delivering better support for families. 

The opportunity for this in the SEND Education, Health and Care request, assessment, and plan process is significant given that the statutory requirements and the SEND code of practice are national. Although the Department for Education is working with a number of local authorities to standardise EHCP processes as a part of its Change Partnership Programme (CPP), in reality, these standardisation and efficiency gains are needed by families now. 

My 3 suggestions for SEND services?

1. Digital foundations must be built and embedded into ways of working as a lower risk, lower cost precursor to, and enabler for, AI 
2. SEND services and partners should be incentivised and enabled to truly approach this at a systemic level 
3. Authorities need investment and support to innovate at national level, and quickly 

Read More AI for good

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At TellJO we’ve worked with local authorities, utilities and housing associations across the UK. We’ve seen how transformative it can be when companies shift from reactive models, where they wait for someone to fall into crisis, to proactive, digital-first approaches that engage people before financial or mental health problems become a crisis-situation.

Regulators have recognised this too, with FCA Consumer Duty, Ofgem and Ofwat all incorporating the identification of and fair treatment of vulnerable customers into their guidance. Despite this, a key question for many companies remains – ‘how do we identify and engage vulnerable customers?’

Why proactive digital tools are so powerful—and why they’re essential for the next era of customer care and corporate responsibility:

1. Disclosure doesn’t happen by accident

For too long, companies have relied on the assumption that people will speak up when they’re struggling. But this simply isn’t the case. Shame, fear of judgment, and low digital or financial confidence all play a role in silencing those who need support the most. Disclosure requires not only trust, but the right environment.

A proactive digital tool (like the wellbeing checks we’ve developed at TellJO) changes that dynamic. When you reach out first with empathy, give people the space to respond, and ask the right questions in the right tone, you make it far more likely that they will open-up. And when they do, they’re often telling you things they’ve never shared with another organisation before.

I shared some more advice on creating the right environment for disclosure in this blog post: https://telljo.org/work-with-us/resources/blog/five-steps-to-create-a-winning-disclosure-environment/

2. Proactive engagement builds emotional safety

Digital engagement doesn’t just scale operations, it humanises them when done right. We’ve found that people are five times more likely to disclose their struggles through a secure digital channel than over the phone or face-to-face.

Why? Because digital tools offer a buffer. They reduce fear of confrontation and judgement by another person. Emotional safety drives engagement, and engagement drives early intervention.

3. Early disclosure leads to better outcomes

When someone discloses a vulnerability early, before rent arrears escalate, before debt spirals, before mental health deteriorates, companies can offer targeted support that’s timely and effective. It might be a referral to a food bank, mental health support, budgeting advice, or a temporary payment arrangement.

For companies, early intervention translates into reduced costs, fewer escalated cases, and a stronger relationship with customers (we’ve seen up to 1900% return on investment for companies that support customers before their arrears escalate). For individuals, it can mean the difference between a short-term difficulty and a long-term crisis.

4. Proactive tools provide insights at scale

One of the most exciting parts of building TellJO has been seeing how consent-given data from proactive digital engagement can help organisations better understand the challenges their customers face. Before those challenges turn into complaints, rising customer arrears or regulatory issues.

Digital tools allow for real-time analysis of patterns in vulnerability, wellbeing, and financial distress. This not only improves service delivery but also supports compliance with the FCA’s Consumer Duty.

5. The future is human-first, digital-led

Being proactive isn’t just about sending an email or SMS; it’s about embedding care into the very infrastructure of your customer journey. It means recognising that vulnerability is a part of life – it can be fluid and complex, people move in and out depending on physical and mental health, personal circumstances and life events. According to the FCA Financial Lives Survey 45% of UK adults can classed as vulnerable (Source: https://www.fca.org.uk/data/financial-lives-2022-early-survey-insights-vulnerability-financial-resilience). And the sooner we acknowledge that, the more inclusive our systems become.

For example, we worked with E.ON Next recently, they were able to use the improved data to support 5,000 customers who had a terminal illness. Another large energy supplier was able to offer warm home advice to over 2,500 customers after they completed digital wellbeing checks.

Human-first responses that wouldn’t have been possible without that initial digital intervention. 

Final thought

Companies that invest in proactive digital tools are not just ticking a box. They are signalling to their customers: We see you. We care. We’re here to help—before things get worse. That message, delivered digitally but grounded in compassion, is what drives real engagement, meaningful disclosure, and better outcomes for everyone.

Read More Digital Inclusion

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For years, digital inclusion has framed much of our national and local response to connectivity gaps. We focused rightly on access: devices, data, and basic digital skills. It was a vital first step. But now, in a climate of austerity, accelerating AI adoption, and widening inequality, inclusion alone is not enough. We must move towards digital equity  a justice-driven approach that ensures people not only access digital tools but benefit from them equitably.

Digital equity is about outcomes, not just inputs. It’s about power, participation, and sustainability. At DAISI, we’ve reoriented our entire model to reflect this and it’s transforming how services are co-designed and delivered.

What Does Digital Equity Look Like in Practice?

Let me be clear: equity does not mean everyone gets the same. It means recognising structural disadvantage  and actively designing services that account for it.

At DAISI, our approach includes:

• Device and data banks triaged using lived experience, not just postcode or income.
• Digital safeguarding pathways embedded in NHS Virtual Wards to address risks such as Domestic Abuse (DA).
• Cyber safety and digital training tailored for Deaf users and people with sensory disabilities.
• The use of open-source platforms to build agency, not lock-in.

These aren’t just ‘inclusion’ projects. They are structural correctives interventions that question who services are failing, and what must change.

Case Study: Virtual Wards – From Risk to Recovery

One of the most powerful examples of equity-led digital design is our contribution to the Gloucestershire Virtual Wards programme.

Through our Digital First Community Support initiative, DAISI influenced how early discharge is managed, particularly where digital health tools interface with complex social realities. We flagged that many patients, especially survivors of Domestic Abuse (DA), were being discharged into environments where digital monitoring could increase risk — for example, if abusers could access devices or overhear consultations.

In response, we helped integrate DA considerations into the digital triage process, ensuring discharge decisions now consider digital safety, not just clinical metrics. It marked a fundamental shift treating digital harm as a safeguarding issue, not a user error.

But equity also means ensuring access to preventative digital health tools, not just crisis response. That’s why our work also included exploring virtual walks and immersive nature experiences for housebound patients interventions designed to reduce isolation, anxiety, and inactivity through low-cost, sensory-rich digital wellbeing tools.

This dual-pronged approach safeguarding risk while enabling recovery, reflects what equity truly demands: contextual, compassionate, co-designed care pathways.

“Being part of the DAISI co-design group gave me my voice back. I didn’t just get a device  I helped design the system that keeps others like me safe.”
– A DAISI participant with lived experience of domestic abuse and digital exclusion

Why This Matters to Councils and Public Services

Digital equity isn’t charity. It’s good governance and efficient design.

When systems are built around equity:

• Duplication and crisis re-entry are reduced
• Staff time is used more effectively
• Residents engage more meaningfully — whether in health, housing, or democratic life

For example, by embracing open-source software and co-designed tools, DAISI has saved over £70,000 annually  money that now funds delivery and logistics.

Councils facing shrinking budgets must understand: Digital equity is not an added cost. It’s a smarter investment.

Global Lessons: RUSTIK and Rural Innovation

Digital equity is not just a local issue. We’ve taken this work into the RUSTIK Horizon Europe project, which explores sustainable rural transformation across 12 regions.

As part of the UK cohort, GRCC is embedding community-led data governance through AI-powered rural dashboards — all co-produced with VCSE groups.

This project shows that digital justice must scale, and that rural areas are not passive recipients — they can be leaders in equitable innovation. The work across all regions can be found here https://rustik-he.eu/

Policy Implications: A Call to Action for Local Leaders

To move beyond tokenism, we must change how digital strategies are framed and funded. I propose the following steps:

• Embed equity impact assessments into all public digital transformation projects
• Fund digital triage roles within community organisations, particularly those trusted by marginalised groups
• Shift from “digital literacy” to “digital agency” — where users influence, not just navigate, systems
• Ensure interoperability by favouring open standards and non-proprietary platforms
• Recognise digital harm as a safeguarding issue, especially in housing, social care, and mental health

Councils and NHS bodies must see community-led digital equity as infrastructure, not outreach.

Tangible Takeaways

• Redesign with communities, not just for them: true co-production builds resilience and relevance
• Scrutinise your data: who is missing? Who benefits from your digital systems? What bias does it contain
• Prioritise sustainability: open tech and circular device schemes save money and increase reach
• View digital harm through the same lens as physical or financial safeguarding

Final Thoughts: Digital Equity as a Compass

Digital equity isn’t a trend, it’s a compass. It orients us towards justice, efficiency, and democratic renewal. It allows us to deliver smarter government, reduce waste, and ensure that no one is left behind as digital transformation accelerates.

I believe the future will not only be judged by how many people are online but by how equitably they can participate, decide, and thrive.

Read More Bias &Ethics

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