The technological revolution

Through the digital revolution we see the largest shop (Alibaba) owning no stores, the largest taxi company (Uber) owning no vehicles, and the largest media providers (Facebook and Google) producing little original content.

By 2020, children's services funding will be halved. This will drive innovation. At the same time there is a revolution in the relationship between the state and citizen - characterised by asking communities to do more.

So where is all this leading? Here are three innovations children's services leaders and commissioners need to embrace.

Digital help

This is an easy one, putting information online to help young people and parents to help themselves, peers and children. To a certain extent we can democratise some of the knowledge held by our professionals, which helps us to meet the needs of a much larger population of invisible need.

Developing this theme, we might create new digital access such as online chat, which is popular with children who want to communicate with a health professional but remain anonymous, and digital delivery such as online therapies through Skype.

One of the best examples of digital help is the Babylon GP service. In time this will combine online guidance, clever diagnosis software, test kits that can be delivered by post, and your family GP for video consultations (available 24/7). Already the NHS is using this service to augment 111 and the local GP offer.

Artificial intelligence (AI)

Learning algorithms are being used to understand and mimic human intelligence. Artificial intelligence is the basis of the new Google Translate service, with examples of health visitors finding the apps to be much more responsive than a human translator that has to be booked in advance and may come from 100 miles away.

AI is driving the replacement of telephone and chat enquiries to councils. For example, Enfield Council is using IPsoft's Amelia AI service to deal with planning applications. Artificial intelligence is literally driving the trials of driverless vehicles such as with Bosch in Greenwich, which heralds a future of much cheaper travel, helping vulnerable families in rural areas. This has major potential for commissioners of school transport services.

Predictive modelling

Predictive modelling is about bringing together different data sets to get insights about the future. For example, using household income data to predict exactly who should be getting the pupil premium so we can help them to apply; identifying the protective and risk factors for young offenders so we can focus professionals' time to get the best outcomes; or predicting the resilience of families with children with special educational needs, so we can offer changes that help them to cope and thrive. These are all projects I'm working on with universities.

I can't see it being long before predictive modelling revolutionises children's services - by replacing public health data analysis, and parts of the commissioning cycle. Effectively, it gives you national quality evaluation and insight about risk and protective factors that can be used to shape service design, and a list of all the children and families that are likely to need help in the future. However, before venturing down this particular innovation, ethical and data sharing issues need to be considered.

What might a future that pulls these innovations together look like for children's services?

If austerity continues, the pressure on us to create new and much cheaper interventions will grow. The same austerity will continue to erode vulnerable families' resilience, meaning more people need help. We might see artificial intelligence that is able to analyse all the local agency data, social media, or data transmitted from your watch, to predict the risk and protective factors for all families in a local area. Local authorities, which are already mapping community resources and services, correlate families' needs and local resources, and automatically match them up - for example, offering a local new baby group to one family, asking a teacher to do a little more for another, and deploying a community volunteer to a third before their needs escalate.

It might sound like science fiction, but these types of innovations are already being tested, and anyone working on the frontline of services will confirm the urgency. Let's embrace change and work together to develop new services quickly that can help families and children.

Richard Selwyn is a member of the Association of Directors of Children's Services resources and sustainability policy committee@rjselwyn