Back in 1999, I was helping to roll out laptops to social workers in Liverpool when a manager told me, “I didn't come into social work to play with computers.” It stuck with me, not because I agreed, but because it reflected a real sentiment among some practitioners. Other people like me were excited about shifts in practice. Social care has always been about people, relationships, and support, not screens and systems.
Even then, I could see how technology could enhance practice, streamline processes, and create better outcomes for children and families. Now though research shows between 50-80% of social workers' time is spent in front of a screen and we need to shift the balance. I think AI gives us the opportunity to do that. When digital tools make social care work more effective and efficient, I get excited. That's how I feel about the potential of AI.
We've already seen how electronic records have transformed services. With shared digital databases, vital information is accessible across teams, reducing errors, improving the speed of decision-making and hopefully outcomes for children.
I have always been an innovator or early adopter. In the early 2000s, I worked with Access Group to develop an integrated database with Connexions, which significantly improved education, employment, and training outcomes for young people. Later, I was involved in the development of Mind Of My Own digital participation tools. AI is now opening up even more possibilities for the future of children's social care. The technology already exists to do the following:
- Life story work is generated at the touch of a button. Too many children don't have access to their story in a meaningful way and what does that do to your sense of identity? AI could pull together key information into a consumable format, giving young people a better understanding of how they have arrived where they are.
- Accessing records is the same anywhere. Young adults get their information in heavily redacted chunks with information copied and pasted. AI can be developed to draw out exactly what that person wanted to know, such as, “Why did I go into care?”, “What happened when I was nine and I had to move from Betty's house? Why did the court say I had to see my dad?”.
- Case file audits could become automated. AI could instantly highlight missing information, outstanding tasks, and inconsistencies, helping social workers stay on top of their caseloads. This allows managers and practitioners to understand the quality of interventions and case recording.
- Making performance development reviews meaningful. Instead of laboriously writing up notes, AI can generate drafts, allowing managers and staff to focus and have meaningful conversations about personal and professional growth.
- Learning and development is data driven. AI could identify skill gaps across the workforce, feeding this information to learning and development teams.
- Instant provider tender evaluations. AI could assess and rank compliance elements of tenders, saving time and ensuring fair decisions.
- Identify what works best for children and families. Through learning and analysing patterns in similar cases with similar factors, AI could in the future suggest the most effective services or support strategies, helping practitioners make decisions.
Some of this is already happening. The work North Yorkshire Council is doing with Liquid Logic and others is game changing. Their AI-driven tools are helping social workers access policy and practice guidance instantly. I remember having to memorise legislation and theoretical perspectives to support my court reports. Now, click a button, interrogate the system, and the answer is there.
All of this means that the time and resources saved can be better spent where it matters most, working with children and families.
Many of us are already using AI without thinking about it. ChatGPT, CoPilot, automated scheduling tools. They're all making our life easier. AI isn't about replacing human expertise rather it's about enhancing it.
AI isn't perfect, and there are real challenges: it isn't always right, but it gives you a starting point and it needs to handle sensitive information safely and ethically. One of the biggest risks is that we lose critical thinking skills if AI does too much of the analytical heavy lifting. That's solvable through more reflective supervision, team discussions, and structured learning to keep analytical skills sharp.
This isn't the future, it's now. The technology already exists to make all of this happen. What we need are bold, forward-thinking leaders willing to push boundaries and drive the change. AI will never replace the human side of social care work and nor should it but it can transform the way we work, improve services, and ultimately give practitioners more time to focus on supporting children and families.
