Praise for Ealing Council's Use of AI in Adult Social Care
New tool found to have reduced administrative work by 44%
The council is using a new tool called Magic Notes. Picture: Beam
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January 16, 2025
A report into Adult Social Care in the borough of Ealing has praised the way the council’s Adult Services team is using AI (artificial intelligence)
One of the key findings in the review by the Local Government Association (LGA) was that the introduction of an artificial intelligence (AI) tool had significantly reduced administrative work saving practitioners 44% of their time.
AI tool Magic Notes, by Beam, was introduced at Ealing Council in the Autumn of 2024. The tool records practitioner visits, assessments, reviews and supports planning activities. It produces concise and accurate notes with the aim of ensuring the voice of the cared for person is central to the assessment and planning support process. The reduction in administrative tasks has allowed practitioners to fully engage with people during assessments and support planning.
The findings in the report follow the ‘AI opportunities action plan’ announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer this Monday (13 January) who set out a vision for AI “revolutionising our public services and putting more money in people’s back pockets.”
The LGA’s report ‘Peer Challenge of Adult Social Care services in Ealing’ is a two-year assessment of Ealing Council’s adult social care team.
Feedback from people and carers has been positive, highlighting that the assessment process is now more interactive and person-centred, leading to a more engaging and meaningful experience.
The report also shows the council has significantly cut waiting times, making significant progress in last 24 months noting: “Significant transformation and improvement activity is in progress to reduce wait times for assessment. Currently the average wait time stands at 124 days with a maximum wait time of 200 days.”
While review acknowledges significant progress in several areas, particularly in enhancing person-centered approaches and strengthening partnerships, it also identifies ongoing challenges, such as the need for continued focus on equity in service delivery and sustaining improvements in safeguarding practices. The report recommends maintaining momentum in implementing changes and emphasises the importance of ongoing evaluation to ensure that improvements lead to better outcomes for individuals accessing adult social care services in Ealing.
Cllr Polly Knewstub, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for healthy equal lives, said: “We are already working the lessons learnt from the inspection into our plans for the coming year but I am pleased to say that the overall report was very positive.
“We are extremely proud of the work of colleagues and partners in Ealing Council and the LGA review is something we are very proud to have taken part in.”
The report showed: “You have achieved outstanding progress over the past 22 months, successfully meeting each of the recommendations from the Peer Challenge.”
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