End of Week Message from Nickki

28 August 2026

Hi Everyone,

In Digital, we have a great opportunity to see the huge variety of services that make a difference to residents every day.

Across the organisation, colleagues are supporting vulnerable people, helping children and young people thrive, maintaining our communities, responding to enquiries, and delivering countless other services that residents rely on.

While our roles may be very different, there is often a common theme behind the best public services: giving people the time, tools and support they need to focus on what matters most.

As I've been entrusted with the end of week message, I wanted to take this opportunity to recognise the work of colleagues across Digital and the teams we work closely with, and reflect on how transformation is helping us create better experiences for both residents and staff.

During the last quarter alone, the team supported just under 5,000 requests from across the organisation. 

While much of this work happens behind the scenes, it plays an essential role in keeping services running and supporting colleagues to deliver for residents. 

As an example, our Perform Team’s contribution is often unseen but hugely important. They are the people who help keep our systems safe, secure and connected, providing the foundations that allow staff across the Council to do their jobs every day.

Reflecting on that work, I am reminded that successful digital services are not really about technology at all. They are about helping people. The best technology removes barriers, reduces administration and creates more time for meaningful human interaction. That is why one of the themes we have been focusing on across Digital is using technology so we can be more human.

That was brought to life on Wednesday when Vale of Glamorgan MP Kanishka Narayan in his new role as Minister for AI joined members of our Social Services teams to learn more about how Artificial Intelligence is being used within Social Care. 

One of the solutions discussed was Magic Notes, which helps social workers by transcribing conversations and supporting the creation of case notes and reports. By reducing the administrative burden that often follows meetings and visits, it allows staff to spend more time focusing on the people they support and less time on paperwork.

Jayne Case, Sian Palmer and Jason Bennett spoke with the Minister about how Magic Notes has helped them in their work for the Vale.

Sian said: “Magic Notes has helped me order my thoughts and get them down on the page, and it means that all the details are captured – and it also allows me to focus on the individual, rather than on trying to write everything down. You can really tell the difference in my case notes without the AI notetaker, and it has helped me to build stronger connections with the people I’m talking to”.

Jayne added: “As a partially deaf social worker, I often rely on lipreading during my assessments, so Magic Notes has changed things immensely for me. The tech allows me to fully focus on the person in front of me, meaning they feel heard, and that I don't miss anything".

The discussions during the visit highlighted something that sits at the heart of our Digital Strategy: using technology to enhance professional practice, not replace it. 

The opportunity lies in removing repetitive tasks so our highly skilled staff can dedicate more time to the interactions, conversations and decisions that genuinely make a difference. 

That same principle is driving improvements elsewhere across the Council. 

Within our contact centre and telephony services, we are increasingly using AI-powered capabilities to better route calls, automate some straightforward requests and assist colleagues with note-taking. These improvements help ensure residents reach the right service more quickly while enabling our teams to focus on providing support where it is most needed.

Looking ahead, we are continuing to explore new ways for residents to contact us. One exciting development planned later this financial year is the introduction of WhatsApp as a customer contact channel, creating a more convenient and accessible way for people to interact with Council services. 

We are also approaching an important milestone with NEC Housing Online, which is due to go live in the coming weeks. The new service will give housing customers greater control and visibility, allowing them to access services online, manage their housing information and place bids for available homes through a modern self-service experience.

Across our schools, we have recently completed the rollout of our new telephony platform. The new system provides schools with a simpler and more flexible service, while also delivering efficiencies and savings. Although residents may not necessarily see the technology behind the scenes, they will benefit from improved reliability and a better overall experience when contacting schools.

These projects may appear very different on the surface, but they share a common purpose. Whether supporting social workers, improving customer contact, modernising housing services or enhancing systems within schools, the ultimate goal is not technology for technology’s sake.

It is about creating services that are easier to access, more responsive and more human-centred. None of this would be possible without the commitment and expertise of our colleagues. 

This work also forms part of the Council’s wider Reshaping programme and has been recognised externally as forward-thinking and ambitious. Ultimately, though, transformation is always a team effort.

Finally, thank you to everyone for your hard work and support this week.

I hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved and relaxing Bank Holiday weekend, and a huge thanks to those who support our residents around the clock.

Best Wishes,

Nickki Johns
Head of Digital