WIREDGOV

techUK has submitted its response to the Department for Education's Call for Evidence on the use of AI and digital technology in children's social care.

Drawing on the expertise of our members across the digital economy, including providers of case management systems, AI tools, and data platforms used by local authorities and frontline services, the response sets out a practical view of where AI can add value, what is holding back adoption, and what central government can do to enable safe, effective deployment.

A central message of the response is that AI in children's social care is still in its early, exploratory phase, with most current applications focused on low-risk, supportive tasks such as case-record summarisation, meeting transcription, and natural-language access to existing data. Crucially, the core technologies needed to support children's services are, in most cases, already available. The barriers to wider adoption are not primarily technological, they are structural, cultural, and regulatory. The priority for government should therefore be to create the commissioning capability and governance clarity needed to deploy these technologies safely and at scale.

The response covers the current landscape of AI use, including the important distinction between AI embedded within case management systems and standalone tools added on top; the data and interoperability challenges that limit a holistic view of children and families; the risks and ethical considerations that must shape adoption, including the active management of bias; the procurement and capability barriers that slow implementation; and the need for proportionate, outcome-focused evaluation.

techUK's recommendations to central government include providing clear, practical guidance on data sharing and acceptable AI use; prioritising federated data approaches over large centralised programmes; supporting secure, enterprise-grade AI environments; shifting procurement towards outcome-based models; investing in commissioning capability within local authorities; and funding regional demonstrators and practice-led innovation programmes that build the evidence base for what works.

The full response is available to download here.