SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Solihull Council has appointed ICS.AI to deliver the first phase of an AI Transformation Discovery programme to examine how artificial intelligence could be used across several resident-facing services.

The 24-week programme will review opportunities in Adult Social Care, Children’s Services, Economy & Infrastructure, and Public Health. It is intended to help the council decide where AI could be used and where future spending should be directed.

In this first phase, ICS.AI will assess the council’s readiness for AI and identify use cases across the four service areas. The programme is expected to produce a prioritised shortlist of about 200 use cases, including 50 validated from a finance perspective, alongside a longer-term AI Transformation Roadmap.

The work is intended to create an evidence base before any wider implementation decisions are taken. Ethics, privacy, and safeguarding will be considered throughout the assessment process.

Discovery phase

ICS.AI will use its AI Target Operating Model framework to review Solihull’s current position across five dimensions before ranking opportunities. The outputs will be based on council-owned baseline data and reviewed by public sector specialists.

The approach reflects a broader pattern among local authorities exploring AI in service delivery while facing pressure to justify spending and manage risks around data use and public accountability. Councils have also been seeking clearer business cases before committing to larger technology programmes.

Solihull said the discovery exercise would support a measured approach to service modernisation. The authority wants to identify where AI could improve services for residents while also demonstrating value for money.

“We are committed to taking a well-considered and planned approach to modernising the services we provide. By building a strong evidence base for future decisions, this programme will help us understand where the greatest AI opportunities exist. We will then be able to prioritise those improvements that will deliver the greatest benefit for residents, while ensuring full value for the council,” said Councillor Dave Pinwell, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Resources, Solihull Council.

Public sector focus

ICS.AI said the Solihull engagement builds on work it has carried out with more than 20 public sector organisations using its AI transformation and discovery assessments. Those organisations include Derby City Council.

The company focuses on AI projects for the public sector, where interest has increased as authorities look for ways to manage demand pressures in social care, public health, and other frontline services. At the same time, councils are under scrutiny to show that new technology investments are proportionate and supported by practical evidence.

Dwayne Johnson, Chief Local Government Officer at ICS.AI, said local authorities need stronger justification before committing funds. “Local authorities need confidence that every investment is backed by robust evidence and long-term value for residents. Solihull Council is taking the right approach by starting with a structured discovery programme that builds a clear understanding of priorities before decisions are made. By developing finance-validated business cases and a practical roadmap, the council can be more proactive in the decisions it makes,” he said.

The programme’s initial outputs are expected to give Solihull a ranked view of where AI could be applied across services, the level of organisational readiness, and which projects may warrant further consideration. This first phase is focused on identifying options rather than moving directly into deployment.

For local government leaders, that distinction is becoming increasingly important as councils test AI in areas that affect vulnerable residents and essential public services. In Solihull’s case, the work spans some of the authority’s most visible functions, including care services, children’s provision, public health activity, and parts of local infrastructure planning.

The council aims to use the findings to inform later investment decisions through finance-validated business cases and a practical roadmap for future priorities.

New data from OpenScore shows families pay an average of £1,615 a week for care based on Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings nearly five years old.

This means families are basing crucial decisions on information that may not accurately reflect current standards.

Care homes that have not been inspected for more than eight years include Bridge House in Abingdon, Eden House Residential Home in Oxford, Oxford Respite Service in Headington, and Newland House in Witney.

In some cases, care homes have not been inspected for more than nine years, including Mon Choisy Care Home in Kennington, Merryfield House Nursing Home in Witney, and Brook House Residential Care Home.

More concerningly care homes rated ‘requires improvement’ have been left years without reinspection, Cheney House and The Ridings in Banbury last received inspections in 2022, while OSJCT Longlands in Blackbird Leys, Oxford, and the Albany Care Home in Headington were last inspected in 2023.

The previous CQC models for inspection would typically mean care homes rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ would be inspected every 2 to 5 year, meanwhile those rated ‘requires improvement’ should be inspected within 12 month.

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More concerningly care homes rated ‘requires improvement’ have been left years without reinspection (Image: Radar)

But, a spokesperson for CQC, said the service now priorities where a current risk has been identified but “obviously we don’t want services going too long between inspections either”

They added: “CQC currently uses a risk-based approach to inspections. This means striking a balance between responding to emerging risk, re-inspecting services with aged ratings, and first-time inspections for newly registered services.”

The same survey found 65 per cent of people stop trusting an online review for a restaurant or hotel after just six months, and 89 per cent consider real-time data transparency essential when choosing care for a relative.

Debbie Harris, founder of OpenScore and Autumna, said: “Families in Oxfordshire are making some of the most expensive care decisions in the country, and they deserve to make them on the best available information.

“An inspection result from nearly five years ago does not reflect what a home looks like today.

“OpenScore gives families the current picture they need between official inspections.”

OpenScore is not a replacement for CQC regulation, but provides families with a more current view of daily care home standards.

The platform aggregates more than 65 real-time indicators daily, from safety checks and dining quality to staff training and live resident and visitor feedback, to provide a current picture of a home’s standards regardless of when the last official inspection took place.

KAREN JOY BACUDO

Finance Editor

Taxfix has found that many UK sole traders are changing their business structure or considering a return to salaried work because of Making Tax Digital. The findings suggest the policy is affecting self-employment beyond tax reporting.

According to the tax app company’s data, nearly a quarter of sole traders affected by the rules have already set up, or started setting up, a limited company because of Making Tax Digital. A further 57% said they had considered doing so.

The figures suggest a reform intended to expand digital tax reporting is also shaping decisions about legal structure. For sole traders, incorporation brings a different set of accounting, filing and compliance duties, even if some see it as a way to manage the burden of the new reporting system.

The survey also found that 45% of respondents had considered leaving self-employment and returning to permanent salaried work because of Making Tax Digital. That points to a possible effect on business formation and the size of the self-employed workforce at a time when policymakers remain focused on growth and productivity.

Age appears to influence how people are responding. Among 18 to 24-year-olds, 29% said they had already set up or begun setting up a company at least partly because of Making Tax Digital, compared with 28% of those aged 25 to 34. The share fell to 21% among 35 to 44-year-olds, 20% among 45 to 54-year-olds and 14% among those over 55.

A similar pattern appeared in views on returning to employment. Six in 10 respondents aged 18 to 24 said the tax changes had made them consider going back to salaried work, compared with 48% of those aged 25 to 34, 43% of those aged 35 to 44, 39% of those aged 45 to 54 and 40% of those over 55.

Record keeping

The research indicates that many sole traders are still adjusting to the practical demands of digital record keeping. Four in 10 said they had started keeping digital records but were not confident they were doing it correctly, while 46% said they were using compatible software and felt ready to submit.

That split suggests awareness has improved, but confidence remains uneven as quarterly reporting approaches. For some businesses, the challenge appears to extend beyond software adoption to the wider time and administrative demands of staying compliant.

The survey found signs that the changes are already affecting day-to-day business decisions. While 39% said they felt more on top of their finances, 29% said they had become more cautious about taking on new work, 25% said they had raised or planned to raise prices to cover the extra administration, and 19% said they had delayed plans to grow or invest.

The figures suggest a mixed picture. Some sole traders say digital reporting is helping them manage their finances more closely, while others appear to be limiting activity, passing on costs or postponing expansion.

Employment concerns

For those considering leaving self-employment, moving back into a salaried role is not seen as straightforward. More than a third, or 37%, said they were worried they would struggle to find a job that matched their current income.

The main concerns were lower income, cited by 41%, followed by a competitive labour market at 32%, age discrimination at 31%, spending too long outside traditional employment at 29%, and fears that employers might view self-employment negatively at 24%.

This suggests Making Tax Digital may be putting pressure on workers who do not see an easy alternative in the wider labour market. It also raises the prospect that some may be changing their business structure not because it suits their commercial needs, but to avoid extra administrative strain.

“Making Tax Digital was meant to modernise the system. Instead, our research suggests it’s pushing many to change their business structure or leave self-employment entirely. What’s particularly concerning is that with nearly a quarter (23%) of sole traders setting up, or starting to set up, a limited company, incorporation is increasingly being viewed as an escape route. But incorporation isn’t a shortcut to less admin. Limited companies face their own complex filing obligations, with a broader set of tax, accounting and filing requirements. While closing the tax gap is an important goal, if sole traders respond to MTD by incorporating, the policy could instead push businesses outside the very system it was designed to bring them into. The focus now must be on simplifying the system and making compliance achievable, not something to be worked around,” said Oliver Harcourt, Senior Director, Taxfix.