Richmond upon Thames and Wandsworth Councils have launched a three-month pilot with London-based technology provider Tovie AI to give unpaid carers 24/7 access to support through a digital voice and text tool.
Unpaid carers are often hesitant to ask for help until they reach a crisis, which can place enormous strain on both themselves and social care services. The councils hope the new system will change that by providing immediate access to guidance, collecting information about carers’ needs, and signposting them to relevant local services. Importantly, carers can always choose to speak to a human assistant instead of the AI if they prefer. When more complex support is required, cases are automatically routed to council staff. Residents can access the service online in Richmond and Wandsworth.
Steve Shaffelburg, Senior Commissioning Manager serving both councils, said:
By making support more accessible and immediate, we hope to identify carers earlier and connect them with the right services before they reach breaking point. The technology gives us another way to listen and respond, while ensuring that qualified staff can focus on more complex cases.”
Building on successful AI pilots in social care
The new carer support tool builds on a series of earlier pilots between the councils and Tovie AI, which demonstrated the tangible impact of AI on public service efficiency.
One pilot focused on occupational therapy waiting lists. The AI assistant contacted residents to collect status updates, prioritising urgent cases and accelerating service delivery. The results were striking:
- 74% of calls successfully gathered the information needed to prioritise residents
- Administrative workloads were significantly reduced, allowing staff to focus on higher-priority tasks
- Response times improved, ensuring urgent cases were addressed faster
Another pilot focused on care technology device check-ins and troubleshooting. The AI system contacted residents to confirm whether devices were in use, provided basic troubleshooting, and updated records when devices could be reallocated. Results included:
- 77% of calls successfully identified device usage or availability for reallocation
- Reduced manual workload for staff
- Minimised service disruption for residents
- Freed up highly qualified staff to focus on residents requiring direct human contact
These pilots showed that AI could not only reduce administrative burden but also improve service delivery and resource allocation — a benefit both carers and staff widely appreciated.
Scaling support while keeping people at the centre
Tovie AI CEO Joshua Kaiser said the project highlights the potential for AI to enhance public services at a time of tight budgets and rising demand:
“It allows the councils to scale support for unpaid carers, crucial members of the community, even when individual human assistance isn’t always possible.”
The councils will use the next three months to assess how well the new tool improves early identification, response times, and consistency of support for unpaid carers. If successful, the pilot could be expanded to other frontline services across Adult Social Care.
By combining AI with human oversight, the councils aim to ensure that carers receive timely, personalised support, while staff can dedicate more time to complex cases and personal interactions. The approach reflects a broader trend in social care innovation, using technology to strengthen, rather than replace, human services.
