DATA and information on children will be collected as part of the first coordinated roll out of AI technology by councils in Gwent.

A programme to collate data on individual children and to use that to make decisions including through predictive analytics will be the first project using artificial intelligence to be rolled out across the region.

The Single View of Child will use two products to enhance use of data already collected by councils.

ClearCore will clean, match, and fix “messy and unstructured” data from different sources to create one accurate, trusted record while Microsoft Fabric analyses it and turns it into “actionable information”, opening-up greater access to the data.

The system is being developed by the Shared Resource Service (SRS) the technology partnership for Newport, Monmouthshire, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent councils which are collectively investing £2.47 million in the AI services.

Monmouthshire County Council’s Labour/Green Party cabinet backed participation in the three-year AI programme run by the SRS including delivery of the Single View of Child at its June 10 meeting.

Council leader Mary Ann Brocklesby said: “It will collect data all in one place from schools, early years, health visitors, youth services etc and we will be able to know if a trigger point is reached and will support work with children and carers and parents ahead of a crisis point in a child’s life.”

The Labour leader said the use of the technology would support “good professional judgement”.

Under the projects each council will have an operational Single View of Child dashboard, which will also be accessible on a regional basis.

A report for the cabinet stated: “The Single View of Child is being used as the first use case because it addresses an area of high demand, high risk and high cost. It is intended to help professionals build a more joined-up view of need, identify issues earlier, improve decision-making and make better use of professional time.”

The report also stated the benefit is wider than collecting all the information in one accessible dashboard: “The benefit comes from how the insight is used to support earlier intervention, targeted support, improved management of demand and better practice. The potential this provides for predictive analytics is intended to support professional judgement, not replace it.”

The three-year programme also includes a shared AI Management Hub including approved AI capabilities for staff such as summarisation, translation, redaction and approved bots while it will also create a Digital Front Door for residents’ enquiries.

It also sets out governance arrangements on the use of AI across the councils while there will be a review before any further AI projects are brought forward.

Cllr Brocklesby said “doing nothing is not a safe option” and said use of AI is already taking place across the council in a “fractured and uncoordinated way” and said the programme will support staff, allow them to make better use of time through atomisation “with the right safeguards in place.”

The partnership intends using AWS (Amazon Web Services) Professional Services for the AI Management Hub and a professional services partner for the Digital Front Door, while there will also be a temporary staffing investment in the SRS.

Monmouthshire’s cabinet agreed to contribute £596,654 over three years to the AI programme as well as £20,500 this year for Microsoft Fabric, and £34,000 for the Digital Front Door while costs for both will be built into the council’s budget planning from next year.

A further £200,000 is also being made available to support the council’s services to use the new AI systems. The total one-off contribution from earmarked reserve for projects intended to change how the council works will be £851,154.