Breaking Boundaries: Key Insights from the Socitm Presidents' Conference 2025

The Socitm Presidents Conference 2025, held in Birmingham this week, opened with a powerful call for breaking down barriers and reimagining public service delivery through innovation and collaboration. Attended by four colleagues from the ICS.AI team, the event delivered fantastic insights from engaging speakers and valuable networking opportunities. We had many valuable conversations about how ICS.AI can assist local government colleagues and provide savings to support cash-strapped councils.  

Derby City Council announced £7.5M savings from AI Transformation project  

ICS.AI customer Derby City Council revealed £7.5 million in savings from its AI transformation programme to date with ICS.AI, showcasing the power of a unified, AI-driven approach to public sector service. 

The results in Derby City Council have given ICS.AI the confidence to formally guarantee savings of at least £5 million per year for qualifying mid-sized councils that adopt its SMART: AI unified platform. 

To hear more about Derby City Council's AI transformation journey and their incredible savings story, join our deep dive showcase webinar with them on 14th July - save your spot here. 

Award Recognition 

We were thrilled to be recognised alongside Derby City Council with the coveted Socitm Award for Partner and Customer Collaboration of the Year.  

This prestigious award highlights the outstanding collaborative work between our organisations in delivering innovative solutions that benefit both public services and the communities they serve. The Derby City Council presentation on day two on “Pioneering Local Government AI Transformation” was well attended, and sparked huge interest, with attendees commenting, “It’s great to hear a success story with AI and I hope this gives other councils confidence to innovate”.  

Insights from ICS.AI’s Chief Local Government Officer:  

President Carol Williams welcomed delegates to the conference before introducing a packed programme of insights, trends, and real-world examples of digital transformation in action. 

Dwayne Johnson, Chief Local Government Officer at ICS.AI, attended the event and participated in all the sessions. He shared his key takeaways:  

Real-World AI Implementation 

The conference's highlight was Derby City Council's ground-breaking AI journey with ICS.AI.

As the first Local Authority to deploy AI as the primary contact point for both online and phone services, Paul Simpson, Chief Executive and Andy Brammall, Director at Derby City Council, explained how they have exceeded targeted benefits by over 100%, saving £7.5M to date from their AI implementation using ICS.AI's SMART: AI Platform.

Their presentation, featuring a real live Q&A with "Darcie" (which could have been career changing for Andy!) - their Generative AI Digital Helper - demonstrated practical AI adoption across all council operations and identified significant savings to council cash-strapped budgets and this will certainly assist given the announcements yesterday on public sector finances. This new unified platform highlighted new extensive services across the whole council and wide-ranging systems in adult social care, children's social care and SEND. 

Breaking Boundaries Through Leadership 

Norfolk County Council CEO Tom McCabe delivered the opening keynote, "Breaking Boundaries: Transforming Communities through Innovation and Collaboration." McCabe provided delegates with practical insights on overcoming persistent challenges that halt progress in public sector organisations, from siloed systems and budget constraints to cultural resistance. His message was clear: collaboration and innovation aren't just buzzwords, they're essential tools for creating real-world impact in communities. 

Digital Trends: The 2025 Roadmap 

With the launch of Socitm's 2025 Digital Trends research, Martin Ferguson, Director of Policy & Research, alongside Research Analysts Yasmine Hajji and Diana Rebaza, brought the report to life with practical applications for leaders navigating their digital journey. The research covers emerging technologies, evolving digital cultures, and data-driven decision-making, providing a comprehensive roadmap with real use cases that delegates can implement to drive better outcomes for people, communities, and places. 

Automation Revolution in Local Government 

Mark Gannon from Netcall and Craig Barker from Cumberland Council demonstrated how councils are revolutionising service delivery through automation. Their session, "Accelerating Digital Excellence," showcased how local authorities are achieving remarkable improvements in efficiency and citizen satisfaction through integrated strategies combining low-code development and intelligent automation. The key message: traditional digital transformation approaches are no longer sufficient; sustainable transformation requires both immediate impact and long-term organisational resilience. 

Partnership Power: Better Together 

The "Partners in Progress" panel discussion reinforced that reimagining service delivery cannot be achieved in isolation. Featuring Adrian Hanley from AWS, Steve Edmonds from 8X8, John Hebditch from HSO, and Emma Foy from Technology One, the interactive session shared real-world examples of partnership-driven success. The panel highlighted how collaboration, data-driven insights, and people-first innovation can transform places when public and private sectors work together effectively. 

Central Government Direction 

Emily Sullivan, Head of Product (Local Digital) at MHCLG, provided crucial insights into central government direction. Her session covered measurement and evaluation, the future of procurement, cybersecurity, and AI implementation. Sullivan challenged delegates to consider how national vision aligns with place-based ambitions, emphasising that collaborative and informed approaches are critical for successful implementation. 

Civic Innovation in Action 

The University of Derby's Civic team demonstrated the transformative power of place-based collaboration through their CivicLAB initiative. Dr Rhiannon Jones, Professor Ian Whitehead, and Callum Bate showcased how innovative research, fresh insights, and a focus on delivering real public value can make a positive difference in communities. Their presentation provided a blueprint for how the right relationships can drive meaningful change. 

Devolved Nations Perspectives 

The afternoon session brought together leaders from across the devolved nations to share key developments, challenges, and innovations. Chaired by Dave Sanderson from Socitm, the panel included Martyn Wallace from COSLA, Alison Allen from NILGA, Lindsey Phillips from WLGA, and Eve Roodhouse from LGA. The discussion provided valuable insights into how different governance models impact service delivery and community outcomes. 

Challenges to Action 

The President's team, including Carol Williams, Kurt Frary, Yogita Popat, Mark Lumley, and Kevin Taylor, facilitated a collaborative session to help delegates translate key challenges into actionable strategies. This practical workshop ensured attendees left with concrete ideas tailored to their organisation's specific needs. 

Future Leaders Showcase 

The conference's Top Talent programme participants took centre stage to showcase their development journey. These future leaders presented insights from real challenges they've been tackling, offering fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to solving key sector challenges. The session highlighted the next generation's commitment to public service excellence. 

Data-Driven Transformation 

Day one of the conference concluded with Pye Nyunt, CEO of Impera Analytics, leading a dynamic session on "Beyond Borders: Harnessing Data to Transform Places and Unite People." Through live conversations with social impact funders and local authorities, the session explored real-world examples of how data insights are shaping strategy, improving decision-making, and delivering better outcomes for communities. 

International Perspectives Drive Innovation 

The second morning opened with the new Chair, Kurt Frary from Norfolk Council and then Mike Manson from New Zealand, offering unique insights from the other side of the world on how local councils are driving digital innovation and collaboration. This international perspective set the tone for a day focused on learning from global best practices. 

Leadership Vision for the Future 

A standout panel featuring senior executives, including Kath O'Dwyer (Solace Board Chair), Emma Bennett (Walsall Council), and Simon Fletcher (Litchfield District Council), explored the strategic challenges and opportunities ahead for local government, from emerging technologies to evolving community needs. 

Cross-Sector Collaboration 

Private sector partners shared examples of successful public-private collaboration, while the Empowering Women cohort provided inspiring testimony on driving innovation and fresh perspectives in local government. 

Great event, great collaboration, great innovation across the sector, overall a great conference and made some lovely new friends! Thanks to all attendees and especially to Socitm for organising. Looking forward to continuing the conversations.  

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