Wigan Council's use of AI and innovation recognised in Outstanding CQC rating

Wigan Council's use of AI and innovation recognised in Outstanding CQC rating

Wigan Council’s use of innovative technology, developed in partnership with Agilisys, has been highlighted as a key component of its recent adult social care assessment success.

In March, the local authority was given an ‘outstanding’ rating by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for how it delivers care services.

The assessment highlights how innovation and technology are used to support frontline practice.

Following the publication of the assessment report, Wigan Council and Agilisys have welcomed the glowing feedback as a sign of things to come.

Over the past three years, the two organisations have worked in close partnership to co-develop and embed AI tools into frontline practice.

As part of this approach, residents can access an AI-powered online assistant available 24/7, providing clear and accessible information about available services.

AI tools are also supporting frontline teams to reduce administrative burden, with tools developed to help with needs assessments, note taking and quality assurance.

This is supporting a stronger focus on the individual and on achieving the best possible outcomes, rather than time-consuming administrative tasks, as highlighted in the CQC report.

Councillor Keith Cunliffe, Deputy Leader of Wigan Council and cabinet portfolio holder for health and adult social care, said: “Our person-centred approach shines through the pages of the assessment report and highlights that our staff work hard every day, bringing warmth, skill and heart to difficult situations.

"Our partnership with Agilisys and our use of AI and specialist technology has played an important role in supporting our teams - reducing administrative burden, improving consistency, and allowing practitioners to get the best outcomes for our residents.”

The assessment report graded Wigan Council as 95 out of 100, the highest rating in the country.

Agilisys Chief Executive, Nigel Muirhead, said: “Wigan Council has been a trusted partner of Agilisys for many years, and it has been a privilege to support the council across IT services and, more recently, its journey with AI.

“We are delighted to see this achievement recognised through an Outstanding CQC rating, which reflects the strength of Wigan Borough’s adult social care services and the impact they are having on residents. This is a strong example of how AI, when introduced into day-to-day services, can support practitioners and improve outcomes at scale.”

Due to this partnership, AI tools are embedded across adult social care to support frontline team in their day-to-day work, including:

• Needs assessment tool - reduces time spent writing assessments while supporting more personalised records
• Meeting note taker - improves accuracy and allows staff to be fully present in conversations
• Case auditing support - helps managers identify patterns and improve consistency across teams.

This approach demonstrates how AI can be adopted into frontline services in a practical and responsible way, supporting councils to reduce administrative burden, improve consistency and enhance outcomes for residents.

This is in addition to the AI virtual assistant tool, which also attracted praise in the assessment report.

It reads: “The tool was easy to access and provided detailed information about services people could access, such as community support groups, equipment or activities.

“Partners praised the impact of the tool on people, for example health partners had noticed timely and personalised information and advice had reduced the complexity or people’s needs by helping them navigate resources.”

The assessment team also highlighted the impact of the service’s ‘technology bungalow’ that shows staff and service users examples of enabling tech along with case studies of how it can be used.

Wigan Council and Agilisys recently extended their strategic partnership and the successful adoption of innovative technology in the adult social sector will be used as a template for success across other services.

Building on this, the collaboration continues to evolve, with the two organisations developing new AI use cases across the council, alongside Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

The partnership is further strengthened by Agilisys’ recent decision to relocate its national headquarters to Wigan, reflecting a long-term commitment to the borough and its continued collaboration with the council.

Agilisys Chairman Charles Mindenhall said: “Agilisys has been working in Wigan for over a decade, and this Outstanding result is a testament to the strength of the council’s adult social care services and the impact they are having on residents.

“Our decision to relocate our national headquarters to Wigan reflects both the strength of this partnership and our shared ambition to continue building on this success. By working closely together and using digital and AI in a practical way, we can support frontline teams, improve outcomes for residents, and extend this impact across councils nationwide.”

Speaking in reaction to the relocation of Agilisys HQ to Wigan, Councillor Nazia Rehman, portfolio holder for finance, resources, and transformation, said: “As Wigan Council is looking to be at the forefront of advances in digital and AI technologies, the relocation of Agilisys is a game-changing moment as it highlights the type of innovative and forward-thinking companies that want to come and work here.”