Tovie AI has completed a voice AI pilot with Richmond & Wandsworth Councils, demonstrating the tangible impact of AI-driven automation on public service efficiency. This project's results prove the effectiveness of AI-powered voice assistants in managing large-scale communications.
The pilot focused on two high-demand areas:
- Occupational therapy waiting list management: the AI assistant accelerated the process by contacting residents, collecting status updates, and improving prioritisation for service delivery
- Care technology device check-in, troubleshooting and recovery: the voice AI solution contacts residents who have been provided with devices, ensuring they are being used and offering troubleshooting assistance. If a device is not in use, the information from the call is used to update information and reallocate the device to others in need where appropriate
The results speak for themselves
Occupational therapy management:
- 74% of successfully made calls, gathering the necessary information and prioritising people who draw on care and support
- Significant reduction in administrative burden
- Improved response times and prioritisation for urgent cases
- Through this project, the councils keep residents informed, ensuring they feel acknowledged and supported
Care technology device recovery:
- 77% of the calls successfully identified whether the devices were in use or could be reallocated to other residents
- Automated device check-ins reduced manual workload and ensured more efficient resource allocation
- Real-time troubleshooting minimised service disruptions for residents
- A significant amount of time is freed up for highly qualified staff, allowing them to focus on personally contacting residents instead of handling administrative tasks
- The bot was designed to engage a wide range of users. While the councils initially considered whether younger individuals might interact more easily, results showed that with the right conversation design, age, or physical health did not impact engagement
“The pilot demonstrates that AI can significantly improve the communication process, including how information is collected, updated and streamlined for review by skilled staff,” said Violina Harpar, Occupational Therapy Service Manager at Richmond & Wandsworth Councils. “By reducing the administrative work that occupational therapists (OTs) need to perform, it creates capacity for them to increase residents contact time and focus on their primary duties applying their core OT skills. This showcases how AI can transform the delivery of services in the public sector.”
By handling hundreds of calls concurrently, the AI assistant significantly reduced the staff workload while ensuring timely engagement with residents. Safeguarding protocols enabled the AI system to flag urgent cases immediately, expediting appropriate responses.
“Richmond and Wandsworth Councils have shown real leadership in adopting AI to enhance resident services,” said Joshua Kaiser, CEO at Tovie AI. “Public perception of AI has evolved rapidly as personal use becomes more widespread, and this pilot demonstrated just how willing people are to engage with AI for seamless communication with their council. As populations grow and age, councils across Britain will find that investing in AI-powered solutions isn’t just an advantage – it’s a necessity for delivering efficient, responsive public services.”
Tovie AI's technology leverages advanced speech recognition and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) to ensure natural and efficient interactions. The AI assistant skilfully navigates conversations, making people feel more comfortable sharing personal and sensitive information. This reduces reliance on human operators for routine inquiries, allowing service teams to focus on tasks that require specialised OT or social care skills, as they are trained to handle.
This successful deployment highlights the growing importance of AI-driven digital transformation in local government. By proving the efficacy of voice AI in real-world applications, Tovie AI is paving the way for broader applications across public sector services, ensuring greater more regular and efficient communication with residents and better satisfaction.
