Thought Leadership

Social Enterprise of the Year award winners Change Please tell us how they’ve achieved growth and impact during nearly eleven years in business. You can’t miss the headquarters of Social Enterprise of the Year award winners Change Please, the coffee company that tackles homelessness. Outside the commercial unit they occupy on a small trading estate in Peckham in south London is a huge pink bus with ‘PROVIDING ACCESSIBLE DENTAL CARE’ emblazoned across it. This was the result of ‘Smile for Change, ’ a partnership with Colgate in 2021, as 40% of rough sleepers endure severe mouth pain. The bus houses a mobile dental clinic (fitted out by fellow social enterprise Community Dental Services). “What’s important is putting yourself in their shoes – what's the benefit for them?” Change Please’s founder and CEO, Cemal Ezel, says when asked how he establishes these kinds of partnerships with household name brands (Virgin and Mastercard are some others). “If you position your offer in line with that benefit, it’s a shortcut to them wanting to work for you. Think big and align your values with theirs to ensure it’s a partnership that’s not going to cause mission drift,” is his tip. As a social enterprise that has been in business for nearly 11 years and works in eight countries, Change Please has proved to be a resilient and successful business.  In that time, they’ve trained 1167 people as baristas (amazingly, more than 100,000 hours of training), giving them a route into work whilst also ensuring all the wraparound support necessary for a stable life is there. This can include help with accessing food banks or financial services, therapy, or housing advice. Amongst their formerly homeless graduates are refugees, care leavers and ex-prisoners. Not all of them fit the image that comes to mind when we first hear the word ‘homelessness’ – for some, it’s hostels or sofa surfing – but 42% of training graduates have been on the streets. For all the amazing work they do, we visited their HQ to find out how it felt to win in the Social Enterprise of the Year category at the UK Social Enterprise Awards last year. Having been shortlisted several times before, Cemal was shocked to hear their name announced on the night and, for the first time, hadn’t written notes just in case they did – but says the win has already benefitted the business. “Winning the award has already been an incredible bonus for us because lots of the Buy Social Corporate Challenge partners have already reached out, and we’re meeting with them to see how we can partner with them in the longer term,” said Cemal. Change Please already supply coffee to many businesses, such as the David Lloyd leisure centres, Avanti West Coast trains and the Department of Work and Pensions. How have Cemal and his team built such a resilient business? “First and foremost, forget you’re a social enterprise. How good is your product in the open market and then, as a bonus, how does it do good? We believe only 4% of organisations or individuals go out of their way to compromise on price, quality and convenience, so if you can focus on making your product as good as it potentially can be and see your social impact as a bonus, you’re going to win all day long.” Other organisations similar to Change Please have been established in their wake, something Cemal says he is pleased to see. The competition has motivated them to pivot with new innovations, and the next step is the development of an AI solution to homelessness in partnership with the Cabinet Office. The app (currently being trialled) signposts to different kinds of support available and allows users to upload official documents in 55 languages, assisting with a variety of required bureaucratic actions. If moving with the times is a sign of a business determined to endure, the longevity of one of the UK’s most visible social enterprises looks certain to be extended still further. changeplease.org

Welcome to the Social Value Leaders' Summit 2026! We have a packed agenda today, designed to bring to light key developments in social value through expert-led panel discussions and speeches. A key part of the day will be this afternoon's roundtables, which will provide an interactive forum for attendees to share their own experiences. Here's our agenda for the day: 9:45: Introduction by Rachel Taylor - PWC UK Government and Health Industries Leaders 9:50 - 10:00: Our facilitator for the day, Sarah Crawley Beaumont, will run through the planned schedule Procurement Act year one - from promise to practice 10:00 - 10:15 Josh Babarinde OBE MP Josh will look at what's changed one year after the passing of the Procurement Act in our opening speech. Keynote speech - the common good economy 10:15 - 10:45 Professor Mariana Mazzucato - Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London Professor Mazzucato will ask the question of what does ‘good’ looks like in economics and whether you create social value without a sense of the common good? Mariana advises policy makers around the world on innovation-led inclusive and sustainable growth and has been listed in GQ’s Top 50 most influential people in Britain, Wired’s 25 leaders shaping the future of capitalism, and by the New Republic as one of the 3 most important thinkers about innovation. The national picture – government's vision for social value 10:30 - 11:15 Claire Dove CBE - Crown Representative for the VCSE sector Jo Jarvis - Procurement Director, National Highways Robert Vaughan - SME and VCSE Champion for the Department of Transport Peter Holbrook CBE - Group Chief Executive, Social Enterprise Coalition (Chair) Find out more about the government's vision for social value from the VCSE Crown Representative, Claire Dove. You'll also learn how two leading social value practitioners are responding to the new procurement framework and working with VCSEs. The discussion will provide essential insights into emerging policy frameworks and strategic priorities, and will also explore whether the ambition and enthusiasm for social procurement described in last year’s Procurement Act has motivated procurement teams at national and local levels to enthusiastically target contracts offering more social value. 11:15 - 11:30: COFFEE The impact economy and public procurement 11:30 - 12:15 Dame Patricia Hewitt - Former Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Angela Halliday - Director, Social Impact UK&I at Sodexo and co-chair of the National Social Value Taskforce Gayle Monk - Anthony Collins Solicitors (Chair) This expert panel will look in depth at how procurement can be used as a tool to drive the impact economy - a timely discussion following the launch of the Government's new Office for the Impact Economy. 12:15 - 13:00: LUNCH Roundtables 13:00 - 13:40 - Rountable 1: Barriers to embedding social value – what's getting in the way? 13:45 - 14:30- Roundtable 2: Accountability gaps – why does social value get lost after contract award? Attendees will be split into groups for discussions based on the above topics. It's a chance to share your own experiences of social value, point out examples of best practice and openly discuss the barriers faced in embeddeding social value across commissioning and procurement. Your workshop groups will have been allocated to you at the start of the day and correspond to the stickers on your name badge. 14:30 - 14:45: COFFEE From barriers to breakthroughs - responding to what the room told us 14:45 - 15:15 Claire Connelly - Fusion 21 Gareth Hart - Plymouth Social Enterprise Network Alison Ramsey - Scape Kate Welch - Social Enterprise Acumen The chairs of the roundtables will feedback key findings from both sessions. Afternoon keynote 15:15 - 15:25 Mete Coban MBE - Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy New ways of funding social value 15:25 - 16:00 Matthew Conroy - Head of Impact Propositions, Unity Trust Bank Karl Harder - Director, Abundance Local authorities are getting creative in finding ways to fund community projects that create social value by borrowing money from local people and paying them interest.  Find out more in this, our final session of the day. 16:00 - 16:15 - Closing Remarks 16:15 - 17:00 - Networking This agenda is subject to change The Social Value Leaders' Summit is supported by:

Be part of the change makers driving a holistic approach to public procurement. Making public procurement a force for good We are at a turning point in history where mission-driven procurement needs your expertise. Join the Better Commission Coalition for the benefit of your organisation and the future of social value. A landmark opportunity At Social Enterprise UK we have been championing social value for the last 15 years. We are proud of the leading part we played in the Social Value Act in 2012, and in continuing to make the case for it through groundbreaking research and advocacy. An important recent development is the National Procurement Policy Statement (NPPS), published in February 2025, which recognises the power of public procurement and the potential of social value. It promises a mission-based approach that is ‘more joined up’ and ‘pushes power out to communities’. There is huge potential in taking this approach if social enterprises, delivering better health outcomes, good work, and stronger communities, are enabled to play their part. The Procurement Act and the NPPS are both positive starting points, but we need the change carried out day-to-day through thousands of commissioners nationwide, with government driving cultural change over time. Join the Better Commissioning Coalition To take this vision forward, we are seeking to bring together a group of cross-sector experts committed to developing a programme of work that demonstrates what procurement can do when harnessed to the levers of government. How? We'll do this by demonstrating what better commissioning can achieve through a combination of research, stakeholder engagement and publications, focusing on three key areas that align with government policy: economic growth, local impact, and better work. Join us if you're: A corporate, driving social value through your supply chains A public body committed to commissioning services that maximise social value A social enterprise or charity delivering services to the public or private sector which demonstrates the additional value that comes through working with the VCSE sector The Better Commissioning Coalition can help amplify your work, position you as a driver of change to government, and showcase you as an organisation driving real transformative change in the UK's commissioning and procurement landscape. Why be part of the coalition? Influencing and engagement Exclusive engagement with key social value stakeholders: Ministers, departmental officials, local authorities, political and public sector leaders Profiling opportunities at high-profile events such as the Social Value Leaders' Summit Guaranteed participation and contribution in at least three roundtables with public and private sector leaders across the country Shaping evidence delivery Share your expertise and contribute to content development, from reviewing findings to developing outputs for the programme Position your organisation as leaders in public procurement, through best practice examples featured in case studies and thought leadership pieces Co-design solutions in key thematic areas: policy, leadership & culture, measurement and implementation Peer to peer expertise exchange Knowledge exchange with coalition partners by attending regular briefings to identify key trends and share intelligence on better commissioning Communications and events Dedicated blogs, op-eds and written communication for agreed key target media Opportunity to provide quotes/reactions when the Coalition addresses key issues and topical news stories Brand recognition on all outputs Headline sponsorship of the Social Value Summit, the UK’s leading leadership conference on Social Value, bringing together 150 leaders from across the public, private and VCSE sectors The Better Commissioning Coalition is supported by Fusion21 and GLL Get involved If you'd like to take part and find out more, fill out the below form and we'll be in touch!

Nearly £50m went out to small and medium sized charities and social enterprises in the shape of grants and loans. But with the Growth Fund closed, is the finance gap back? We look at the legacy of this pioneering fund and what has followed it. For years, social enterprises complained that there was a missing middle when it came to getting investment. Lots of startup grants or loans at the beginning of their journey were available, and plenty of finance was on offer for organisations that had grown to a certain size with a healthy turnover. But for those beyond startup with proven social impact and more modest revenue that were looking for investment to grow? Not so much. As long ago as 2017, SEUK’s ‘State of Social Enterprise’ report identified that ‘social enterprises remain ‘finance-hungry’ and ‘access to the right type of finance at the right time is still a key barrier (or enabler) of success.’ The report recommended that social investors and the wholesalers that build the market, should focus on smaller, unsecured and more patient finance, but also on products that meet the needs of social enterprises – for working capital, cash flow pressures and income diversification. The news that a final evaluation of the Growth Fund - which offered blended finance (a mix of grant and loan) of up to £150K to smaller organisations - showed that it had helped to fill a crucial gap in the social investment market is therefore very good news. The Growth Fund £50m was up for grabs, with £22.5m coming courtesy of National Lottery players. The remainder came from Better Society Capital, who contributed £27.5m from dormant assets it had received: unclaimed amounts in accounts that banks were unable to reunite with owners. The programmme was delivered by Access, which worked with 15 social investors to manage deployment. Between 2016 and 2023, 780 investments were made in 580 voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (VCSEs), around half of which had never applied for investment outside of grants before. As the finance on offer was blended (some grant, some loan), the evaluation report concludes that it was the free money on offer (the grant) that was ‘a key motivator’. The Growth Fund was successful in plugging the ‘missing middle’ gap of finance available to small and medium sized VCSEs. The average investment was £67K, and the median annual income of funded organisations was approximately £177K, with 54% of funded VCSEs having fewer than five full-time employees. Only 12% of those funded had more than 25 full-time staff. The money was typically used for growth: scaling up existing activities, asset acquisition, diversifying income and staff development, but also for reducing reliance on grants and boosting reserves. Recipients of the money were surveyed, with 29% responding. Of those surveyed, 50% of VCSEs reported significant improvements in financial resilience. Over 70% of VCSE survey respondents indicated the social investment increased their overall social impact and the number of beneficiaries they supported. Aside from helping to grow VCSEs, the Growth Fund was also successful in growing the social investment market: 70% of those surveyed applied for further investment after their Growth Fund loan and 80% would recommend social investment to other VCSEs. Access distributed funds to various regional social investors and although experienced social investors delivered seven of the resulting social investment funds, 10 were delivered by organisations with no prior loan book management experience. Half of those are continuing with blended finance, and half are no longer active. The legacy The Growth Fund set in motion a range of further blended finance programmes, including Access’s £50m Enterprise Growth for Communities programme (the successor to the Growth Fund, backed by £20m in grants from dormant assets money), which continues to offer simple blended finance products that are largely unsecured. More recently, Access has also been allocated a further £87.5m of dormant assets money, £41m of which is intended for blended finance funds. “The Growth Fund was instrumental in establishing the role that blended finance can play in supporting smaller charities and social enterprises to access the finance they need,” said Neil Berry, Director of Programmes at Access. “Crucially, the Growth Fund was not a one‑off intervention but the starting point of a deliberate pipeline of support, ensuring there was no drop‑off or gap in the availability of appropriate finance. It has been the springboard for much of our subsequent work - at least half of the finance we support charities and social enterprises with is in the form of small-scale unsecured debt.” Please note Access funds social investors and intermediaries, not charities or social enterprises directly. If you are a charity or social enterprise looking for social investment, visit Good Finance.

The Labour government’s 2024 election manifesto contained a commitment to ‘double the size’ of the co-operatives and mutuals sector. Following on from this, in November of 2025, the Department for Business and Trade launched a call for evidence on business support for co-operatives and non-financial mutuals. This was an opportunity for us to feed directly into government thinking around diverse business models, and to ensure gaps in support provision, finance, and understanding are presented to and acknowledged by the Department. Our consultation response focuses on the immense impact made by social enterprises, many of which are co-operatives, mutuals and employee-owned - the way they are driving economic growth, reducing inequalities, and creating better working environments. Particular attention is given to the vital role these types of organisations play within the NHS and the transformative impact they are having on patient care and staff wellbeing while retaining financial responsibility. We also look in depth at the challenges faced by these businesses when it comes to accessing finance and support and the gaps in understanding which are holding them back. Here are some of the key points mentioned in our response: Economic and social impact Sector Scale: Mission-led businesses (co-ops, mutuals, and social enterprises) make up 5% of UK businesses, accounting for 10% of GDP and creating around 4 million jobs. Growth Potential: If the proportion of social enterprises and co-ops within the UK economy grew from 3% to 12% of GDP, it would increase UK investment by £14 billion. If all businesses were mission-led, UK GDP could be 7% larger. Job creation: Consumer co-operatives create more jobs by turnover than average enterprises in the UK. Labour productivity in worker co-operatives is around 8-12% higher than comparable traditional firms. Resilience: 82% of co-operative start-ups are trading after 5 years, compared with just 40% of UK companies overall. Public services and healthcare NHS contribution: The 60 largest healthcare social enterprises, most of which are classified as public service mutuals, deliver £2.4 billion in services annually, covering a third of community health services and providing urgent care for two-thirds of the population. Quality: These organisations are more likely to receive "Good" or "Outstanding" CQC ratings than traditional NHS trusts. Efficiency: Research shows that social enterprises are leaner and more efficient than NHS Community Trusts, with lower staff sickness rates, lower spend on bank and agency staff, and lower overheads. Diversity and inclusion Leadership: 24% of the top 100 co-ops are led by women, compared to just 9% of the FTSE 100. Pay equity: The gender pay gap in co-ops is 7.5%, significantly lower than the UK average of 12%. Workforce: Around 65% of the social enterprise workforce is female, and 22% are from minoritised ethnicity backgrounds. Barriers to entry and growth Awareness gap: There is a lack of understanding of co-operative and mutual models among business advisors, investors, and the general public. This translates into poor, unsuitable advice for those wishing to start or scale co-operative business models. Financial hurdles: 68% of social enterprises struggle to access grant funding; many find traditional bank finance (like overdrafts) difficult to secure because banks don't understand their risk profiles. Lack of awareness in government: Public service mutuals are often "forgotten" in government decisions around funding and support, creating unnecessary strains on finances, capacity, and services. For example, they were initially excluded from pandemic bonuses and National Insurance relief granted to public sector counterparts. This creates perverse incentives, discouraging the type of organisations that consistently deliver the kind of care the NHS 10-year plan is seeking to deliver. Recommendations Joined-up government working: Despite considerable cross-party support and the ongoing growth of diverse businesses themselves, government action has been slow and in need of joined-up strategy across key departments. The Government has committed to doubling the size of the co-operative and mutual economy, and there is now also an Office for the Impact Economy. The Government must recognise that these terms overlap, and that policy decisions must take into account co-operative, social enterprise, and mutual models of ownership, and how these can coexist. Legal and fiscal frameworks: Ensure legal and fiscal frameworks do not, even unintentionally, discriminate against diverse businesses. Bolster the capacity of regulators like Companies House to remove barriers for co-operatives wanting to start or scale Routes to market and the public purse: The Procurement Act consultation should lead to joined-up integration of support for VCSEs in public procurement, and strengthening the Social Value Act can expand public/social partnerships and secure greater value for money from existing public budgets. Access to finance: DBT and DCMS, through ensuring their existing programmes are open to diverse businesses, can expand support for start-ups, growth, and replication, and enterprise development. Sector leads and champions: Diverse business model sector leads and champions need to be better embedded across government departments to strengthen awareness and coordination in order to highlight and build upon best practice. CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL RESPONSE TO THE CONSULTATION

By Peter Holbrook - Group Chief Executive, Social Enterprise UK New Philanthropy Capital's Impact UK report has sparked an important national conversation. Its headline figure - £428bn of gross value added, roughly 15% of GDP -gives the impact economy the visibility and scale that policymakers and markets understand. This is valuable work that should be celebrated. But the boundary-drawing behind that number deserves closer scrutiny. How we define the impact economy shapes who gets seen, who gets financed, and ultimately, who benefits from growth. And right now, that definition risks privileging investor-compatible models over democratic ownership structures - in ways that contradict the report's own stated principles. The definitional problem NPC defines the impact economy as "an ecosystem of individuals, organisations, and capital intending to prioritise public benefit over private gain." This is a clear, useful definition. The puzzle is how it's been applied. NPC's researchers have clarified that they included co-operatives and employee-owned businesses deemed "impact-led" based on intentionality, rather than including them by default. Meanwhile, many B Corps - private companies legally structured to prioritise shareholder interests - were included. Consider the contradiction: under Companies Act s172, directors must promote the success of the company for the benefit of its members (shareholders). The Supreme Court forcefully reiterated this in Sequana. B Corp certification raises standards and transparency, but it cannot override fiduciary duty. When profit and purpose collide, shareholder primacy still frames the decision. Many B Corps are excellent businesses, but structurally they remain oriented toward private gain, not public benefit. By contrast, worker co-operatives and employee-owned businesses are legally structured to share surplus among workers, not extract it to external shareholders. Community benefit societies anchor assets for public benefit. Community Interest Companies have asset locks preventing private extraction. These structures embody "public benefit over private gain" by design, not aspiration. So why must democratic ownership models prove their impact credentials while investor-owned models are accepted on stated intent? This double standard matters because it shapes the entire policy architecture being built around the impact economy. Policy architecture The Government's new Office for the Impact Economy represents a significant opportunity. As a central 'front door' for philanthropists, impact investors, and purpose-led businesses, it can accelerate collaboration and unlock capital for communities. But architecture shapes outcomes. A front door designed primarily around investment will naturally privilege investable vehicles - conventional companies and project structures that fit standard risk-return profiles - over democratic ownership forms that don't. We've seen this pattern before: well-intentioned policies that inadvertently reinforce existing power structures because the infrastructure favours certain models. This isn't inevitable. With deliberate design choices, the Office for the Impact Economy could become a powerful engine for public benefit. But that requires us to be explicit about ownership structures from the start. What the evidence shows At Social Enterprise UK, our State of Social Enterprise research shows social enterprises deliver around £78bn in turnover and approximately 2.3 million jobs, paying the real Living Wage far more than conventional businesses while reinvesting surpluses in their missions. Yet many face constrained access to finance precisely because their ownership structures don't fit conventional investment models. UK research on employee-owned businesses shows strong productivity, resilience during economic downturns, and better outcomes across worker wellbeing and retention. Worker co-operatives directly share surplus and keep enterprises rooted locally. Community benefit societies anchor assets in places. These models don't just claim to prioritise public benefit - they're legally required to do so. A path forward Three practical steps would strengthen the framework and help the Office for the Impact Economy deliver on its promise of genuinely prioritising public benefit: First, align definitions with principles. NPC's next edition should fully include co-operatives, employee ownership trusts, mutuals, and credit unions in core figures - or publish supplementary analysis this year. If the definition is "public benefit over private gain," then structures legally designed to deliver this should be counted by default, not case-by-case. Second, measure what matters. GVA tells us about economic activity; it doesn't tell us who benefits. Add metrics that reveal whether public benefit is actually prioritised: worker profit-share, pay ratios, community asset growth, employee governance rights. Break these down by ownership model so we can see which structures deliver on the stated definition. Third, create a Democratic Ownership Window within the Office for the Impact Economy. This could include: an SME succession facility supporting employee-ownership conversions; a community shares match fund for local asset purchases; and procurement scoring that rewards ownership structures designed for public benefit. Make it as accessible to support democratic ownership as it is for impact investment vehicles. The broader context We should be candid about history. The UK has spent decades marketising public services through outsourcing. The empirical record includes evidence linking certain forms of for-profit health outsourcing to worse outcomes. The impact economy will operate within that legacy. This doesn't mean all private provision is harmful or all democratic ownership is virtuous. It means when we create new mechanisms for capital to engage with public purpose, design matters enormously. If we want the impact economy to genuinely prioritise public benefit over private gain - as NPC's definition promises - we must make deliberate design choices about ownership. An invitation NPC has catalysed a timely conversation. The Office for the Impact Economy signals genuine government commitment. These are opportunities we should embrace. But if the impact economy is truly about prioritising public benefit over private gain, ownership structures need to be central. Not as an afterthought, but as a core dimension of impact itself. This means counting - and backing - the enterprises that are legally designed to serve public benefit, not just those that aspire to it. The impact economy has a politics, whether we acknowledge it or not. The question is whether that politics entrenches conventional ownership patterns, or opens pathways to genuinely different structures. The choices we make now - in our definitions, our measurements, and our policies - will determine which future we build.

Exceptional Individuals is a social enterprise supporting neurodivergent people, including those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and dyspraxia, into and within work. The organisation was founded 10 years ago by Matt Boyd, drawing on his own lived experience of unemployment and navigating work as a neurodivergent person. What began with the simple aim of supporting just one other person facing similar barriers has grown into a national organisation delivering impact at scale. Today, Exceptional Individuals is a neurodivergent-led organisation, with around 90% of its team identifying as neurodivergent. This lived experience sits at the heart of its work, shaping services that are practical, trusted and rooted in real-world understanding. Over the past year alone, more than 2 million people accessed the Exceptional Individuals website, reflecting growing demand for clear, accessible information about neurodiversity and employment. Around 5,000 people each day use the organisation’s online tools and resources to better understand neurodivergent traits and characteristics, often representing a first step towards self-understanding, workplace support or career progression. Exceptional Individuals supports individuals directly through workplace needs assessments, coaching and in-work support, helping neurodivergent people stay in employment, progress in their careers and avoid unnecessary job loss. This work not only improves individual outcomes, but also reduces the wider social and economic costs associated with exclusion from work. Alongside individual support, the organisation works extensively with corporate employers, delivering neurodiversity training, consultancy and practical guidance. This includes supporting line managers, HR teams and senior leaders to better understand neurodivergent talent, implement reasonable adjustments and embed inclusive practice across recruitment, retention and progression. By working with employers, Exceptional Individuals helps create environments where neurodivergent people can thrive rather than simply cope. As demand for neurodiversity support continues to grow, Exceptional Individuals is also expanding its work to train front-line staff in other charities and social enterprises, building sector-wide capacity and improving support for neurodivergent people across services. From its beginnings supporting a single individual, Exceptional Individuals has now supported thousands of neurodivergent people and worked with organisations across the UK, demonstrating the social and economic value of inclusive employment. Useful links To book a Workplace Needs Assessment or access in-work support: exceptionalindividuals.com/candidates/workplace-needs-assessments/ To explore neurodiversity resources and quizzes, including support for individuals and those wondering if they may have neurodivergent traits: exceptionalindividuals.com/candidates/neurodiversity-resources/neurodiversity-quizzes/ To find out more about Exceptional Individuals and access further resources: exceptionalindividuals.com/

With growing scrutiny of AI in public services, social enterprise Beam has partnered with Nesta to gather public feedback on how its AI tool, Magic Notes, is being used in social care. Launched in 2023, Magic Notes uses AI to transcribe and summarise meeting notes for social workers and other frontline professionals. It was initially developed to support Beam’s own caseworkers who were struggling with administrative workload. Today, it is used by 65,000 practitioners across over 200 organisations, including local authorities, central government, health, social care and employability services.  The public consultation on Magic Notes was carried out through Nesta’s AI Social Readiness Advisory Label between September and October 2025. It involved 137 UK adults, including social care service users, who were asked to weigh the benefits and risks of using Magic Notes during 18 small-group deliberation sessions.  The findings showed strong public backing for Magic Notes, with 83% of participants feeling positive about social workers using the tool and 86% believing it would benefit social care as a whole. In particular, they valued the tool’s ability to free up social worker time, improve the quality of case notes, support job satisfaction and wellbeing, and enable better interactions with service users.  While participants supported the use of AI to reduce paperwork, they were clear that decisions about care must remain with people, not technology. Risks raised included accuracy, data privacy and over-reliance on technology, alongside a strong expectation that social workers review and approve all AI-generated summaries. However, after learning more about the tool and its safeguards, 74% said its benefits outweighed the risks. The consultation also highlighted deep dissatisfaction with the current social care system. Only 13% of participants said they were satisfied with how social care works today, reinforcing the scale of the challenge facing social care and the need for change. Kathy Peach, Director of the Centre for Collective Intelligence (CCI) at Nesta said:  “The government's AI Adoption plan is bound to fail unless there's public support for AI in public services. Our AI Social Readiness Advisory offers a way to build public confidence and trust, helping people to overcome initial concerns they may have about a tool. This is especially important in public service areas like social care that have a lot to gain from AI, but low public support for the use of AI might be stalling deployment.” Rachel Astall, Chief Customer Officer at Beam, said: “Responsible use of AI is central to how we build and deliver technology at Beam. We were encouraged to see that 86% of the public,  including people who access social care, felt that Magic Notes would benefit social care as a whole. The process surfaced thoughtful, practical suggestions for further improving the use of AI tools, and gave us a clear sense of what earns public confidence. We think it’s important that the public are consulted on how AI is used in public service delivery and we hope more organisations will take similar steps.” magicnotes.ai beam.org About the AI Social Readiness Advisory Label The Advisory Label is a structured public deliberation process that measures public confidence and trust in AI tools being used in the UK public sector. It involves an immersive, educational, and collaborative experience for citizens who weigh the benefits and risks of specific technologies to determine conditions for their trustworthy deployment.