Digital Assistant
Our Digital Assistant is an online tool available on our website. It uses AI to help you find information quickly and easily on our website, without needing to search through pages or wait to speak to someone.
You can use the Digital Assistant at any time of day to get answers to common questions and be guided to the right council services.
What the Digital Assistant can help with:
- Answer common questions using information from our website
- Help you find the right forms, pages or services
- Guide you step-by-step through simple tasks
- Help you get answers quickly without needing to phone or email
- Be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
It uses existing website content as its source of information, so answers are based on the same guidance you would find by browsing our website yourself.
What the Digital Assistant is not
The Digital Assistant is not a human and cannot:
- Make decisions on your behalf
- Access your personal council records
- Replace council staff for complex or sensitive issues
For more complicated enquiries, the Digital Assistant will guide you to the correct contact details, enquiry form or next steps.
How the Digital Assistant works
The Digital Assistant looks for relevant information from our website and provides a clear, helpful response or signposts you to the right page for further information.
We are currently piloting the Digital Assistant to help handle high volume, common enquiries and to improve access to information online. This also helps free up council staff to focus on more complex cases.
Help us improve the Digital Assistant
We are keen to continue to improve the Digital Assistant. Your feedback helps us to:
- Improve answers
- Spot gaps or unclear content on our website
- Make the service more accessible and useful for our customers
If something isn’t working quite right, try asking your question in a different way or share your feedback so we can keep improving. You’ll have the chance to provide feedback while using the Digital Assistant.
What is the Digital Assistant?
The Digital Assistant is an online tool that can help you find information and self-serve 24/7 from info on our website. It can answer common questions, help with enquiries and signpost you to the right service. If you need further help, it can guide you on how to contact our team.
Why are we using a Digital Assistant?
We want to give you more choice and convenience in how you interact with us. Whilst traditional contact methods such as email and phone are still available, the Digital Assistant helps you get quick answers to everyday questions, at a time that suits you. It makes it easier to find the information you need without waiting, helping you deal with things quickly and simply.
What are the key benefits of using the Digital Assistant?
- Available anytime: Use it 24/7, from anywhere
- Quick answers: Get help without waiting for office hours
- Consistent information: Clear, reliable responses
- Convenient: Find what you need without travelling or calling
- Secure: Your information is handled carefully and securely
How should I use the Digital Assistant on the website?
The Digital Assistant is available on every page of our website. The icon is visible in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
- Click the chat with us icon and accept the privacy notice
- Type your question in a clear, simple sentence (for example: “How do I pay Council Tax?”)
- If the answer isn’t quite right, try rephrasing your question using different words
- Use the rating/feedback option in the chat to tell us if the response was helpful
It might be helpful to know that on mobile, you are able to press the ‘X’ to close the chat if it makes it easier to browse our website on a smaller screen.
What can it help with?
What kind of questions can I ask the Digital Assistant?
You can ask about many council services and common tasks, such as:
- I am holding an event do I need a TEN’s licence?
- How do I get a garden waste bin?
- How can I apply for Business Rates relief?
- I would like to join a leisure centre.
It will signpost to forms and service pages where needed.
Can the Digital Assistant help with emergencies?
No. If you need urgent help or it’s an emergency, please use the appropriate emergency service or urgent contact route.
- Emergency: call 999
- Non-emergency police: 101
Privacy, security and data
Is the Digital Assistant secure?
We take security seriously. The Digital Assistant is designed to handle information safely and in line with our privacy notice.
Will the Digital Assistant remember me or my past interactions?
The Digital Assistant will only remember information about you during your current session. You do not need to provide any personal information to use the Digital Assistant. If you do, please remember:
- We collect the messages you send the Assistant and the Assistant's responses to diagnose, review and resolve issues with the service
- The Digital Assistant is provided by a third‑party supplier acting on our instructions
- Our third-party supplier may need to access conversations when investigating a specific issue raised by the council.
Any information you share is handled according to our privacy notice. If you’re ever unsure, avoid sharing sensitive personal details in chat and use our secure forms or contact channels instead.
How accurate is the information?
The Digital Assistant uses information from our website and supporting content, which we regularly review and update. If something doesn’t look right, please tell us using the feedback option.
What if the Digital Assistant can’t answer my question?
If it can’t help, it will:
- Suggest another page or form to use, and/or
- Provide the best way to contact our team
Feedback and improvements
How can I provide feedback?
Use the feedback within the chat.
Are you working to improve the Digital Assistant?
Yes. The Digital Assistant is currently running as a pilot. During this time, we will make some improvements based on what we learn and as services change.
We will also use feedback to understand what works well and what could be improved, helping shape future versions of the Digital Assistant.
Transactions, languages and opting out
Can the Digital Assistant make transactions or changes to my account?
The Digital Assistant can guide you to make changes yourself but is not authorised to perform transactions directly. It can direct you to the appropriate forms or pages on our site for you to take action.
Is the Digital Assistant available in multiple languages?
During the pilot phase, the Digital Assistant is available in English only. As we continue to develop the service, we will look at supporting additional languages.
Can I choose not to use the Digital Assistant?
Yes. You can still contact us through other channels such as phone, email, online forms or in-person support (where available).
The Digital Assistant uses website content to answer questions. It is not intended to collect personal or sensitive information.
You do not need to provide any personal information to use the Digital Assistant. If you do, please remember:
- We collect the messages you send the Assistant and the Assistant's responses to diagnose, review and resolve issues with the service
- The Digital Assistant is provided by a third‑party supplier acting on our instructions
- Our third-party supplier may need to access conversations when investigating a specific issue raised by the council.
You can read more about how we use your information in our full privacy notice here.
We are committed to making our digital services accessible to everyone.
The Digital Assistant is designed to:
- Use clear, plain language
- Work with assistive technologies
- Support different ways of asking questions
If you experience any accessibility barriers while using the Digital Assistant, you can let us know using the feedback options provided.