The IRRV Annual Conference 2026 once again brought together local government professionals, industry partners and innovators from across the sector in Telford. With this year's theme, Stronger Together: Collaboration for Better Public Services, the event provided the perfect backdrop for conversations about how councils are transforming services through technology, innovation and shared learning.
Throughout the conference, we spoke with councils at every stage of their automation journey, some evaluating whether their existing solutions are delivering enough value, others are already achieving significant efficiencies. What stood out most was the sector's willingness to collaborate, with councils openly sharing their experiences, challenges and successes.
More mature automation adopters spoke candidly about what worked, what they would do differently and how they maximised the return on their investment. For councils just beginning their journey, these real-world insights offered both practical guidance and inspiration. This spirit of collaboration and knowledge sharing is one of the strongest drivers of innovation across local government, helping councils learn from one another and accelerate meaningful change.
One of the standout themes throughout the conference was the conversation around local government reorganisation (LGR).
With the current pause creating uncertainty for many councils, it was invaluable to hear first-hand perspectives from those directly affected. What was particularly encouraging was the prevailing view that transformation should not be put on hold.
The message from many councils was clear: It's still business as usual, and there is still work to be done.
We recently explored why now is the time for councils to continue investing in automation despite ongoing local government reorganisation. Rather than delaying transformation plans, many councils are using this period to build stronger foundations, delivering value today while preparing for whatever comes next.
This year's conference also gave us the opportunity to formally introduce the newest member of the Govtech team, Maria Hill, who has joined as Product Manager for webCAPTURE.
For many attendees, Maria was already a familiar face. Having spent years championing webCAPTURE during her 35 years at Cheshire East Council, she has been a passionate advocate for the solution and understands first-hand the challenges councils face when delivering digital services.
In many ways, it already feels as though Maria has been part of the Govtech family for years and she's wasted no time making a positive impact.
“I used to say, 'If we ever lost Govtech processing, I'd hand in my resignation.’ Today, I'm proud to say I felt so strongly about the product and the company that I’ve joined them instead.”
Maria Hill, Product Manager, Govtech, A Netcall Company
One of the biggest benefits of events like the IRRV Annual Conference is the opportunity to spend time with customers face-to-face.
These conversations play a vital role in helping shape our priorities, influence our product roadmap and inspire new innovations. Some of our most successful solutions have been developed through close collaboration with councils seeking to solve real-world challenges.
A great example of this is Inbox Assistant, our AI-powered email automation service, developed collaboratively with Manchester City Council using Netcall's Liberty IDP technology.
During the conference, we spoke to several councils struggling with overwhelming email volumes, with some receiving tens of thousands of messages every month. In many cases, teams are dedicating significant resource simply to monitoring inboxes, triaging messages and managing responses.
Inbox Assistant was designed to tackle exactly these challenges. |
Manchester City Council has successfully encouraged citizens to self-serve online through digital forms and services. Despite this, the council still receives around 4,000 emails every month that require categorisation, prioritisation and routing.
Using AI and sentiment analysis, Inbox Assistant automatically understands the content of incoming emails, identifies priority cases and either processes transactions automatically or directs work to the appropriate queue. This ensures teams can focus their attention where it's needed most while improving response times and customer experience.
Recently, Samantha Sauco, Senior Systems & Subsidy Manager, and John Bailey, Business Analyst within the Systems & Subsidy Team, shared their experiences of the solution during a webinar. If you missed it, you can watch on demand here.
The team with Salford City Council |
The team with Cheshire East Council |
The team with Coventry City Council |
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Another great example of innovation in action was our work with Lichfield District Council, which was shortlisted for an IRRV Performance Award for Excellence in Innovation.
The nomination recognised the council's Banded Council Tax Support as a Discount scheme, which has delivered significant benefits for both residents and the council. While the team didn't take home the award on the night, being shortlisted among such strong competition is a fantastic achievement.
We're incredibly proud to have supported the project and congratulate everyone involved. Their commitment to innovation and challenging traditional approaches continues to deliver positive outcomes for its residents.
The awards evening also showcased the incredible work taking place across local government, with many Govtech customers among those shortlisted and recognised. Congratulations to all the winners, finalists and nominees who continue to raise the bar for public service delivery.
Of course, conferences are about more than presentations and exhibition stands.
One of our favourite traditions is hosting customers for dinner on the first evening, providing an opportunity to continue conversations away from the busy conference environment.
As always, it was an evening filled with great food, plenty of laughs and valuable discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing local government.
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. We hope you enjoyed the evening as much as we did.
As another successful conference comes to a close, we're already looking ahead to the next. We've already signed up for the 2027 IRRV Spring, Scottish and Annual Conferences, alongside a range of regional IRRV events and we look forward to continuing the conversations started in Telford with both familiar faces and new contacts.
In the meantime, if you're exploring ways to improve service delivery or overcome an automation challenge, we'd be delighted to arrange an informal conversation.
Because when it comes to delivering better services for residents, we're always stronger together.
Let's start with a quick conversationTogether, we’ll explore where automation could make the biggest difference for your council, drawing on the experiences of local authorities already using Govtech to reduce costs, free up resources, the team and improve services for residents. We believe results should be shared, not just talked about. That’s why we track and openly publish the impact of our automation, giving councils clear evidence to inform their next steps. Whether you’re getting started or looking to achieve more with your existing approach, we’ll help you identify practical opportunities to move forward. Ready to explore what’s possible for your council? |