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New document translation service thanks to the Digital Innovation Hub

13 December 2024

The Digital Innovation Hub is a newly established board which evaluates innovative ideas and opportunities proposed by any of our colleagues with the goal of finding solutions that could save us money or improve ways of working.


The hub has made progress on a number of proof-of-concepts and we’re pleased to announce that a new document translation system is the first idea to get approval to roll-out across the workforce. This will provide us with an accurate, faster, and more cost-effective solution for document translation.

Translation services

Translation services are crucial to the wide range of essential services we provide, and last year, we spent £430,203 on these services. In the digital age, there are more affordable and efficient options that maintain the high-quality standards we require.

In collaboration with colleagues from children’s services, adult social care and health, corporate services and transformation, the Innovation Hub tested and recommended Simply Translate, a web-based portal capable of translating documents into 74 languages in just minutes at a cost of only 15p per document. This would represent a saving of 99.55% on translating something like a care plan for a child in care.

Simply Translate will now move into the project management phase, with an announcement on availability, how to access and use to follow soon. We're excited about the potential savings and service efficiencies this new service will bring.

If you have any ideas that you’d like the innovation hub to consider, please complete the Innovation hub form - all submissions are welcome. You will need to request access the first time you use the form.