Councils are deploying AI they can't legally defend
Udzamu Civic provides independent AI governance and assurance for local authorities, NHS trusts, and education bodies - so your organisation can account for every AI decision it makes.
The Challenge
Most councils are already using AI, in housing, social care, fraud detection, and benefits processing. Very few have the governance to back it up.
That is not just a risk problem. It is a legal problem. The Public Sector Equality Duty, UK GDPR, and the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 already require public bodies to independently govern and evidence their AI use.
The vendor's assurance does not count. If something goes wrong, the liability sits with the council.
If an AI tool we use caused a data breach tomorrow, could we show a regulator we used it lawfully?
We are already using AI tools, but no one has checked whether we are actually allowed to.
If a resident asked how an AI made a decision about them, we could not really explain it.
We bought an AI system, but we are not sure we asked the supplier the right questions.
Our leaders are being asked to sign off on AI they do not fully understand.
If someone asked us to prove we use AI responsibly, we would have nothing written down to show.
We do not actually know how much AI is already being used across our teams.
What we do
AI Governance Pulse Check
A rapid half-day assessment of your current AI exposure, identifying your most material governance gaps and the one action your organisation should take immediately.
Statutory Assurance Pack
A diagnostic assessment of your AI landscape, governance maturity, and risk exposure. Delivered as a prioritised action plan your leadership can act on immediately.
Transparency Engine
A public-facing governance pack giving residents a plain-English explanation of how your AI systems make decisions, and how to challenge them, satisfying ATRS requirements.
AI Procurement Gatekeeper
Before you invest in AI, we assess whether it is the right solution for your challenge and what governance you will need to deploy it safely.
Framework Implementation
A complete governance framework tailored to your organisation's regulatory obligations, including policy documents, risk templates, and DPIA guidance.
Board-Level AI Briefings
Structured briefings that give elected members and senior leaders the knowledge to govern AI confidently, tailored to your organisation's context.
Crisis Readiness Retainer
We provide independent, ongoing scrutiny of how your organisation deploys and governs AI. Regular reviews, regulatory monitoring, and a named expert you can call, so your AI never operates without accountability.
Discovery
We learn your organisation, your current AI use, and where the governance gaps are.
Assessment
We evaluate your maturity against UK GDPR, PSED, ATRS, and sector obligations.
Recommendations
A prioritised action plan your leadership can implement immediately.
Implementation
We build your frameworks, policies, and governance structures alongside your team.
Continuous Oversight
We stay involved: independent scrutiny and expert guidance as regulation evolves.
Our expertise
Our assessors bring hands-on experience from enterprise environments where data governance, regulatory compliance, and ethical AI deployment are operationally non-negotiable. We understand how AI systems behave under real organisational pressure - not just how governance frameworks describe them.
Our consultants have experience and trained over 500 professionals in AI governance, data ethics, and regulatory compliance - including practitioners from local government, health, and education. That continuous exposure to how public sector teams actually navigate AI decisions directly informs the advice we deliver to clients.
Our expertise spans the full regulatory landscape relevant to UK public bodies: UK GDPR, the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard, and sector-specific obligations, alongside the direction of travel set by the EU AI Act as an international comparator. We translate that regulatory complexity into governance that your leadership can implement, your procurement teams can apply, and your scrutiny committees can defend.
Start a conversation
Book a free 30-minute consultation to discuss your organisation's AI governance needs.