Beam launches AI social services tools in Australia

Beam has launched in Australia, bringing its artificial intelligence tools for social services to the local market.

The London-headquartered business is opening an Asia-Pacific office in Melbourne as it targets disability support, aged care, housing and family support providers. Its products are already used in five countries by 75,000 support workers and more than 350 government and human services organisations worldwide.

Sector pressure

The expansion comes as Australia's care sector faces pressure to improve productivity while meeting rising demand. Beam is pitching its software as a way to reduce the time frontline staff spend on administration and documentation.

Its suite includes Notes for AI-assisted case notes, Interpret for real-time translation, and Talk, an AI agent designed to screen calls, capture details and route people to the appropriate support service. For its Australian operations, all data is encrypted and stored locally.

Beam said internal data showed a 64% reduction in time spent on administration for support workers using its AI tools, while nine in 10 reported improved job satisfaction. In Australia, the company has been working with Life Without Barriers, a national not-for-profit care and support provider, on a pilot involving support workers.

Figures from that pilot showed job satisfaction rose by 94%, quality of engagement with clients increased by 32%, detail captured in reports and notes improved by 26%, and time spent on administration fell by 51%.

Pilot results

Life Without Barriers tested Beam's Magic Notes tool for client case notes and report preparation, including reviewing client histories as a starting point. The organisation said the trial reduced paperwork and gave staff more time to spend with the people they support.

"Beam supports over 350 government agencies and social services globally to deliver more human support while drastically reducing the time overburdened staff spend on admin. After all, people in frontline services dedicate themselves to supporting people, not paperwork. At the same time, by capturing every word, documentation and compliance are strengthened, with an uncompromising approach to safety and security, and all data encrypted in Australia.

"Beam's technology is built by and for frontline workers. We first developed these tools for our own caseworker teams. Today, we support frontline teams around the world, including more than 350 government and human services agencies. We're thrilled to be bringing our technology to Australia to help the care system make the most of its resources and deliver greater impact for Australians," said Alex Stephany, Chief Executive Officer, Beam.

The software was originally developed for Beam's own caseworker teams before being offered more widely to social services organisations. The company was founded by Stephany and Seb Barker, a former frontline caseworker who is now Chief Operating Officer.

Adoption challenges

For Australian providers, a key challenge is adopting AI tools while addressing concerns about ethics, privacy and the handling of sensitive personal information. Beam said participants must give explicit consent, and its Notes product is ISO 27001 certified.

Life Without Barriers said it had been looking for an AI product suited to community and care work, rather than a general-purpose system later adapted for the sector.

"At the heart of our work is the quality of the relationships we have with people who trust us with their lives every day. We searched far and wide for a 'built-for-good' AI solution, and with Beam we have found something fantastic. Over the past few months, our team at Life Without Barriers conducted a pilot with Beam, testing Magic Notes for client case notes and report preparation, including reviewing client histories as a starting point. The results are incredible. Working with Beam has allowed our team to spend less time on paperwork and more time connecting with people, listening to their stories, and understanding and acting on their needs," said Claire Robbs, Chief Executive Officer, Life Without Barriers.

Robbs said the broader social sector was still working through how to approach AI adoption in an ethical and well-designed way.

"Our whole social sector is thinking about AI adoption, and the challenge is knowing how to engage with ethical and well-designed AI. By bringing Beam to Australia, we're taking an important step forward in ensuring that every person experiences the best possible support, while our staff feel more fulfilled in the work they do every day," she said.

Frontline staff involved in the pilot also reported spending less time recording conversations and preparing notes. That left more time for direct work with clients and for contact with other services involved in their care.

"Before Beam, we were spending hours hand-recording conversations and writing case notes. Now, with Beam, we've cut that time in half. That means I can actually be present with my clients, really listen to them without worrying about capturing every detail. We're able to give more time to the cases we have, provide better support, and do more stakeholder engagement to find services that help our clients," said John Saiyuah, Caseworker, Life Without Barriers.