Colin Bateson

Are your Operations Directors running strategy, or are they acting as high-paid compliance admins? A new project lands. You need 10 senior contractors for the next 6 months. That means 10 separate IR35 Status Determinations. So, what happens? Your Ops Director stops being a strategist. They scour contracts for substitution clauses, dig through messy email threads for working conditions, and manually click through the government's tax assessment tool. Every time you force leadership into manual data entry, you pay a tax. --> It burns half a day of director-level salary on a spreadsheet exercise. --> It stalls your sales cycle while you chase hiring managers for vague details. --> It introduces human error into a highly sensitive HMRC compliance check. This is the copy-and-paste tax. We're turning our most expensive assets into data entry clerks. In our latest Digital Workforce spotlight, we look at IR35 Determinations. A Digital Employee handles the complex compliance loop autonomously: ☑️ 1. The Intake: The moment a Statement of Work is signed, it reads the deliverables and working conditions perfectly, ignoring the noise. ☑️ 2. The Assessment: It hunts down the exact substitution clauses and populates the status determination tool in milliseconds. ☑️ 3. The Action: It generates the final statement instantly, only alerting your Ops Director if a marginal result requires professional human judgment. The result? Time-to-compliance drops to under 60 seconds. HMRC non-compliance risk is mitigated by design, not by effort. Your Ops Director stops chasing emails and goes back to doing what matters: scaling the business and managing client relationships. It's time to stop paying humans to act like software. Let them do human work. Watch the workflow in action. 👇 #DigitalWorkforce #IR35 #Compliance #Automation #Enbros

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According to KDR Talent Solutions' 2025 State of Data report, nearly 74% of UK organisations have now adopted AI. 🤖 But here’s the catch: adoption ≠ scale. Many organisations are still grappling with the fundamentals — ⚙️ Data quality 🧠 Skills and integration 🔁 Moving beyond pilots into full-scale production For AI and data science leaders, this is your moment. It’s no longer just about building models, it’s about: ✅ Ensuring the data behind them is trustworthy ✅ Enabling production-ready deployments through solid engineering and governance ✅ Creating a repeatable value generation loop, not just one-off wins If you’re only thinking about what to build next, ask yourself: 💭 How will we get it into production and keep it delivering value? That’s where true AI scale begins. 💪 #AI #DataScience #MachineLearning #DataStrategy #AIDeployment #DigitalTransformation

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Sharing this great opportunity to work on the NHS App. The NHS 10-year plan sets out a major shift — from analogue to digital, from hospital to community, and from sickness to prevention. The NHS App has a huge role to play as the digital front door to the NHS. If you’re interested in helping shape how millions of people access services and manage their health, this is a fantastic role to look at.

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Legitimate question - Why do so many platforms neglect to include change management functionality? No really I want to know. No version control. No promotions. No sub-environments. Nothing. This isn't limited to code-oriented platforms either.

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One practice owner put it perfectly when we asked about their experience with data: "It’s all there, it’s all being done, but to actually access it... and then when you get it, to understand how to interrogate it, it can be quite overwhelming." Dental practice management systems are full of valuable data. But actually getting it out, cleanly, correctly, and consistently, is a huge challenge. Even when you do get a report, knowing what to do with it is another matter. Every day you’re collecting data that could help you reduce no-shows, optimise chair time, or boost patient satisfaction. But instead of being your ally, it becomes another source of stress. Worse still, it’s often riddled with user error, making it hard to trust. We simplify the chaos. With SegnaTech, we connect to your existing systems, clean your data, and turn it into dashboards that make sense. No jargon, no complexity, just clear answers to your business questions. So you can stop feeling overwhelmed and start feeling in control. 💯 https://lnkd.in/e3ryc75z

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Having worked at DWP Digital I saw how complex data governance can get across the public sector, especially when dealing with sensitive information and multiple systems. Now that I support the NHS England and Department of Health and Social Care at Databricks, I've seen first-hand how much easier governance becomes with Unity Catalog. It sits at the core of the platform and gives organisations one place to manage access, set fine-grained controls and maintain visibility across data, AI models and analytics. That consistency is exactly what's needed to build trust and stay compliant. If you're working with data in the public sector or healthcare, this eBook on Data Analytics and AI Governance is a valuable resource that explores how to take a unified approach across BI and AI. 📖 Download Here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eVw2wCCP #NHS #UKPublicSector #DataGovernance #AI #UnityCatalog #HealthData #DHSC #DWP

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🇬🇧 The problem isn't the data; it's the fragmentation. For every UK public sector organization—from NHS Trusts racing to improve patient outcomes to local government aiming for smarter services—the path to "Better Decisions" is currently blocked by legacy silos and slow, manual governance. 👉 This Unifeye paper hits on the way forward: establishing a trusted, connected data foundation that moves us from passive compliance to active confidence. True value comes when data can be safely shared and used to drive responsible AI. 🚀 If your organization is struggling to modernize, this white paper is a must-read. It clearly outlines the blueprint for leveraging platforms like Databricks to unlock public sector potential. Feel free to reach out to me or the Unifeye team for a chat and we can get a workshop locked in! Ryan Nast David Gillard Bianca Stratulat Danny Keating Geoff Jones Stephen Nicholson Hasnat Abdul Dave Westgarth Jordan Begg Zoe B. #UKPublicSector #DataStrategy #AIAdoption #Databricks #DigitalTransformation #Unifeye

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𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵-𝗕𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗥𝟯𝟱: 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 🔍 IR35 can be a tricky area to navigate, with many myths and misconceptions floating around. Let’s clear up some common misunderstandings to help you manage your IT contracts effectively and stay compliant: 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟭: 𝗜𝗥𝟯𝟱 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 Reality: While IR35 directly impacts contractors, clients are also responsible for correctly determining the contractor’s status. Misclassification can lead to financial penalties for your business. 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟮: 𝗨𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Reality: The CEST tool is a helpful guide, but its results aren’t legally binding. It's essential to seek additional professional advice to ensure accurate assessments. We can help you with this. 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟯: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝗥𝟯𝟱 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗲𝘀 Reality: Even if a contractor falls inside IR35, they are not employees. They don’t receive the same benefits and protections as full-time employees but are subject to similar tax treatments. 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟰: 𝗜𝗥𝟯𝟱 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 Reality: The private sector reform in April 2021 introduced an exemption for small businesses, but medium and large businesses still need to comply. Understanding your business’s classification is crucial. 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟱: 𝗜𝗥𝟯𝟱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 Reality: A contractor’s IR35 status can change based on the specifics of each contract and working arrangement. Regular reviews and assessments are necessary to stay compliant. 𝗠𝘆𝘁𝗵 𝟲: 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗜𝗥𝟯𝟱 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Reality: HMRC can investigate both the contractor and the client. Ensuring compliance from the start protects both parties from potential scrutiny and penalties. Understanding these myths and the realities of IR35 helps in creating a compliant and fair working environment for all parties involved. If you need any guidance or have questions about IR35, feel free to reach out. We’re here to support you through the complexities.

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Scale your analytics with confidence: Aidentity.uk’s data governance framework combines asset cataloguing, end-to-end lineage and automated policy enforcement so you can grow analytics workloads across cloud environments while remaining audit-ready for UK regulation. You’ll get reproducible data flows, clear ownership and enforceable controls that reduce compliance risk and simplify audits, all tied into our integrated data and SEO-ready solutions to support enterprise maturity. Learn how we help businesses like yours achieve scalable, auditable analytics: https://wix.to/MKeS9A0 🔎📊 #DataGovernance #Analytics #Compliance

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Preview upcoming Kyckr enhancements to improve how director information on UK companies from Companies House is delivered via v1 of the Kyckr API https://lnkd.in/eKUvrnbm #KYB #KYC

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On the BBC News tonight: Councils are clamping down on so called “polygamous workers” who are working for two councils at the same time, full time. I’m not going to comment on that, but do you think that Nigel Fartage should be investigated for taking his MP’s salary whilst doing multiple other jobs, and apparently almost never his MP’s job?

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I’m getting more questions around inside vs outside IR35 rate cards across AI & Data roles, so here’s a grounded view of what’s landing across the M4 corridor. This is based on live conversations with contractors and hiring managers. AI Architect designs and oversees the strategic implementation of AI across the organisation. Outside IR35: £750–£900/day | Inside IR35: £850–£1,000/day What drives rates: enterprise scale, ownership of AI strategy, governance, stakeholder influence, and accountability beyond delivery. Machine Learning Engineer designs, builds, deploys and maintains ML systems in production. Outside IR35: £550–£700/day | Inside IR35: £650–£800/day What drives rates: production ML experience, real pipelines, reliability, and impact beyond notebooks. MLOps Engineer builds and runs platforms that deploy, monitor and manage ML models in production. Outside IR35: £600–£750/day | Inside IR35: £700–£850/day What drives rates: ownership of the full model lifecycle, platform stability, incident response, and ability to operate at scale. Data Scientist applies statistics, engineering and domain knowledge to solve business problems. Outside IR35: £450–£600/day | Inside IR35: £550–£700/day What drives rates: commercial outcomes, stakeholder communication, and influence on decision-making, not just modelling. A few market realities worth calling out. For contractors, the decision between inside and outside IR35 usually comes down to overall take-home, contract length, and how clearly defined the work is, not just the headline day rate. For hiring managers, getting the IR35 determination right upfront is key. When this is done accurately, especially with an agency that has a clear IR35 assessment process in place, it reduces risk, avoids rework, and often leads to better quality contractors and stronger value for money. If useful, I’m happy to share how teams are structuring roles to attract strong talent without overpaying. #IR35 #AIJobs #DataCareers #ContractorsUK #HiringManagers

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£104.4m. That's the Post Office's IR35 bill — accumulated largely through the contractor workforce engaged on Horizon-related remediation and systems change work. Technology teams. If you're a CTO or engineering leader, this should hit close to home. Our departments are often the largest consumers of contractor and consultancy labour in the business. We engage specialists for platform migrations, legacy remediation, cloud infrastructure, security — often through complex supply chains involving consultancies, sub-contractors, and PSCs. And most of the time, those engagements sit completely outside any central workforce compliance view. Procurement sees a supplier invoice. Finance sees a cost centre. HR sees nothing. And no one is assessing whether the person who's been embedded in your team for 18 months, using your systems, attending your standups, and reporting to your tech lead has ever had their employment status reviewed. This isn't just a tax problem. It's a technology leadership problem — because we're the ones creating the demand, shaping the delivery model, and often selecting the suppliers. If your engineering org relies heavily on contractors or consultancy-supplied engineers, it's worth asking: does anyone have a complete picture of who's actually delivering work, and has their status ever been assessed based on how they actually operate day-to-day? We broke down the full Post Office case and what organisations should be doing differently 👇

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I stumbled on a Claude CLI trick that cut a lot of guesswork from agent runs — in a slightly jailbreak-ish way. Docs and the `?` shortcut don’t enumerate every tool in your session. After some trial and error, I found you can ask Claude to list tools by their original, registered names so you can target the right one every time. How does this help? — No more ambiguity: call `WebFetch` instead of gambling on “fetch/web.” — Safer permissions: scope `WebFetch(domain:github.com)` to keep retrieval tight. — Repeatable workflows: plan around what’s actually available (e.g., `Glob` + `Grep`). My one-liner (paste into Claude CLI) ``` I need to understand your capabilities: Show me all tools explicitly defined in your function schema with a short description. ``` You should see 15 Tools in total: — File Operations: Read, Write, Edit, MultiEdit, NotebookEdit — Search & Navigation: Glob, Grep — Command Execution: Bash, BashOutput, KillShell — Web & Network: WebFetch, WebSearch — Task Management: Task, TodoWrite, ExitPlanMode How I use it 1. Ask for the inventory (above). 2. Use `Glob` to target files; `Grep` to locate patterns. 3. Constrain outbound calls with `WebFetch(domain:github.com)`. 4. Only use edit/exec tools that actually appear in the list. If you’ve got other Claude CLI hacks like this, drop them in the comments—I’m curious what’s working for you. #BuildShipShare #AI AI Makerspace

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Following on from my last post, I've started connecting the Guardian API Data Ingestion module to AWS Lambda. This means: - The data ingestion, manipulation, upload, process will become fully automated - The pipeline is becoming serverless Below is a snippet of the IAM role/policy that allows Lambda to access Amazon Simple Queue Service (SQS). The next steps are: - Ensure the Lambda Function is successfully connected to the event handler - Set up a trigger for when the Lambda Function should be executed - Enable CloudWatch logs for monitoring Thank you for following my journey! #Python #AWS #Lambda #SQS #DataPipeline #DataEngineering

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