How You Can Use AI to Enhance your Signposting

Charities often have service users who need multiple layers of support, you may be offering help as a food bank but have a regular beneficiary who could do with some financial literacy help, or are a sports club with a member who needs support with their mental health. It can be really hard to find support services in your area that are right for your beneficiary, or volunteer.  

That’s where tools like ChatGPT can save time and improve outcomes.

Why AI Helps With Signposting

• Saves research time — instead of trawling multiple sites or getting overwhelmed with a google search with 100s of unrelated results, AI can summarise local and specialist services in minutes.
  
• Increases reach — it often surfaces smaller community groups or culturally specific services that don’t appear high in Google search results.
  
• Flexible — it can format results as lists, tables, or even print-ready guides for staff or volunteers.
  

The key is knowing how to ask.

The Prompt Formula That Works

A prompt is simply the instruction or question you type into ChatGPT (or any AI tool).

Think of it as your “brief” to the AI: the clearer and more specific the prompt, the better and more useful the answer you’ll get. When using AI to find services, your question should include:

1. Who – person’s age, gender, status, cultural background
   
2. Where – the exact town/city/borough
   
3. What – type of support needed (e.g. domestic abuse, sexual violence, housing, counselling)
   
4. Priorities – e.g., “culturally specific,” “language support,” “safe for asylum seekers”
   
5. Output style – what you want back (name, type of service, website)
   

Quick everyday version

“Find local [type of support] services for a [age/gender/background] in [location]. Prioritise culturally specific or language-appropriate options. List organisation name, what they offer, who they help, and contact details.”

Reusable prompt template for more complex cases

“I am supporting a [describe person’s background — e.g., 17-year-old female asylum seeker from Eritrea] who is living in [town/city/borough]. I need to find local support services that are [type of support needed — e.g., culturally specific women’s groups, domestic abuse services].
Please list local organisations (with name, what they do, who they help, phone/email/web, and any cultural or language specialism). Prioritise services that work with [specific community if relevant] and are accessible for [immigration/asylum seekers / young people / women].”

Tips for the Team

• Be precise about location. Use a borough or postcode, not just “London.”
  
• Request contact details. Saves time copying and Googling later.
  
• Ask for formatting. “Make this a simple table” works well for printing or sharing.
  
• Double-check key info. AI can save hours, but websites and phone numbers sometimes change, so always check the organisation's website before sharing on.
  

Real-World Example

I’m supporting a 19-year-old male from a Somali background who has recently left prison and is rebuilding his life in Birmingham. He has a history of substance misuse and now wants help with financial literacy and employment opportunities. Please find local or regional services that support young ex-offenders from ethnic minority backgrounds, especially those with experience of substance misuse. Include culturally aware or faith-sensitive programmes if available, and give organisation names, what they offer, who they help, and contact details.

Likely AI Response

• Pardoner’s Pathways (Birmingham) – Mentoring and skills programmes for young ex-offenders, with specialist substance misuse support and links to training/employment.
  
• The Refugee and Migrant Centre – Birmingham – Financial advice, employability workshops, and cultural support for Somali and other migrant communities.
  
• St Giles Trust – West Midlands – Works with young people leaving custody; offers mentoring, substance misuse support, and help into jobs or training.
  
• Maan Somali Mental Health Birmingham – Somali-led organisation providing culturally appropriate counselling, addiction recovery support, and help with benefits and work readiness.
  
• Prisoners’ Education Trust – UK-wide but active locally; supports learning, skills and employment for ex-prisoners from diverse backgrounds.
  
• National Careers Service – West Midlands – Practical career planning and skills development, can tailor support for people with criminal records.

(You’d still verify details, but it’s a much faster starting point.)

Final Reminder

AI won’t replace the need for professional judgment, safeguarding knowledge, or local expertise. But when used well, it’s a powerful assistant for anyone signposting services, helping us support beneficiaries and volunteers faster and more effectively.