Omnichannel triage for Law Centres nationwide: calls, emails, SMS, and WhatsApp in one place
enquirydesk.appAs part of the Law Centres Network's digital transformation programme, I led product discovery, design, and engineering, working directly with staff across multiple centres to solve a problem that was costing time and, more critically, letting vulnerable people fall through the cracks. Law Centres provide free legal advice to people who can't afford it, but staff were fielding calls, emails, WhatsApp messages, and webforms with no unified system to track any of it. Triage was informal. Cases got lost. Re-entry was constant. The people who needed help the most were the ones most likely to fall through the cracks.
No way to track who needs help
Demand is relentless. Staff were fielding calls, emails, WhatsApp messages, and webform submissions with no unified system to track any of it. Triage was informal. Cases got lost. Re-entry was constant.
The solution: SMS first, then everything else
The first iteration focused solely on SMS. Staff could send and receive texts from a unified number, with basic triage and tracking. It was minimal, focused, and solved the most urgent problem: giving vulnerable people a reliable way to stay in touch without worrying about losing track of conversations.
That first version is still in use at several centres.
Managing all enquiries, no matter how they arrive
The second iteration expanded the scope. EnquiryDesk became an omnichannel communications and triage platform that brings everything into one place: phone calls, emails, SMS, webforms, chat, and WhatsApp.
The platform was built with React and Ruby on Rails, with Twilio and SendGrid handling the communications layer. Key features:
- Unified inbox across all channels, so nothing gets missed
- Structured triage workflows to route enquiries consistently and fairly
- Case ownership tracking so staff know who's handling what
- Demand visibility so centres can see patterns and plan resources
Research-led from day one
I worked with multiple centres to map pain points before writing a line of code. Concepts were validated through live prototyping with real staff handling real enquiries. This wasn't a build-first project; we earned confidence before scaling.
Where it is now
EnquiryDesk is live in several Law Centres and rolling out nationwide as part of the Network's digital transformation. Response times are faster, fewer enquiries slip through, and centres finally have visibility into the demand they're facing.
Visit enquirydesk.app to learn more about the platform.