Alana Barrett-Frew
Lead Innovation Engineer | AI & Software Engineering
Building responsible AI systems and digital products across UK government.
Lead Innovation Engineer at Version 1, currently contracted to the Home Office. I design and deliver software and AI systems across UK government, spanning frontend and backend engineering, AI-enabled applications, Azure cloud, and technical enablement. My engineering work is grounded in three years of hands-on commercial delivery and an Advanced Software Engineering (AI) Degree Apprenticeship covering machine learning, data engineering, cloud architecture, cybersecurity, and responsible AI. My background in education and leadership shapes how I communicate, collaborate, and build things that are genuinely useful.
Based in the UK
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Public sector delivery
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Responsible AI mindset
What I do
I sit at the intersection of AI engineering, software delivery, and technical enablement. I build AI systems, enable teams to adopt them, and bring 20 years of experience in making complex topics accessible to any audience.
- •Built AI tools supporting 1,500 users and 80,000 letters/month (Cafcass Scribe, Gartner award runner-up).
- •Led community engagement for the UK government's AI Engineering Lab: 600+ members, 100+ AI Champions.
- •Final module of my degree submitted. Straight A's across six modules, all delivered alongside full-time client work.
Certifications
- Claude Certified Architect , Anthropic
- AI Engineer Agentic Track , Udemy
- Azure AI Engineer Associate (AI-102)
- Azure AI Fundamentals (AI-900)
- GitHub Copilot (GH-300)
- Docker Essentials , IBM
How I work
- •Proactive and honest: if I don't know something, I'll say so and then go and find out.
- •I throw myself into problem-solving, actively seek feedback, and never stop learning.
- •My teaching background means I plan, organise, and communicate complex topics in plain language by instinct.
- •Currently deepening in agentic AI and RAG architectures.
Current Focus
Lead Innovation Engineer
Home Office · Version 1 · August 2026–Present
Contracted to the Home Office, working on innovative AI solutions to real business problems within a government innovation function.
Degree Apprenticeship
BSc Advanced Software Engineering (AI) · February 2025–April 2027
Final module submitted. Straight A's across six modules so far, all completed alongside full-time client delivery.
Featured Project
AI Engineering Lab, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
January 2026 – July 2026
A government programme to get AI coding tools into the hands of engineers across UK government. Over 1,000 licences deployed across tools including Kiro, GitHub Copilot, Google Gemini, and Claude Code. I led the community engagement workstream and worked as a Forward Deployed Engineer, supporting departments directly.
600+
community members
100+
AI Champions
280
hackathon registrations
2 of 3
teams I supported placed top 3
AI Engineering Lab Hackathon
The largest AI event the UK public sector has ever staged. 280 engineers registered (oversubscribed), 40 teams formed, delivered in partnership with Anthropic, Microsoft, GitHub, and AWS. As a Forward Deployed Engineer, I supported teams directly on the day. Two of the three teams I worked with placed in the top 3, including the overall winners.
Recent Client Project: Scribe
AI-assisted correspondence tool for Cafcass (Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service)
Scribe helps 1,500 Family Court Advisers produce personalised, child-centred letters at scale, supporting 80,000 letters per month across 100+ templates. It reduces manual workload, improves accessibility for neurodiverse children and families with language barriers, and ensures every child receives communication tailored to their age and reading level.
1,500
Family Court Advisers supported
80,000
letters generated monthly
100+
letter templates personalised
My contribution
Frontend engineering and AI integration using Angular, TypeScript, and Azure AI Services, collaborating closely with backend engineers integrating C# services. I built robust, user-centred interfaces and ensured AI capabilities were delivered safely and practically for frontline users.
Key capabilities delivered
- Hyper-personalised letters based on child profiles
- Language complexity tailored to reading age
- Multilingual translation support
- Text-to-speech audio file generation
- Seamless integration within existing case management system
Recognition
Background & approach
My background in education continues to shape how I work as an engineer, particularly how I communicate complex ideas, collaborate across disciplines and design technology around the people using it.
I changed careers into technology after two decades in education. That journey continues to influence how I approach learning, problem-solving and technical delivery. I hope that sharing it helps show others that it's possible to start again and build a new career in tech.
Current Interests
I'm continuing to deepen my technical expertise in AI engineering, developer experience and solutions architecture, with a particular interest in building AI systems that solve practical problems.
