About Social Catalyst UK
Social Catalyst UK provides practical AI governance and information security support, particularly for organisations that work directly with people and handle sensitive information about their lives, needs and circumstances.
Our growing focus is AI governance: helping organisations understand how AI is being used, establish clear accountability and oversight, assess risk, and put proportionate policies and controls in place. Alongside this, we provide information security governance, review and assurance support, including ISO/IEC 27001 readiness and implementation.
Our Story
Social Catalyst UK was founded by Antony Kendall, an independent consultant with a career spanning senior operational leadership, governance, organisational improvement and risk across some of the UK’s most complex people-focused organisations.
Antony’s background isn’t in software development or technical AI. Having spent years as Director of Operations at a major Welsh homelessness charity, leading 350 staff across 80 services and managing a £14m budget, he understands first-hand how governance, accountability, policy and risk management have to work in real organisations, not just on paper.
That experience is particularly relevant to AI governance.
Antony Kendall
Founder and Lead Consultant
AI Governance & Information Security
ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor & Implementer
AI governance is often assumed to be mainly a cybersecurity or technical issue. In practice, much of it is organisational rather than technical. It is about knowing where and how AI is being used, who is accountable for it, how risks are assessed, how providers are selected and overseen, what staff can and cannot do with AI, and how important decisions are documented, challenged and reviewed.
Cybersecurity, data protection and technical assurance remain important, but they are parts of a much wider governance picture. AI can be introduced quickly and informally, while the policies, responsibilities and oversight needed to govern it often develop much more slowly.
Social Catalyst UK was built to help close that gap. We combine organisational governance and operational experience with specialist AI governance and information security knowledge. Where deeper technical expertise is required, we work collaboratively with trusted cybersecurity and systems specialists, bringing the different elements together rather than treating them as separate problems.
Our aim is to help organisations understand their use of AI, govern it proportionately, and put arrangements in place that work in the real world.
Qualifications & Credentials
- Certified PECB ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor
- Certified PECB ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer
- Professional Certificate in AI Governance — Chartered Governance Institute
- ISO 9001 Lead Auditor
- ILM Level 7 — Holistic Leadership Programme
Our Collaborative Model
Social Catalyst UK is built around a collaborative delivery model. Antony leads the governance, risk, policy, and organisational assurance work, while working closely with trusted cybersecurity, systems, and technical specialists as an integral part of how services are delivered.
This gives clients a practical blend of organisational understanding and technical depth: controls that make sense, evidence that stands up, and advice that is proportionate to their real risks, systems, and resources.
Antony remains the lead contact throughout, ensuring clarity, consistency, accountability, and joined-up delivery.
Our Approach
Most client journeys begin with one of our free assessments, a no-obligation starting point that gives you a clear picture of where you stand before committing to anything further.
From there, every engagement is shaped around what you actually need. We agree the scope and pricing before any work begins, and findings are written in plain language, focused on real risk and practical improvement.
Our work is designed to help organisations understand their current position, identify priorities, strengthen governance and make informed decisions about what to do next.
We work with organisations of different sizes and sectors that are using AI, handling sensitive information, or operating in environments where accountability, trust and good governance matter. Our approach is deliberately flexible and is not limited to any one sector.