How to refer clients and manage client progression
Case Management
Case management is a way of supporting clients with multiple or complex barriers move towards and into sustained employment. In general, a dedicated case manager or case management system co-ordinates the various services an individual needs and manages the individual’s progress among these.
Key features:
|
Case Manager
|
Case Management System
|
|
Provision of sustained link/relationship with a client
|
Supports the role of the case manager
|
|
Support to navigate the range of services and support needed
|
Provides or supports the co-ordination of services needed by an individual
|
|
Manages progression towards employment
|
Based on IT (or paper-) systems
|
|
Client-centred, involving
- Initial and ongoing assessment of need
- Action planning and review
- Managing referrals
|
Includes referral procedures and protocols with a varied range of local employability and specialist support providers
|
Key principles of effective case management systems:
- Built on local, co-ordinated service networks involving a diverse range of employability and specialist support providers
- Clarity of individual services’ roles and responsibilities, including lead organisation(s); perhaps set out in a Service Level Agreement
- Clear protocols and methods for sharing client information
- Backed up with dedicated IT case management system
Case studies and resources
The Fife Online Referral Tracking System (FORT) is an innovative referral management system. It is a secure encrypted database that sits on the internet and uses multilevel access to manage referrals.
It delivers a Fife-wide signposting and referral network. The FORT system is used by a number of advice agencies to refer clients efficiently. Referrals and signposting are effective tools for ensuring a holistic package of advice and care for service users and facilitates a more effective use of service resources.
The MIS Action Toolkit on this website provides more guidance on some of the systems that are available.