Our casework process end to end

NHS Advocacy Providers Conference

Chris McAlpine – Assistant Director of InvestigationsAndrew Medlock– Assistant Director of Customer Services

8 October 2015 1

Our casework process - end to end• Overview of our end to end casework

process

• More detail in workshops later

• Service Model – key principles;–Evidencing sound decision making–Providing a good customer experience

• Sharing learning

Our casework process – The Service Model• Why have we developed a Service Model?

–Evidencing sound decision making;–Providing a good customer experience.

• What does this mean for you and your clients?

–You should experience what is set out in the model;–You should be involved, informed and kept up to date;–You should know what’s going on!

Our casework process - first stage assessment • First contact from complainant

• Our customer service staff consider

- properly made- in remit- local procedure exhausted

Our casework process – second stage assessment

• We assess the case to consider:

–suitability of complainant–time limit–alternative legal remedy–if another organisation is more appropriate

Our casework process – proposal to investigate• Is there a case to answer

(some indication of an injustice or hardship arising from a possible failure in service that has not yet been remedied)

• Can it can be resolved quickly

• Proposal to investigate

Our casework process - investigation

• How we gather evidence

• How we investigate

• Professional advice

Our casework process - investigation

• Our ‘test’

• Draft report and comments

• Final report and compliance

• Action plans – learning from mistakes

Our wider role - sharing learning• Case summaries• Themed reports