Case management has to fit the service
Generic case management software models a generic service. A charity's service is usually specific, with its own stages, assessments, outcomes and safeguarding requirements.
That mismatch is why so many charities run their casework in a spreadsheet alongside the system they were funded to buy.
What a case system needs
- Stages matching how your service actually works
- Assessments using your own frameworks and outcome measures
- Safeguarding flags, escalation and audit
- Consent recorded per purpose, and honoured
- Outcomes recorded in the form your funders require
Record outcomes in the funders' format from the start. Retrofitting outcome measurement onto historical case notes is difficult and frequently impossible.
Grant reporting from the same data
Different funders ask for similar information in different formats. Assembling those reports from the case data automatically removes weeks of work per year.
- Templates per funder, populated from your records
- Validation before submission
- A record of what was reported and when
- The narrative sections drafted from the data, reviewed by a person
Beneficiary data needs particular care
| Requirement | Design |
|---|---|
| Safeguarding | Flags, escalation, restricted access |
| Consent | Per purpose, dated, withdrawable |
| Access control | Strictly by role, audited |
| Retention | Aligned to your safeguarding policy |
| Anonymisation | For reporting and any test data |
Budget and funding
Digital capacity is fundable by several funders, particularly where a project demonstrably increases the number of people served with the same team.
Measure the current administrative hours before starting. That figure is both the business case and the funding application.