Auto-Allocate Client Goals and Strategies to Journals
This article provides detailed information about configuring the 'Auto-Allocate Client Goals and Strategies to Journals' setting and how this functionality operates.
Activating this feature can assist staff with the data entry process of creating Client Journals and ensure Journals are linked to Client Goals and Goal Strategies.
However, it is vital that whilst SupportAbility is auto-allocating this based on how it has been configured, staff have adequate training to ensure they are checking that the Goals they are linking are in fact accurate and appropriate in relation to the situation.
This article also addresses the known limitation that this functionality cannot distinguish between current and non-current Client Goals, and therefore we have provided a simple workaround for managing this as outlined below.
Prerequisite: Staff completing this configuration require the 'Edit System Preferences' privilege.
Audience: Authorised Representatives, Operations Management, Team Leaders
Summary
The following list summarises the content within this article:
- How to Configure Auto-Allocate Goals and Strategies to Journals
- How does the 'Auto-Allocate Goals and Strategies to Journals' feature work?
- Limitation with Completed Goals
How to Configure Auto-Allocate Goals and Strategies to Journals
SupportAbility has an optional feature for automating linking Goals and Goal Strategies to Journals.
The related setting 'Auto-allocate Goals and Strategies to Journals' is configured in the Goal Management section on the Settings tab in System Preferences.
This is set to 'Do not Auto Allocate Goals and Strategies' by default:
When configured this way, the feature is inactive and linking Goals and Goal Strategies to Journals is not automated. Therefore, Staff will need to actively link Goals or Goal Strategies to Journals if your organisation requires this.
The available configuration options which activate this feature are as follows:
- Journal Site and Service,
- Activity Program (this will only work if Programs have been created and are used in Activities by your organisation)
- Activity Name
Once configured, the selected option determines how Goals or Goal Strategies are automatically linked to Journals, as explained in the following section.
How does the 'Auto-Allocate Goals and Strategies to Journals' feature work?
Once the 'Auto-allocate Goals and Strategies to Journals' setting has been configured and activated e.g. set to Activity Name:
When Staff add a new Client Journal, SupportAbility will reference the previously created Journal for this Client with the same attribute, e.g. same Activity Name, and automatically link the same Goal and/or Goal Strategy to the newly created Journal.
For example, if a staff member links a Goal or a Goal Strategy in a Journal for an Activity called 'Swimming', the next time a Journal is created for this Client for an Activity called 'Swimming', SupportAbility will pre-select the same Client Goal and/or Goal Strategy (e.g. Build initial strength through the assistance of water buoyancy) that was linked in the previous Journal for a Swimming Activity:
N.B. When the 'Auto-allocate Goals and Strategies to Journals' setting has been set to 'Activity Name', Goals and/or Goal Strategies will only be automatically linked when the new Client Journal is created from within an Activity. This is done by selecting the + Journal button in the relevant Client row of an Activity:
Linking additional Goals and Goal Strategies
When Goals and/or Goal Strategies have been automatically linked to a Journal, it is still possible to link additional Goals and/or Goal Strategies, where applicable, by selecting the 'Link Goals / Strategies' button:
Limitation with Completed Goals
While this automated feature helps staff with the data entry process when creating Client Journals, there is a known limitation: it cannot distinguish between current and non-current Client Goals.
As a result, non-current Client Goals, i.e. Goals that have been completed in SupportAbility by adding an 'Actual End Date', may still be auto-linked to new Client Journals if these Goals were linked on the most recent relevant Client Journal.
Workaround
A suggested workaround to prevent non-current Client Goals from being auto-linked is to create a new 'buffer' Client Journal once the old Client Goal has ended.
If new Goals have been created, then these can be manually linked to the 'buffer' Client Journal.
This 'buffer' Client Journal will then become the new reference for automatically linking Goals and Goal Strategies when the next corresponding Client Journal is created.
If there are no more relevant Client Goals, then the Goal section of the 'buffer' Client Journal can be left blank.