What is a Client record and who can access it?
This article provides an overview of Client records in SupportAbility outlining information about who can create, access, and edit Client records as well as demonstrating the sort of information that can be found in a Client record.
Audience: All
Summary
The following list summarises the content within this article. Click on the links below to take you to the relevant sections:
- What is a Client record?
- Who can create Client records?
- How to create a Client record
- Who can access and edit a Client record?
What is a Client record?
A Client record is comprised of multiple tabs and includes various fields where data that relates to a particular Client can be entered. Staff Members are able to capture, store and retrieve this information to help them support the Clients they work with, in their respective capacities.
Examples of the kind of information included in a Client record:
- Client contact details and personal information
- Services being accessed by the Client (current and historical)
- Disability, behavioural and medical information
- Support needs
- Key contacts
- Uploaded documents
- Journals (case notes)
- Goals
- Assessments
- Activities (the instances of service delivery they participate in with your organisation)
- Funding, budgets and utilisation
Who can create Client records?
By default, the creation of new Client records is limited to Staff Members with Team Leader privileges.
It is, however, possible to remove this restriction and allow all Staff Members to create new Client records by completing the necessary configuration in System Preferences.
Please see the 'Only Team Leaders can create Client Records' section of the Foundations | Configuration article for more information
How to create a Client record
Creating a new Client record is done by clicking the plus icon next to the Clients button on the Dashboard:
Once a new Client record has been created by selecting the '+' icon, there are three mandatory fields that must be completed in order to be able to save the new Client record:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Date of Birth
While leaving any of these fields blank will prevent the record from being saved, it will still be possible to navigate away from the record by clicking the 'back' button or closing the tab in the web browser. This will result in a blank Client record being created.
Creating blank Client records create unnecessary clutter and can have a negative impact on reporting, as well as resulting in additional administration required in order to delete these.
N.B. Allowing all Staff Members to create Client records may result in an increase in the amount of unintentional blank Client records being created and administration required.
Related learning content
- How to create a Client record
- Foundations | Configuration
- Deleting blank Client records
- Incomplete Client Records and Search Report
Who can access and edit a Client record?
Client records can be accessed by Staff Members that either:
- Share a Standard Service and Site in common with the Client as per their Client Service Participation, or
- Have the global 'Team Leader for ALL Services' or 'Edit Client Records Across ALL Services' privilege.
It is important to note that SupportAbility has been designed on a collaborative access philosophy, therefore if a Staff Member can access a record, then they can also edit the information found in the record.
It is not possible to restrict a Staff Member's access to read-only.
Additional tabs will become available if the Client participates in a Specialist Service (e.g. a Service that has been configured as an ADE or Employment-related, or Financial Plan Management).
The visibility of additional tabs will also vary depending on the Staff Member's Security Privileges e.g. only Staff Members with the 'View Financial Information' Privilege will be able to see and access the 'Funding' tab.
Related learning content
- Managing Privacy
- Privacy Barriers video in the Client Management::Client Record section of the Learning Centre in your installation
Standard Access
Standard Access is given to Staff Members that have a Standard Service and Site in common with a Client.
These tabs include:
- Client Details
- Status
- Contacts
- Activities
- Goals
- Documents
- Assessments
- Journal
If a Staff Member does not have a Standard Service and Site in common with a Client then they will not be able to view or edit the Client record, however, they are able to see some basic details regarding the Client as follows, including their Client Service Participation:
This basic information is displayed to assist in identifying who does have access to this Client's record, as well as demonstrating that a Client record already exists for this individual in an effort to avoid potential duplicate entries.
Client Details tab
The Client Details tab is where Client records are made Active and important information related to the Client is recorded, including personal details, Client Service Participation, and Consent is captured.
Related learning content
- Client Details tab overview
Status tab
The Client 'Status' tab is where all Client medical and disability information is entered. This is where it is possible to add Client Warnings, information relating to Medical Conditions, Behaviours and Immunisations, specify Support Needs, record Routines and other important Disability and Medical information about the Client.
Related learning content
- Client Status tab overview
Contacts tab
The Client Contacts tab is where contact details for important individuals or organisations associated with the Client are captured and stored. This may include Personal Contacts such as the Client's Primary Contact, NDIS Nominee, Next of Kin, or Shared Contacts such as Doctors or other Disability Service providers.
Related learning content
- Client Contacts tab overview
Activities tab
The Activities tab includes a paginated list of all historic, current, and future Activities that the Client has been scheduled into and provides a variety of high-level information related to each respective Activity.
Related learning content
- Client Activities tab overview
Goals tab
The Goals tab is where information about Client Goals and Goal Strategies can be added and managed. Client Goals and Goal Strategies form a critical foundation on which evidence regarding the progress of this can be gathered, tracked, and reported on. This information is used during the ongoing process of supporting Clients and to capture changes over time.
Related learning content
- Client Goals tab overview
Documents tab
The Documents tab is where Staff Members can access and upload documentation relating to the Client. When a Document is added, the relevant Document Type can be selected here and the relevant file uploaded.
Related learning content
- Client Documents tab overview
Assessments tab
The Assessments tab is where Staff Members can create new and review historical Client Assessments. Client Assessments can be utilised at regular intervals to track a Client's progress in a particular area over time.
Related learning content
- Client Assessments tab overview
Journal tab
The Journal tab is where new Client Journals can be created and historical Client Journals can be accessed. Client Journals are in essence any notes or evidence recorded by Staff who work and interact directly with Clients. Client Journals are an important way to document ongoing support and track Clients' progress towards their Goals.
Related learning content
- Client Journal tab overview
Print Menu (Standard)
In addition to the information available in each tab, there are a number of printable Reports and Forms available from the Print Menu at the top of the Client Record. The information found in these documents relates specifically to the Client:
- Client Activity Schedule Report - contains a list of all Activities the Client is scheduled into, including any 'Replicating Client Notes' as entered in the Activity, based on the 'Support Service Filters' selected in the Client's Activity tab
- Activity Report - contains a list of all Activities the Client is scheduled into, including Funding information and the Support Workers rostered into the Activity, based on the 'Support Service Filters' selected in the Client's Activity tab
- Client Goal Report - provides functionality to generate a report for a specific date range for the Client's Goals and allows you to choose whether or not to include Goal Strategies, any linked Standards, Journal Evidence that has been related and an option to include the Journal Details as required
- Client Journal Report - provides functionality to generate a report for a specific date range for the Client's Journals and allows you to choose if you wish to limit the results by Journal Type, or Service as required
- Emergency Information Form - lists key contact details about the Client and includes information about their Emergency Contact, Personal, Medical and Health information as recorded in the Client's Status tab
- Personal Information Form - includes the data entered into most of the fields in the first three tabs of the Client record, designed to review with Client's periodically to assess the currency of this information
- Personal Information Form (Signed) - as above, however, including a signature block for completion
- Personal Information Form (Blank) - as above, however, each of the fields are blank. This version of the Personal Information Form is designed for printing and completion for the purpose of Staff Members entering this data once completed into SupportAbility
Related learning content
- Foundations | Client Details article
- Client Reports video in the Client Management::Search, Exports and Reports section of the Learning Center
Additional Access
Additional tabs in the Client record may also be available depending on the Sites and Services that the Client participates in and the privileges of the individual accessing the Client's record. The visibility of these tabs will vary depending on the Sites and Services where the Staff Member works and their privileges. For example, only Staff Members with the 'View Financial Information' privilege will be able to see and access the Funding tab.
These additional tabs include:
- Funding
- FPM
- Workforce
- Employment
Related learning content
- Managing Privacy article
- Staff Account Privileges article
- Privacy Barriers video in the Coret::Concept section of the Learning Centre
Funding tab
The Funding tab provides an overview of the current and historical Direct Client Funding records and all Direct Invoices that have been generated for the Client. These records are accessible via the target icons or associated links. In addition, this is where new Funding records are added as required.
Related learning content
- Client Funding tab overview
FPM tab
The Client FPM tab provides an overview of the current and historical Plan Managed Client Funding records and all Direct Invoices that have been generated for Plan Management Fees for the Client. These records are accessible via the target icons or associated links. In addition, this is where new Plan Managed Client Funding records are added as required.
Related learning content
- Client FPM tab overview
Workforce tab
The Workforce tab is available if the Client participates in a Service that has been configured as an 'ADE Service' such as Supported Employment. This is where information relating to the Client's job skills and payroll is captured and stored.
Related learning content
- Client Workforce tab overview
Employment tab
The Employment tab will become available if the Client participates in a Service that has been configured as an 'Employment' Service, relevant for providers who deliver School Leaver Employment Supports (SLES) and other Employment-related Services. This is where information relating to employment opportunities is captured and stored.
Related learning content
- Client Employment tab overview
Print Menu (Additional)
When access to additional tabs has been provided, it also provides Staff Members with additional Reports and Forms in the Print Menu that relate to the additional tabs.
These additional Reports and Forms are highlighted below:
Related learning content
- Foundations | Client Details article
- Client Reports video in the Client Management::Search, Exports and Reports section of the Learning Center