CASE MANAGEMENT
A Case Manager’s Perspective: BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS AND FAMILIES By Rebecca Taylor, Case Manager at Social Return Case Management
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ase management supports clients to progress toward aspirations and goals for their lives. Integral to this is building a positive relationship with each client, and those close to them. Rebecca Taylor My focus as a case manager is on each unique client and what they may need; something I really enjoy about the role. That said, there are common themes within our work. One theme pivotal to meaningful support and progress is the ability to build trust and rapport.
THE IMPORTANCE OF RAPPORT IN CASE MANAGEMENT
alongside their aspirations and their needs. A collaborative assessment and planning process at an early stage is usually a good foundation upon which to build rapport. We can only progress toward providing recommendations that are appropriate and meaningful by listening and understanding each person and what motivates and engages them. From this, rapport grows with the opportunity for trust to develop and deepen. There must be room for debate, choice and challenge from our clients. This can be an opportunity for further discussion and reflection, deepening our understanding of their needs and situation, leading to deeper insight and strengthening of rapport.
Trust has to be earned and should come only after the passage of time”.
TAILORING THE APPROACH TO BUILD RAPPORT AND TRUST
A Google definition of the word It is important to understand the ‘rapport’ that fits my work is; “A right approach for each client in all close and harmonious relationship stages of the relationship. Clients in which the people or groups and family members have often concerned understand each other’s been though a variety of challenging ARTHUR ASHE feelings or ideas and communicate experiences. I find that some clients well.” Rapport is highlighted as a necessary communications and families have gone for so long without the support they skill within the BABICM Competency Framework need, that they are very enthusiastic and quickly welcome (www.BABICM.org). any input and ideas from their case manager. For others it can Client and family feedback frequently indicates the take a number of meetings and some positive action, before importance of skilled case management support following a sense of mutual understanding and meaningful rapport life-changing injury. We may be the first professional with begins to build, which promotes trust in a case manager and such a wide remit and sufficient time to spend with the the case management process. client to deeply explore the changes since injury in their lives, It is most certainly the case that trust and rapport are not gained simply by being an experienced professional with a great CV full of evidence of knowledge and skill. Case managers must build rapport upon which trust can be earned. As the great American tennis player Arthur Ashe said “Trust has to be earned and should come only after the passage of time”.
For more information Rebecca can be contacted at Rebecca.taylor@social-return.co.uk, tel: 0191 375 0256
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