Case Summary
A case summary provides a summary of events, changes
and work undertaken by key professionals over a period
of time.
Using a Case Summary
Case summaries support effective practice in a number
of ways. They can:
- support work with families
Completing or sharing a summary with a family offers
an opportunity to reflect on progress over the period
covered by the summary and to discuss achievements as
well as any difficulties or stresses being experienced.
- offer an opportunity to involve families in recording
Completing or sharing the summary with family members
can provide an opportunity for family members to record
their views or to have their views recorded.
- support the implementation of the plan for the child
or young person
The summary should be directly related to the aims and
objectives for the child or young person as stated in
the child's plan. The summary can be a useful tool to
set out the tasks necessary to achieve the objectives.
The summary should include details of interventions used
and the practitioner's and family's view of their effectiveness.
Summaries can be used to support supervision.
Case summaries can help to ensure continuity and are
an important source of information for colleagues and
supervisors in the absence of the case holder.
Writing a case summary provides practitioners with an
opportunity to reflect on the effectiveness of interventions
and to review progress towards agreed goals.
Case summaries should be completed at regular intervals,
at least every three months and when cases are closed
or transferred.
Case summaries should be related to the overall objectives
for intervention with the child or young person and their
family and should include:
- what contact the practitioner has had with the family,
including when the child or young person was seen;
- information from other key individuals and agencies
on their involvement with the family during the period
covered by the summary;
- any resources provided to the family, including the
practitioner's time, how these resources where used
by the family and their outcome;
- the practitioner's analysis of progress towards the
specified objectives and whether these should be modified
in any way;
- the young person's and families views of progress.
Example
case summary fieldwork (Microsoft Word format)
Click here for further
information on using case summaries in residential care
Integrated Children's System
records index
