Case Management

What is it?

Casework is one of the main areas of work undertaken by local councillors whatever their position in the authority. It is not only about helping individual constituents but also plays a part in alerting councillors to the genuine concerns of those they represent. It can be important in giving the council information it can use to plan and make provision in the local area.

Case Management is about managing the work arising out of cases. This includes making a record of a case, where appropriate alerting officers, keeping a track of work being done, ensuring that the case is dealt with and feeding back the results. Case work management systems automate the processes and workflow associated managing casework.

Why bother with it?

Unless case work is properly managed there is a risk that cases will not be dealt with, that there will be delays in dealing with the cases and the results will not be fed back. There is an associated risk of loss of reputation both for the Councillor and also for the Council. Case work management systems help to reduce the risk by ensuring that each case always has an owner and that alerts are generated if key dates are missed. They provide an additional benefit for councillors because they can be used to give visibility not only to cases raised by councillors but also by officers and provide visibility of all issues that are being dealt with in their ward.

Where can I find out more about it?

Many councillors simply manage their own case work or use case work systems provided by their political parties. Some councils use their CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems to help manage casework. In other councils Members Services provide support for case work. Contact the relevant officers within your own authority to find out the options available to you.