The Importance of Industry Standards

Case management is a collaborative process that integrates care and rehabilitation services around the complex needs of people that have suffered a trauma, catastrophic injury, or long-term illness. Case Managers are qualified healthcare professionals with the clinical expertise to assess, plan, monitor and deliver the care needed to achieve optimum recovery and quality of life. In addition, they have the communication skills needed to coordinate a range of multi-disciplinary specialists in the cost-effective and efficient delivery of that care.

Organisations safeguarding industry standards

Whilst there is no single governing body in the UK overseeing the provision of case management and rehabilitation services, there are organisations that publish codes of practice promoting excellence and quality standards in addition to collaborating in creating a national case management framework and accreditation system:

• Case Management Society UK (CMSUK) – a non-profit association of registered case managers that provides support and training to its members and seeks to design and launch a professional framework for case management professionals.
• Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA) – supporting healthcare practitioners to develop their expertise in the fields of disability and employment, the VRA represents professionals engaged in providing vocational rehabilitation services that focus on getting and keeping disadvantaged people in the workplace.
• British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Management (BABICM) – the UK’s leading membership organisation for professionals engaged in brain injury and complex case management, BABICM members share knowledge and best practice to drive excellence in case management.

Bush & Co. holds corporate membership of the CMSUK and VRA and integrates the standards set out by the BABICM as part of its comprehensive internal governance and compliance framework. Fiona Kenny is a Registered Nurse and the Head of Case Management and Rehabilitation at Bush & Co. and highlights the importance of aligning the business with recognised organisations:

“Membership of national organisations dedicated to raising the quality of case management and seeking to introduce standardised practices not only allows us access to the latest developments in the field, but it also provides us an opportunity to share our learnings and participate in discussions focused on delivering better patient outcomes”.

Bush & Co’s approach to industry standards

Bush & Co provide a high quality of service and adopts an approach underpinned by strong governance and controls targeted at maintaining and exceeding industry and professional standards. All case managers are members of their relevant professional body and benefit from membership in national case management standards organisations.

Clinical governance is led by a Clinical Board comprising members of the company’s leadership team and the Non-executive Chief Medical Officer. In addition to overseeing clinical governance and Quality Care Commission (QCQ) compliance, the Board directs risk management and safeguarding policies and audits in alignment with latest best practice.

Bush & Co have a team of clinical operations managers providing support to case managers through case audits, guidance, and reviews and has a Caldecott Guardian in place to protect the confidentiality of patient health and care records.

Internal risk and safeguarding teams ensure all case managers receive appropriate training and maintain accurate client registers in compliance with national policies. A tailored mentoring programme allows junior case managers to work with senior colleagues to enhance core competencies, integrate evidence-based care plans and develop through CPD. Further experience is gained through peer-to-peer networking and regular clinical audits.

This framework enables ongoing review for case managers to support the continual development of clinical reasoning as well as key communication and documentation skills.

The launch of the Institute of Registered Case Managers (IRCM)

The work to develop a professional body for case managers and introduce standardised operating frameworks has so far been handled by the collective memberships of CMSUK, BABICM and VRA. Part of these efforts has seen a Joint Code of Ethics being published and the continued partnership between the Boards of these organisations has resulted in the formation of a new company – the Institute of Registered Case Managers (IRCM).

The IRCM leverages the mechanisms provided by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) to create an educational strategy and framework that will facilitate recognised accreditation to preserve the highest standards in case management services. Only practitioners completing the pathway and securing accreditation will appear on the IRCM register, which is itself recognised by the PSA.

Fiona Kenny highlights the importance of the IRCM:

“The IRCM introduces the prospect of a recognised, independent, and client-focused governing body for case management in the UK, one that is PSA accredited and provides the assurance of integrity to all stakeholders. We look forward to its forthcoming launch and all our case managers attaining accreditation at the earliest opportunity”.

In addition to the credibility attached to formal accreditation, case managers will have access to the latest practices in case management and a clear pathway for gaining the expertise needed to provide the best possible levels of client care. Clients are assured of evidence-based care plans delivered by qualified specialists, and insurers and legal professionals have the peace of mind provided by IRCM’s robust governance framework that will reduce the need for time-consuming due diligence.

Bush & Co case management

We offer extensive case management services that support children from birth, young people, and adults who have suffered catastrophic injuries due to a personal injury or clinical negligence through our network of associate and employed case managers based across the UK.

Our case management centres on delivering effective solutions that meet cost and quality considerations and deliver positive client outcomes. We work with clients, insurers, and solicitors before, during, and after litigation and provide access to a wide range of services that facilitate better communication and continuity.

• Expertise – a team of more than 115 clinical specialists across the UK with an average of 16 and a minimum of 7 years' of experience
• Professional – established relationships across the medico-legal sector enabling flexible commercial terms and efficient response times
• Client-focused – we are proud to have a 97% overall client satisfaction rate
• Added Value – access to services including vocational rehabilitation, pain management programmes, and employment support services