Case management

What is a case manager?

A case manager is responsible for overseeing, co-ordinating and managing the overall care and/or rehabilitation of their client.

Case managers working with brain injury survivors should have specialist knowledge of brain injury, as well as knowledge of health and social care, rehabilitation and other professional support.

Case managers can come from a variety of professional backgrounds, such as social work, occupational therapy, physiotherapy or nursing.

There are case managers working in statutory services (NHS or social care), medico-legal settings and independent practice. However, most brain injury case managers are privately funded so may only be accessible through private referrals and interim compensation payments.

Different clinical bodies might use different names for case managers. For instance, integrated care boards (ICBs) might call case managers ‘neuro navigators’.

The information below describes what case managers do and offers guidance on choosing the right case manager.

What do case managers do?

A brain injury is a life-changing event, and a case manager can help brain injury survivors adjust to their new situation and navigate the various services and options available. Examples include:

• Providing information about brain injury and local services.

• Assisting brain injury survivors with applying for financial support, funding or welfare benefits.

• Organising relevant care and support services.

• Identifying appropriate rehabilitation services.

• Supporting and educating family members.

• Identifying solutions to practical challenges such as property adaptations, vehicle and equipment needs.

• Accompanying the brain injury survivor to specific medical appointments as required.

Brain injury case managers work closely with the brain injury survivor and their family to find out what is important to the survivor now and what might be important to them in the future. Using their specialist knowledge of brain injury and local services, they work with the survivor to address areas of difficulty and, where possible, support them in returning to meaningful activities they enjoyed before the injury.

Tailored care plans or treatment programmes are prepared for each brain injury survivor, designed to meet their specific health, social and emotional needs. These care plans are continually reviewed so that the case manager can continue to provide support as circumstances change.

Brain injury case managers can use their specialist knowledge to make clinical recommendations for potential treatment, therapy, equipment or support. They can act as a central point of communication for the multiple professionals who may be involved in a brain injury survivor’s care.

A brain injury case manager can work with their client at any time during their lifetime, potentially for many years.

How is case management funded?

Most brain injury case managers are privately funded.

If a compensation claim is being pursued, the costs of the case manager should be included in the claim. Case managers are health and social care professionals and, as such, are not a direct part of the litigation process. They have a professional duty of care to their client (the injured person) regardless of who funds their input.

In some instances, private case management may be funded by a local authority or the NHS to meet specific client needs, although this is not particularly common.

A case manager usually has an hourly rate and charges for time spent visiting you, writing reports, conducting telephone conversations and dealing with other people on your behalf, or organising services and support. Each case manager should provide details of their terms and conditions and hourly rates, including professional and travel time.

Choosing a case manager

Check professional registration and membership

There are many case management companies to choose from, but it is important to select someone who has experience supporting clients with acquired brain injury. They should also have the appropriate professional registration, such as registration with the Institute of Registered Case Managers (IRCM), the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC) or Social Work England (SWE). Case managers who direct care packages must also be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) or Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW).

Case managers may also be members of or registered with bodies relevant to their professional background, such as the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy if they are a physiotherapist, or the Royal College of Occupational Therapists if they are an occupational therapist.

It is also useful to check that they belong to a case management membership body such as BABICM (British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Management), Case Management Society UK (CMS UK) or the Vocational Rehabilitation Association (VRA).

Searching online

You can search for a case manager in your area online. Many case management companies have search functions so that you can find a case manager in your local area with a specific area of expertise, such as brain injury.

You can also use BABICM’s online directory, which specifically features case managers with experience supporting clients with brain injury.

Questions to ask

As well as checking the case manager’s credentials, it is important to choose someone who can satisfactorily answer your questions so that you can be confident they are the right case manager for you. Consider asking:

• What experience and qualifications do you have in working with people with a brain injury?

• How often will you be able to visit me in person?

• How can you reassure me that you are providing me with the best service?

• What is your availability for calls and email contact?

• What arrangements are in place when you are away on holiday?

• Do you or the company you work for have relevant insurance?

• How long does the case management process continue for, and is it reviewed periodically?

Making a complaint

The majority of people will have a good experience of being supported by a case manager. However, there are instances where a brain injury survivor or their family may be dissatisfied with the care provided, and it may be necessary to make a complaint.

It is always helpful to begin with a local resolution. This means talking to the case manager about the nature of your complaint and seeing whether the issue can be resolved through an open and honest discussion.

If a local resolution does not help, or is not possible, you might need to make a formal complaint. The process for raising a complaint against a case manager depends on the type of case manager you are working with. Keep a written record of key dates and details relating to your complaint, as this may help the process.

If your complaint is against an NHS case manager, you will need to raise it through the local integrated care board (ICB) responsible for the brain injury survivor’s care. ICB websites should provide details of their complaints process.

If your complaint is against a social care case manager, you will need to raise it with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

If your complaint is against a case manager from a case management company, follow the company’s complaints process, which should be available on its website.

You can make a complaint on behalf of a brain injury survivor who does not have the capacity to do so themselves. If the brain injury survivor does have capacity to make a complaint, you can still complain on their behalf, but you should include their consent in your complaint letter.

The information on this page was produced with expert support from British Association of Brain Injury and Complex Case Management (BABICM).

This information was last reviewed in 2023.