CASE STUDY
State Government Department
A case management solution designed to place the wellbeing of victim survivors at the heart of the handling of cases of domestic violence.
To increase the effectiveness of its support for victim survivors of domestic violence, this government agency asked Simplus to implement a client and case management solution that would streamline the administrative process, and allow the maximum amount of time to be spent with clients.
Domestic and family violence can affect anyone, at any age. In Australia, one in three women experiences physical or sexual violence, or both, caused by someone known to them. Domestic violence is also the leading cause of death for women under 45.
Numerous government departments and agencies are responsible for providing support to those who have experienced domestic and family violence, with specialist services ranging from legal advice, domestic violence case work, mental health counselling and financial guidance.
THE CHALLENGE
Every stakeholder’s primary concern is the support of victim survivors of domestic violence. However, with multiple agencies and specialists working with
over 54,000 victim survivors each year, information is frequently spread across several systems, slowing the support process down.
A significant amount of time is spent by support teams on manual data entry into many disparate systems to manage relationships with victim
survivors of domestic violence.
The sheer volume of manual admin and data entry prevents front-line workers from spending more time with the women they are supporting. All the while, victim survivors are coping with the trauma caused by the abuse perpetrated against them while attempting to navigate all the bureaucratic form filling and red tape.
This government agency needed a unified Client and Case Management solution that could:
- Improve service delivery, with client and case management being supported in a single system, with a single source of information
- Streamline, automate and digitise processes, which would maximise time available to spend with victim survivors
- Improve reporting, data consistency and reliability, and overall data security
- Improve reporting, data consistency and reliability, and overall data security
THE SOLUTION
After an open, technology-agnostic tender, Simplus was selected to implement a Salesforce Public Sector Solution (PSS) with a focus on being victim survivor-led, rather than case-led.
End-to-end support for victim survivors
As soon as a victim survivor of domestic violence contacts the police, using Salesforce PSS, the case now follows an established, automated workflow:
- The incident is recorded in a centralised system, and a dedicated safety assessment process commences. This threat assessment covers a series of questions to determine the risk level of the victim survivor. This process was previously quite manual and paper-based. Now it is digitised, it saves the team significant time.
- An account is created in the system and the team attempts to make contact with the victim survivor. More details are captured, including the status of any children involved. Any other parties involved have their own accounts created in the combined client management system.
- The team requests the victim survivor’s consent to a case being created on their behalf. Sometimes victim survivors are unwilling for this to happen. However, if they are deemed to be under serious threat, a case can be created without their consent. If this is the case, the person’s situation is discussed and actions are taken across multiple government departments and agencies – all managed and coordinated through Salesforce.
- The team supports the victim survivor with the creation of an action plan, allowing the victim survivor to access various support services, which could include counselling, emergency housing assistance, child support, emergency funds, and more – all captured by Salesforce.
- If required, an ongoing care plan is created, managed through Salesforce. Care plans focus on longer-term support and setting goals – the journey through the victim survivor process may go on for months or even years.
THE OUTCOME
The solution implemented by Simplus has provided a comprehensive view of the victim survivor, which until now was difficult to achieve. This allows the multiple stakeholders access to a single source of case information, reducing the administrative burden on case workers, but more importantly minimising the pressure on victim survivors to navigate duplicated processes.
Recent analysis shows that the solution has reduced the time that the team spends on admin by 40%, giving them back valuable time to concentrate on activities that deliver more value for victim survivors.
Thanks to the team’s well-defined requirements and processes, the program was delivered in only seven months, opening up the system to more than 300 users. The solution was launched in November, coinciding with
White Ribbon Day, a global movement of men and boys working to end male violence against women and girls. It was also vital that the solution be implemented before Christmas – a period which represents a peak time for
domestic violence incidents.