Sharing Key Information & Referral Tool between services as the client moves through the treatment system

The Recovery Toolkit has been developed in part to help facilitate seamless and integrated pathways between services.

The Key Information & Referral Tool should follow clients through the treatment system and should be completed at the time a referral is made. This will reduce the need for repeating collection of client information at each point of transition through the system.

By sharing information in this way keyworkers will have access to a wealth of useful information in advance of their first appointment with the client. This will enable keyworkers will be able to tailor the first appointment to the individual clients needs.

Working in this way will reduce the negative experience of continually repeating information as reported by service users.

This will also help to facilitate integrated key working where multiple agencies are involved in the care of one individual.

Process for sharing Key Information & Referral Tool

GAIN CONSENT!

When referring a client to another drug treatment service the client should be asked if they are happy for their keyworker to share their information with the agency they are referring into (referred to here as ‘the new agency’). The client’s decision should be recorded clearly in their case notes (it is good practice to ask the client to sign a new confidentiality statement).

NO CONSENT GIVEN

If the client DOES NOT give consent to the sharing of their information, the keyworker should make the referral and notify the new agency that they are not able to provide a Key Information & Referral Tool. The client will have to complete a totally new assessment at the new agency.

CONSENT GIVEN

If the client DOES give consent to the sharing of their information on the Key Information & Referral Tool, the keyworker should follow the procedure below to ensure their information is transferred as securely as possible:

  • Contact the new agency by phone to make the referral.
  • Advise the agency you are referring into that the client has given informed consent to share the Key Information & Referral Tool.
  • You and the new agency should agree that the Key Information & Referral Tool will be faxed within a specified timescale.
  • Fax the document (being careful to enter the correct fax number from the list within your service[1]) to the new agency within this agreed time period.
  • The new agency will ensure that the fax machine is checked at the agreed time so that forms are not left un-securely on the fax machine[2].
  • The new agency will then confirm safe receipt of the Key Information & Referral Tool by phoning you.
  • You will keep the original copy of the Key Information & Referral Tool in the clients file held by your agency.
  • The new agency will create a new file for the client and keep the faxed copy of the Key Information & Referral Tool within this file.
  • The new agency should ensure that they double check existing information with the client for accuracy.

All agencies should work together to proactively support clients as they move through the treatment system. This should include following up any referrals made to ensure the client attends their first appointment and supporting them to re-access if they failed to attend.

[1]Each agency should keep an up-to-date list of all providers fax numbers within their service. If a service changes their fax number it is their responsibility to notify the commissioners and other drug treatment providers.

[2]It is the responsibility of all services to ensure that their fax machine is located in a secure place that is not accessible by members of the public or members of staff that would not need to access this information.