The most effective way of meeting clients’ advice needs is to ensure that at the first contact with the advice service, a diagnosis is made of the problem, legal advice given and any urgent action taken. This type of access is possible where an advice service provides a “drop-in” service, staffed by advisers, or an appointment system – where there is sufficient capacity to ensure that all callers receive an advice interview at their first visit to the advice service.
However, many advice services find that the demand for their services exceeds their capacity and are exploring methods of improving access to advice services where clients cannot be offered immediate advice at their initial visit. For example, a triage system may be appropriate where clients contact the advice service outside advertised advice session times, or where demand at “drop-in” sessions or for pre-booked appointments is high and it is necessary to prioritise access in relation to the urgency and importance of the problem, and to identify enquiries which may need to be referred elsewhere.
An effective triage system ensures that clients receive advice from the most appropriate person or service in time for the problem to be resolved and for any deadlines to be observed. Triage serves a specific function within the advice service and staff who are to conduct triage interviews require training and support appropriate to this activity.
This is a half-day (3 hour) course which may be delivered either on its own or to follow on from the half-day reception skills course – if the advice service intends that its reception staff also take on the role of triage workers. The course aims to enable participants to:
The course materials are designed to accommodate the various learning styles and in particular to provide opportunities for participants to practise the skills of triage and to identify any further information, training or practical support they may need in undertaking triage interviews.
The course is suitable either for experienced receptionists or for staff who have been recruited specifically to deliver the triage service. (Note: Citizens Advice Bureaux have adopted a “Gateway” system by which staff are trained as “gateway” assessors and this is a distinct function quite separate from the reception service). It may also be of value to advice services managers or co-ordinators who wish to consider implementing a triage service.
The course is designed to facilitate learning through discussion, reflection and practice. It enables participants to identify the information they will need to undertake triage interviews – in particular, information about their own advice service and the types of advice enquiries which are likely to be urgent. The final session focuses upon applying the learning from the course to the circumstances of each advice service and encourages participants to acknowledge what additional information or training they may need in order to implement a triage service suited to the needs of their clients and adapted to their particular access systems.
Most of the teaching is achieved through role play and discussion and the scenarios and case studies have been written with the aim of presenting a wide range of typical advice queries. The session on using check lists specific to categories of law practised at the advice service may be omitted if it is not appropriate to the needs of the advice services represented. Similarly, if the triage system is already in operation, the session on planning a triage service will not be relevant.
The training materials consist of:
The resources needed to deliver the course consist of:
The course was presented twice in 2010 during the “Developing Access to Advice” element of the “Working Together for Advice” programme. On both occasions, participants were primarily paid and volunteer reception staff from one or more advice agency. The agencies concerned wished to consider the feasibility of introducing a triage service to deal more effectively with high levels of demand.
Although many advice agencies deploy reception staff to undertake triage interviews, it is important to explain that these are distinct functions, and to emphasise throughout the training session that triage is not an advice service. Participants will have varying levels of knowledge about the type of advice (categories of law, level of work etc.) provided within their advice service and some will find the exercise on using checklists and identifying urgent matters quite challenging.
It is particularly important that participants recognise any additional information or support they may need in order to conduct triage interviews and that, within the agency’s triage procedure, there is always someone (a senior adviser or manager) whom the triage worker can consult when necessary.
