About case managers
Find out more about the role of a case manager
The definition of case management adopted by IRCM is,
“a collaborative process which assesses, plans, implements, coordinates, monitors, and evaluates the options and services required to meet an individual’s health, wellbeing, social care, education and/or occupational needs, using communication and available resources to promote quality, cost-effective and safe outcomes” (IRCM 2022)
Case managers are found in a range of health and social care support settings. Case management may be a dedicated role or an aspect of an individual’s broader practice. Not all case managers are called case managers; examples of some typical job titles include:
- care coordinator,
- care manager,
- community matron,
- vocational rehabilitation practitioner,
- key worker,
- care navigator,
- rehab support co-ordinator,
- rehab pathway coordinator,
- neuro navigator
Some case managers specialise in an area(s) of practice, for example, clinical or vocational case management and/or work with particular group of service users such as people with brain injuries or complex needs. However, they deliver holistic support within this specialism.
Case Managers often collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to coordinate personalised support for service users. They are sometimes described as a specialist type of project manager that brings together the elements needed to meet clinical and social care needs. A case manager’s remit can involve coordinating support with a wide range of things like health, housing, transport, work, education, and social activities.
How does someone become a case manager?
‘Case Manager’ is not a protected title or profession regulated by law; anyone can call themselves a case manager. Unlike most other professional areas of health and social care practice, there is currently no specific educational qualification route into Case Management.
Individuals tend to transition into case manager roles from a variety of other educational or occupational routes. Some are regulated by a professional body in relation to other aspects of their work, for example, as nurses or occupational therapists, and others are not, but either way, the fundamental case management aspects of their role as case managers will not be regulated.
This lack of regulation and a professional pathway led to the establishment of the Institute of Registered Case Managers (IRCM), and a Register of Case Managers and Pre-Registrant Pathway have been set up to protect the public. Registered Case Managers and Pre-Registrants who are working towards Registration, agree to practise in line with IRCM’s standards of proficiency that define safe and effective case management practice. IRCM operates a clear and fair concerns process so that should concerns arise they can be reported, investigated, and addressed where a Registered Case Manager or Pre-Registrant may pose a risk to the public or to confidence in the profession.
Useful Links
Standards of Proficiency in Case Management
Search the Register of Case Managers
