Reflections on our journey so far

Having recently marked its fifth anniversary, award-winning case management company StanleySmith Case Management is looking to the future with confidence as it continues to grow and build its offering. 

Here, founders Heidi Stanley and Nikki Smith share their journey so far with NR Times

We started life as StanleySmith Case Management in August 2018, with a vision of creating a case management company which had quality, innovation and client-centred service at its heart. 

With our clinical backgrounds – Nikki is a physiotherapist and Heidi is a paediatric occupational therapist and expert witness, and we both had around ten years’ experience in case management – we had always prided ourselves on the quality of the work we have done for clients, and wanted to translate that into our own venture. 

Five years on, we are delighted with how we are fulfilling our ambition. While there has never been a timescale for our progress, or a plan to grow to a certain size, we are extremely happy with how StanleySmith has developed since 2018. 

We now have 13 case managers – a number which continues to grow – who are supported by two case management assistants and four admin staff, including HR, as well as an outsourced dedicated HR provider. All of these specialists pull together to form a team which is doing the very best for our clients, and is at the root of why we are instructed in cases across an increasingly wide geography. 

From our base in Devon, we have developed a niche in very complex work, supporting clients with the most complex of needs. We have had many cases referred to us which have initially gone to other case managers – and we are very pleased that the expertise we have at StanleySmith means that we are known for being able to support such clients. 

While we have a hugely capable team of case managers – our team each have several years of experience within their specialist professions – we both continue to have a clinical case load, as well as overseeing every aspect of the business. We are committed to evolving in our own professional development and knowledge base to ensure that we, and the wider StanleySmith team, are equipped with everything we need to deliver the best possible outcomes to our clients and their families. 

Knowing what a highly-pressured world this is, in which we are supporting clients, families and case managers alike with the challenges they face, wellbeing runs strongly through StanleySmith. It is part of everything we do. From our psychologist-led group sessions which allow our team to offload, through to the adoption of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) as another layer of support, we are committed to continuing to embrace new and best practice in this space.  

The highlights to date are many, but one standout moment was being named Small Case Management Company of the Year at the CMSUK Awards 2022. We were praised by the judges for our commitment to clients, their families and our team, and to be highlighted as a leader in our field at such an early stage in our story was more than we could ever have hoped for. 

We continue to develop – Nikki was very proud to have secured her Advanced BABICM membership, and Heidi is a member of the Professional Practice membership group at the organisation, which both demonstrate the fact we are clinically up to date and operating at the highest standards within case management. 

Looking back on the journey, and the point we have reached now, we can only reflect with great pride. We are proud of our team and the work they do; proud of the quality of reports we create; proud of the reputation we have built; and above all, proud of the lengths we go to in supporting our clients, to support them and their families in rebuilding their lives after the most traumatic of events. 

Going forward, what motivates us is continuing to deliver the quality we are now known for, and building our expertise further still through strategic recruitment of outstanding case managers and those who add so much to our back-office team. We are delighted with what we have achieved so far – but know there is so much more to come.