In the first of a series of pieces with the team at AMS Case Management, case manager Natasha Wilde tells NR Times why she was inspired to become a case manager after seeing its impact in the MDT, and how she is now using her role in case management to positively change the lives of clients
How long have you been in case management and briefly summarise your background and areas of expertise
I have been in case management for four years. I work with paediatric and adult clients with acquired brain injury, birth injuries and spinal cord injuries at AMS Case Management. I am currently working towards being an advanced case manager and I supervise another case manager and an assistant case manager.
I am a social worker by background, with several years of experience working within adult social care, children’s services and the NHS as a hospital social worker.
I am a part time tutor with Manchester Met University on the StepUp to Social Work programme and I support student social workers through their Masters placements.
I am also the chair for the board of trustees for Headway Salford and Trafford.
What attracted you to become a case manager and why?
I met Marie Sloan (director of AMS) at an MDT. She was the case manager and I was the social worker for a client who had a brain injury and involved in a personal injury claim.
I had never heard of a case manager before and hadn’t a clue what one was or how they would be involved. I saw Marie having the capacity and resources to be able to offer everything to the client, which as a local authority social worker I didn’t have the capacity or the resources to do, despite the client needing it. There was a private OT, physio and psychologist involved and I just thought it was wonderful that the client was having all their needs met.
It’s not always like that in case management, but when it is, it’s rewarding to be able to support clients and their families during a crisis in their lives. I also love working with clients on a longer-term basis, social work with local authorities is usually short-term crisis intervention. With case management you become part of the client’s life. I have been invited to birthday parties and celebrations, for example, as part of their network.
What attracted you to AMS specifically?
Marie Sloan at first, and then when I came for an interview, I met others on the team and I just knew it was the right company to work for.
How has case management/AMS changed during the time you have worked there – has the pandemic had a lasting impact on practice? Is this positive?
Remote working is beneficial and makes MDTs easier to organise and more cost effective to the client. Video meetings became a thing as a result of the pandemic, which is something we continue to utilise. AMS has a flexible working policy which allows us to manage our own diaries to suit our home/work balance.
I work at home some days and in the office others. This flexible working allows me to pick up the kids from school some days and I don’t need to miss a school assembly because I can work around it. This way of working was always in place at AMS, yet has become more ‘normal’ as a result of the pandemic.
The team has grown too! We now have two assistants, more admin staff and an associate case manager.
What makes AMS a stand-out name in the marketplace?
I would say that AMS has a reputation with solicitors and families for being proactive, clinically experienced, thorough and a team – from the admin staff to case managers – which provides a first-class holistic service.
Can you share an example of client work which demonstrates how you work and the outcomes you achieve?
I have a child client who has a brain injury from birth, who I have been working with for three years. When I first met mum, she did not want a case manager; and why would she, as she had case managed her life since he had been born. She’d had a lifetime of negative experiences of social workers who had pointed the finger at her, telling her that his behaviour was as a result of poor parenting. She was broken, failed by the system, and she was managing on her own a very challenging and complex young man.
There were daily physical outbursts and mum was battered and bruised. I met with mum, and we talked and she shared her story. She later told me that for the first time she felt listened to. There were times when social care were telling us that it was not safe for the child to remain at home and that residential care was the only option. Together as an MDT and working closely with school we put in a full private care package and therapeutic involvement and we worked together to ensure that both mum and child were safe and supported.
Now, they have moved into an adapted accommodation, there is a 24/7 care package in place, he is at college and mum is attending art classes and getting her life back. We are still very much working together as a team and mum is part of that team.
Would you recommend a career in case management and why?
Yes. It’s rewarding in that you can see what a positive impact you can make on a person’s life. It’s flexible, it’s challenging (in a good way) and no two days are ever the same.
