Social Security Experience Panels: disability benefit names - visual summary

Case Managers

We told respondents that one idea for the future is to change the names of 'decision makers' to 'case managers' in Social Security Scotland. We asked respondents what they liked and disliked about the name case managers.

The most common theme was for respondents to simply say that they preferred case managers to decision makers.

Many respondents described the name as feeling more personal and supportive. They felt it suggests less of a power imbalance between the client and the case manager.

• “It's a lot nicer and makes it sound like they are being more considerate with decisions.”
• “Sounds more personal like they are working for you not against you.”
• “This indicates a more personal service like having a key worker who individuals could contact directly about their case.”
• “It’s a big improvement on decision makers. Case managers makes it sound more of a collaborative process.”
• “It makes it more personal, sounding like one person is taking ownership for decisions made.” about the application/award

Some respondents also said that the name hints that the case manager would be responsible for an client’s case from start to finish. They thought they would be very familiar with each case and act as a single point of contact for clients.

The most common thing respondents said they disliked about the name case managers was that it seems to reduce individual people to ‘cases’ who need to be ‘managed.’

Some respondents said the name is vague.

• “We are people not 'cases'. This title is cold and uncaring, exactly what the new benefit system is trying to avoid!”
• “It’s very vague, what does a case manager actually do?”
• “Case manager implies they will follow through, know your case from start to finish and take ownership for any issues/appeals etc. If the case managers are only one part of the system then they need a different name.”
• “Too reminiscent of social workers.”
• “Their role is less clear than "decision maker" which is an accurate description of what they do.”

Respondents also highlighted that case manager is a term used by other services and professionals, principally social work, and that this might be confusing.

Some respondents noted that the name is misleading if a case manager will not be responsible for managing individual cases through the process and act as a single point of contact for clients.