Add handoff notes and read shared activity history
Advocates, supervisors and backup coverage who need continuity when a member is away or changes
Purpose and what to have ready
This guide is for advocates, case managers, supervisors and backup coverage who need to keep work moving when a member is away or changes. Your role needs cases.view and cases.edit permission. You will be able to open the shared activity history on a case, write a handoff note and assign the next step to named backup coverage.
Shared activity history brings dated entries from the case folder into one place. Entries include services, referrals, messages, visits, consents and follow-ups. Earlier messages stay visible after a reassignment to backup coverage. A handoff note adds the context that dates alone do not show.
Have ready: the case reference, the safe contact method, the language and accessibility needs on the case, and the name of the backup advocate or coverage team. Use the neutral case reference on lists and in notes. Do not put survivor detail in notifications, page titles or audit detail.
- One case record per person per program, with history in the same folder
- Safe contact method is required before any message, reminder or referral is sent
- Corrections create a new dated entry and prior entries stay readable
Numbered steps
Follow the steps in order. The steps use the field names and button names shown on screen.
Open shared activity history
Open the case folder by neutral case reference. Select Overview, then open the grouped lists for notes, services, consents, referrals and files. Read the history in date order before you act.
Read what changed and what is waiting
Read the last service, the last referral status, the last message and the next appointment. Note items marked waiting on survivor or waiting on staff, follow-ups due and consents expiring. Sent referrals are not counted as a service connection. Only first connection counts.
Write a handoff note
Add a short handoff note to the folder. State what was asked, what was provided, the next step, the due date and the safe contact method. Add language or accessibility needs that affect the next contact. Keep the note brief and minimum necessary.
Assign the next step to backup coverage
Name the backup staff member or coverage team and set the response time. Assign the follow-up to-do with due date and assignee. The item appears on the owner work queue until it is done or reassigned.
Confirm the note and the assignment
Open the folder again. Confirm the handoff note shows in the history, the follow-up shows a due date and assignee, and the queue shows the item for the backup owner. If a field is missing, the screen names the missing field. Add the value and save again.
Use the history when you are the backup
Open the queue for unassigned requests and overdue follow-ups. Open the linked case and read the history and the handoff note before you reply or book. Do not recreate the case or the referral. Continue in the same thread so earlier messages stay visible.
What shared history shows and what it does not show
History supports continuity. It does not replace consent checks, safe contact checks or supervisor review.
- Shows dated service, referral, message, visit, consent and follow-up entries in one folder
- Shows the handoff note with next step, due date and backup owner
- Shows neutral case references on lists, with no survivor name or service detail in notifications or page titles
- Shows who took each step and when, without survivor detail in audit entries
When a member changes, the supervisor reassigns open work, the new advocate reads the history and the handoff note, and the supervisor confirms the assignment. When a member is away, backup coverage works from the same history and queue. In both cases, staff do not start a duplicate case. They continue the existing case and add new dated entries.
Close the referral or case only through the normal steps. A referral is closed and never deleted. A closed case is read-only except for a dated correction entry.
What to check after saving
Confirm these items before you move to the next task.
- Handoff note shows what was asked, what was provided and the next step
- Follow-up shows due date, assignee and backup coverage name
- Queue shows the item for the backup owner and the linked case opens from the queue row
- Safe contact method, preferred language and accessibility needs are visible on the case profile
Next guides
Record the service in full, then check consent before any referral shares data.