Begin with how the participant wants to work with you
Confirm the service they are seeking, their priorities and preferred way to communicate. Ask who they want involved and clarify each person’s authority. Record the relationship accurately rather than treating every contact as someone who can consent or make decisions.
Set up the record in a useful order
- Confirm identity and essential contact details.
- Record the agreed service scope and communication preferences.
- Complete consent and authority checks through your process.
- Review the plan and relevant funding arrangements.
- Agree the service terms and billing route.
- Collect the documents needed for the work.
- Assign the coordinator and first follow-up tasks.
Collect what you need for the service and explain its purpose. More information is not automatically better, especially when it widens who can see sensitive records.
Check before the first routine service
Open the record as the assigned staff role and confirm access. Check the current agreement and contacts. Make sure incomplete information is visible to the person responsible, with a next action, rather than hidden inside an attachment.
Review the start together
After the first contact, check whether the participant understands the arrangement and whether the practice has the information it needs. Update the next steps as preferences and priorities become clearer.
Use the NDIA’s service-agreement guidance alongside your own governance process. Ask to see a fictional participant onboarding in CordoCare.