In our ongoing series about NDIS Audits, we’re going to take a look at the often-overlooked area and most maligned job in an office: your filing system.
When you first start your business, whether you’re a sole trader or have a small team, filing and organising client records might in the forefront. Its easy to get caught up in your primary goal—supporting your customers. But the back-end work, like managing client files, is equally important, especially when it comes to audits.
Establishing a solid filing system from the beginning can make all the difference when you’re registered and face a midterm audit. You might be using a customer management system (CMS) to streamline your work—tools like Lama Care offer fantastic features to help manage your time and tasks.
However, your auditor won’t be impressed by your CMS. Usually, the auditor will ask for your files to be shared via mediums such as Google Drive or Drop box.
So, however you are organising your files, using SharePoint, OneDrive, or another cloud-based storage solution, now is the time to ask yourself: Are my files simple. easy to find and are they ready to be analysed?
Most people usually start by creating a file for each client—for example, "Jill Monroe"—and placing everything related to Jill under her file name. But what happens when you need to find a particular document, such as Jill’s functional capacity assessment or an important email from her guardian? It can become very messy, and you may waste valuable time hunting and searching through Jill's file.
So, let’s start with simplicity and introduce a system that can help you manage multiple customer files and find everything you need the first time.
From the example below, you can see subfolders under "Jill Monroe." These subfolders represent a format that makes important documents related to Jill easy to find. You can name these subfolders however you like and even add additional subfolders within them.
What goes in each of the main files?
Intake
Intake Form
Risk Assessment
Conflict of Interest
Consent to Share
Agreement
Your signed agreement
Archive for non-current agreements
Funding
Current NDIS plan
Archive for previous plans
Reports
Allied Health
Support coordination
Services
Support Plan
Individual Support Plan – either services or Recovery Plan from a Psychosocial Recovery Coach
Communication
Emails and other communication/notes
Plan Manager
Monthly fund reports
Relevant docs that are related to the fund management
Medical
Reports or anything else related to medical conditions
Feedback
Notes or quarterly feedback forms
Exit
Exit paperwork
Handover report
TIP
While it might seem helpful to store empty templates for later use, such as an exit form for when a client leaves, this can lead to disorganised files. It's better to avoid cluttering files with unused templates, so you don’t waste time searching for the right document later on. |
Your file structure should be intuitive, ready for scrutiny and by this we mean that the auditor can find the documents they are looking for easily. You may have worked for another business with a mediocre file setup. Create your own! Make your filing system suit your business.
By breaking down files into subfolders, as shown in the example with "Jill Monroe," you create a logical, easy-to-navigate structure that makes finding the most important documents quickly. For example, the Agreement folder - this is crucial that you have an updated agreement for each customer. By creating another subfolder for archived documents, you always have the current paperwork to hand.
Remember, the goal is not just please your auditor, but to have a system in place that supports your daily operations and allows you to focus on what you do best—caring for your customers.
We wish you well, as always
The Lama Care Team
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