Changing support coordinator can feel like starting again. A good handover means you do not have to retell your whole story, and nothing important falls through the gap between one person and the next.
Why detail gets lost
Much of what a coordinator knows may not be written in the plan. It might be the reason a provider was chosen, the thing that upsets someone, the appointment that always needs a reminder, the person who should always be copied in. When a coordinator leaves, that knowledge goes with them unless somebody deliberately passes it on.
A handover is the deliberate part. It works best as a conversation with a written record, rather than a file transferred with a brief note.
What a useful handover covers
The person, before the paperwork
How the participant likes to be spoken to, how they communicate, what a good day looks like and what tends to go wrong. This is the part a new coordinator cannot get from a plan.
The current picture of supports
Which supports are in place, who provides them, how often, and how well each is working. Include any that are paused, ending or not yet started.
What is in progress
Open actions, waiting requests, upcoming appointments, forms that have been started and any deadline that is coming up. This is where things can easily fall through.
The people around the participant
Who is involved in decisions, who should be contacted first, and who should not be contacted without asking. Include any preferences about how and when people are reached.
Goals and the reasons behind them
What the participant is working towards, and what has been tried already, including what did not work and why. That saves everyone from repeating an idea that has already been ruled out.
| What to hand over | Why it matters | Who can usually add to it |
|---|---|---|
| How the person communicates and prefers to be supported | It shapes every conversation the new coordinator has | The participant, family, current providers |
| Current supports and how each is going | Avoids gaps or double-ups | Outgoing coordinator, providers |
| Open actions and dates | Stops deadlines slipping during the change | Outgoing coordinator |
| Key contacts and preferences | Ensures the right people are reached in the right way | Participant, family |
| Goals, and what has already been tried | Prevents starting from zero | Participant, outgoing coordinator |
How participants and families can prepare
- 1Write your own summary
One page is enough: what matters to you, what works, what does not, and what you are hoping the next coordinator will understand quickly.
- 2List what is unfinished
Note anything you are waiting on, and any date you are worried about.
- 3Ask for a joint conversation
If possible, ask that the handover include you, rather than happening only between coordinators.
- 4Check the record afterwards
Ask to see or hear what has been passed on, and correct anything that is wrong or missing.
- 5Set a first check-in
Agree when you and the new coordinator will speak again so the change does not fade out.
You can tell your coordinator how much you want to be involved, and how you want your information handled. Asking for a proper handover is a reasonable request.
If you are a support coordinator
A good handover is a courtesy to the participant, not only to your successor. Cover the person first, then the supports, the open actions and the people around them. Say what you would want to know if you were taking over, and keep to what is accurate and needed.
A next step
If you are thinking about a change of coordinator, or would like to understand what support coordination involves, you can read about support coordination at WSS or make an enquiry.
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About the author
WSS Resources Team
Western Sydney Services.
