Spreadsheets have been a cornerstone of Support Coordination for years, providing a simple and effective way to organise and manage important information. Whether you're tracking service plans, documenting progress, or managing budgets, spreadsheets allow you to keep everything in one place and easily accessible. While they may not have all the bells and whistles of more sophisticated software, spreadsheets are a tried-and-true tool that can be customised to fit your specific needs.
In this blog post, we'll explore how spreadsheets have helped Support Coordinators improve efficiency and effectiveness, and why they continue to play an important role in Support Coordination today. Not only will I talk about the benefits of software but I will give a side-by-side comparison with free downloadable Support Coordination spreadsheets and their software counterparts.
Support Coordination spreadsheet that tracks Participant check ins
A lot of Support Coordinators have a spreadsheet that helps them track the last time they spoke to a Participant. This might look something like this;
This screenshot is from Google Sheets - Microsoft Excel may be displayed differently.
The benefits of a spreadsheet like this are;
- it provides a quick and easy way to see when you last checked in with a Participant
- it helps ensure that no one falls through the cracks
- it can help ensure that Participants are receiving the appropriate level of support
The disadvantages of a spreadsheet like this are;
- it can be difficult to keep track of all the Participants you're working with
- often you will have to add your case notes in one sheet, and then remember to update your latest check in spreadsheet as well
- as you add more Participants, you will need to ensure you copy the formulas and formatting
- if you aren't using Google of Microsoft 365, this spreadsheet may be saved on your computer only - meaning it is hard to access for others or if you're on your phone
Advanced check in tracking spreadsheet
If you have intermediate to advanced skill levels in Google Sheets or Microsoft Excel, you could create a spreadsheet that automatically updates the last check in date when you add a check in, along with a dropdown of Participant and a check in type. Here's a screenshot;
This screenshot is from Google Sheets - Microsoft Excel may be displayed differently.
This spreadsheet allows you to;
- store your Participants in a list and select them from a dropdown
- automatically highlight Participants overdue for a check in
- automatically update the latest check in date
You can download this free Excel spreadsheet by clicking here.
Alternatively, you can download this free Google Sheets spreadsheet by clicking here.
Support Coordination Software that tracks Participant check ins
When you log into Astalty, one of the first things you see are your Participants and the last time you spoke with them.
You can also easily add filters to see who is overdue now or who may be overdue next week (so you can plan ahead).
The benefits of software that tracks Participant check ins are;
- it provides a quick and easy way to see when you last checked in with a Participant
- it's automatic - when you record a Note in Astalty, you can quickly add a check in
- it's easy to see who is overdue and who may be overdue soon with customisable filters
- when your caseload grows, you can search by other details - like name or NDIS number
- it's accessible from anywhere - you can log in from your phone, tablet, or computer
Astalty's goal is to reduce the time Coordinators spend juggling between applications and spreadsheets - we've already eliminated over a dozen commonly used spreadsheets and brought that functionality directly into Astalty. We're always looking for ways to improve and streamline the Support Coordination process, so if you have any suggestions or feedback please let us know!
In further blog posts, I will compare other spreadsheets with their software counterparts. If you have a spreadsheet you would like me to compare, please email me at james@astalty.com.au.
