8 Ways Good Case Management Tech Can Boost Student Wellbeing Programmes

Universities have an essential duty of care to their students’ wellbeing. Yet, despite the best efforts of highly capable wellbeing teams and professionals, students sometimes fall through the cracks. 

Nearly 40% of British students experience a negative change in their mental health since starting higher education (Source Randstad, 2022). Less than half of disabled students feel they’ve been given enough information on appropriate adjustments that could help them (Source: Access Insights, 2023). And let’s not forget the severe cases where deaths have occurred - and where coroners have criticised individual universities’ levels of pastoral support as a result. 

These cases don’t reflect the caring and dedicated teams and professionals who make up the majority of university wellbeing teams. But clearly something needs to change. 

Nobody in this situation can wave a magic wand and fix the whole system, but improving wellbeing case management technology is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. 

Let’s investigate 8 crucial benefits that higher education wellbeing teams can experience with totally customisable case management software. 

Effective Case Management Platforms Enable Efficient, Secure Student Support 

Simply having a central, for-purpose case management system is a strong benefit in itself. Rather than relying on manual systems, a dedicated case management system keeps all wellbeing case data in a central, secure database that any case worker can access. 

When all student wellbeing case data is kept in a centrally accessible portal, case workers don’t have to find or cross-reference potentially disparate case information. This ultimately means that students get the help they need in a quicker and more efficient way. 

When such a centralised system is built for collaboration, wellbeing teams can easily work alongside other student-facing personnel to solve wider problems that may contribute to students’ wellbeing issues. These tools allow anyone to raise a wellbeing concern about a student, including fellow students; members of university staff; or even the student’s own family - enabling wellbeing teams to step in ASAP. 

Having all of your case data in one place allows wellbeing teams to analyse case trends and uncover what underlying issues are causing the most concern. With this data to hand, wellbeing teams can set up initiatives to address the most common, pressing problems head on for future students. 

Additionally, routine, manual tasks can be fully automated, removing low-value busywork from your case workers’ day so they can focus on supporting students. 

Contrast these more cohesive tools with the more manual systems of computer files, folders, and shared drives that many universities’ wellbeing departments still use. 

Automated Student Disengagement Detection 

When it comes to mental health or social problems, early intervention is key. When a student starts to disengage with university life, this can be a red flag that something isn’t right. 

But without a cohesive way for the university to perceive these changes in behaviour, wellbeing teams are unlikely to realise there is a problem until it becomes a more serious wellbeing concern. 

Modern case management platforms can interact with student ID card data streams from across the university, including attendance at lectures and exams; interactions with the library; study space bookings; and visits to uni-associated social and wellness functions. 

If an unexplained decrease in the above interactions occurs, the case management system can automatically flag that a potential wellbeing concern may be present, immediately notifying an appropriate case manager who can intervene. 

Predictive Interventions - Powered by Data & AI 

Many university departments are absolutely swamped with historic data - and wellbeing departments are certainly no exception. There may be countless trends, disengagement signals, and successful remediation strategies hidden within your own historic wellbeing data that simply need pulling to the surface. 

Thankfully, AI tools are highly capable at analysing large amounts of data and identifying pertinent patterns at speed. With secure access to student wellbeing and attendance data, AI tools can analyse current and past case data to uncover hidden wellbeing flashpoints, trends, and patterns. 

Armed with this information, wellbeing teams can develop highly focused, data-led wellbeing strategies that are targeted towards the most impactful student concerns. AI analysis may also flag as yet unnoticed disengagement danger signs which may further enable proactive intervention. 

Smart AI tools can even be employed to instantly analyse incoming cases, gauge their severity, and fast-track urgent requests without the need for manual triaging. This could be life-changing in severe situations where every second counts. 

Better Collaboration Between Student Engagement Teams 

Good wrap-around student wellbeing care often involves multiple departments throughout the university. Disciplines including counselling, financial support, international student support, and disability/neurodiversity services often need to come together in order to truly solve a problem for a student. 

By having all student wellbeing data in a central, easily shareable place, these varied disciplines and departments can collaborate on solutions seamlessly. These systems can also be set up to give lecturers and personal tutors the heads up about individual wellbeing concerns without sharing the full details with them. 

Putting Tools in Students’ Hands 

But it’s not just “back office” functions that benefit. Through Power Platform, universities can provide a secure web portal where students can access wellbeing resources, manage their wellbeing requests, book meetings, submit consent for support, and chat securely with staff; removing potential communication barriers between those in need and those that help. 

Interaction with wellbeing services can be further enhanced with unified communication capabilities. These allow teams to provide proactive support through channels that each student feels most comfortable using; whether that’s over the phone, via text, or through messaging or social media apps. 

All such interactions can be captured by the case management system, so the whole team can see that a conversation has taken place and further support each student’s needs. 

Dependable Security & Compliance 

More manual systems may introduce worrying security flaws. When dealing with highly sensitive wellbeing data, the security and privacy of that data is a core concern. Neglecting data security here could result in safeguarding issues, fines, and severe reputational damage. 

However, solutions built with Power Platform benefit from Microsoft’s secure cloud architecture and meet strict privacy requirements. In fact, Power Platform has been developed to mitigate the top 10 critical web application security risks as identified by The Open Web Application Security Project®. 

Proactive Wellbeing Programmes Make Good Business Sense 

It feels a little crude to talk about business success when discussing student wellbeing matters. But the point stands: effective wellbeing systems create a happier, better supported student body. 

When students are well-cared for, they are more likely to successfully complete their qualifications - something that presents tangible financial benefits to the university. 

Yet receiving full tuition fees from as many students as possible is only part of the story here. Well-supported students are best able to achieve good grades, and happy students graduate with a positive sentiment towards the university - both of which can boost the university’s reputation and future uptake potential. 

Tailored Solutions Flex Around You, Not the Opposite 

In modernising their wellbeing functions, some universities opt for off-the-shelf case management solutions. However, these tools are often not built with universities - or even wellbeing functions - specifically in mind. 

These ready-made systems can be incredibly rigid, meaning that universities may need to significantly change their systems, procedures, and even team structures to mould around the new software’s way of working. Forcing a department as critical as the wellbeing team to flex around technological changes takes their focus away from their main goal - helping students in need. 

More adaptable systems, on the other hand, can be totally moulded around the existing procedures and workflows that are already working for you. In doing so, they enhance your existing ways of working, rather than dictating new workflows that may present a cultural or behavioural mismatch. 

Uncover the Possible with Crimson 

Crimson’s completely customisable university Support and Wellbeing Management solutions help universities like yours to support their students, keeping them happy, supported, and performing at their best. 

Because our platforms use Microsoft’s Power Platform, our Support and Wellbeing Management solutions seamlessly integrate with the Microsoft technologies and workflows you already use. This can help you foster strong inter-departmental collaboration efforts and make informed, data-led decisions. 

You and your team are invited to see Crimson’s Support and Wellbeing Management solution for yourselves and experience how it can support your wellbeing teams to operate at their best. 

A brighter tech future starts today. Get started by calling our higher education transformation team on 01675 466 477 or by booking a discovery call here.