Managing Outcomes
with Carista
Introduction
Key Facts
The Carista Outcomes module has been built following work over many years
with many different Social Care providers. It has been built to address some of
the more challenging questions faced by the sector; questions like:
• Record information
from different Outcome
Frameworks
“How can my organisation provide Outcome reports to our different funders,
many of whom have different Outcome measurement requirements?”
• Link Outcome
Measurement to PersonCentred Planning
“How can I accommodate new Outcome Frameworks as these arise?”
“How can I record progress against individuals’ outcomes and aggregate
these into a report for commissioners?”
The Carista Outcomes Module
operates in a simple model
You select the Outcome Framework that you wish to report on (for example
Talking Points, iROC, etc) and use the indicators from that report to “snapshot”
where a person is; or to set target Outcomes for them.
You then decide which of these are going to be included
in the person-centred plan – which will have Outcomes
worded in a way that is meaningful to the person
themselves.
You also record the steps and goals that will lead to that
desired outcome. Work towards those steps and goals
and measure progress, separately recording the person’s
view on whether the Outcome is being met. You then
re-measure using the Outcome Framework to provide
indicators that confirm the Outcome measurement.
The module can then provide a range of reports
for individuals, services or commissioners.
software for people who care
• Capture and record
personal Outcome
measures as well as Outputs
• Aggregate and report
on Personal Outcome
Measures
• Aggregate and report on
other Outcome Frameworks
Record information from different Frameworks
and integrate Person-Centred Planning
Record values from different
frameworks
The Carista Outcomes module allows
values to be recorded from any number
of different frameworks – ideal for
organisations that have multiple
commissioners, with different
reporting requirements.
Frameworks can be score based (e.g.
spider graph style) or narrative based
(e.g. Talking Points style).
Frameworks can record the current
situation (baseline) or the desired
future state (target).
Organisations can develop and record
their own frameworks if they wish.
Create person-centred plans
As well as recording against Outcome
frameworks, the Carista Outcomes
module allows for the creation of
Person-Centred Plans – using either
an animated graphical tool or
standard text-based forms – allowing
an individual’s steps, goals and
desired Outcomes to be recorded in
words that are individually
meaningful to them.
For further information on outcome measurement and other features
Capturing and Measuring
Individual Outcomes
The Carista Outcomes Module provides a framework to measure the
key components in both the provision and the impact of services –
inputs, process, outputs and outcomes.
inputs
=


process
output
outcome
“Outputs” are commonly confused as “Outcomes”. An “Output” should
be comparatively easy to measure as being achieved or not – e.g. got a job, moved in to own house, etc.
“Outcomes” are more subjective, individual to the person – they are the combination of the result achieved and
the person’s own perception of the experience – the impact of the result on a person’s life – “I feel I am really
making a difference and contributing to my own life.”
Worked example
In the worked example opposite, the Input, Process and
Output are identical but the Outcome is different.
It would be wrong to discount the work done towards
Planning the service
Q: What difference (or outcome) would you like to feel in your life?
A:
Q: What could we do together to help you achieve that? (output)
A:
“We could make my house more secure –
then I would feel better.”
Q: What steps would we take to help achieve the goal?
(process and input)
A:
“ We could –
• Fit a new lock to my front door
“I would like to feel safe when I lie in my bed at night –
I would like to feel less panic.”
• I would like to have a panic alarm
I could press in an emergency
• I would like to have someone call round
in the evening to see that everything is ok.”
Q: Who could help you with this?
A:
“If you, as my support worker, could call round every evening
I would be much happier.”
the person themselves and was then carried out diligently and
conscientiously. It cost resource and should be accounted for.

achieving the Outcome as irrelevant – it was well defined by
Receiving support
Step 1
Fit new lock to front door
Achieved
Step 2
Fit panic alarm
Achieved
However as it would be wrong to discount the work in Input,
Step 3
Evening visits
Achieved
Process and Output it would also be wrong to automatically
GOAL
Make house more secure
ACHIEVED
then the Outcome has also been achieved.
The strength of the model is the
measurement of both.


presume that simply because the Output has been achieved
Possible outcome 1
Possible outcome 2
You said you want – “to feel safe when I lie in my bed at night
– I would like to feel less panic”
You said you want – “to feel safe when I lie in my bed at night
– I would like to feel less panic”
To what extent has
this been achieved?
To what extent has
this been achieved?
Not at all
Not really
Reasonably
Totally
Not at all
Not really
Reasonably
Totally
The review could have had the identical record of progress towards
the Steps and Goal, but a completely different outcome
So the Carista Outcomes module allows for individuals to review
progress against their own steps and goals (Inputs and Outputs)
and separately
how they feel their Outcomes are being achieved.
of Carista, please visit www.carista.co.uk or telephone 0131 445 8640.
Producing Reports
By separating the measurement of the Input,
Output and Outcomes in this way we can also
look at the correlation between them.
This provides very useful information on the
effectiveness of the personal planning session
and the ability of the person – and their team
– to identify the correct Outputs
to work towards.
The Carista Outcomes model for reporting on
Personal Outcomes is not to record and measure
the Outcomes themselves. Instead, to measure that
they have been set – in conjunction with the person
themselves – and that they have had Inputs, Process and
Outputs linked to them.
It is then possible to measure the progress of these
steps and whether the supported person feels that the
Outcome has been achieved.
This data can be aggregated
The Carista Outcomes module also can
produce aggregate and Distance Travelled
reports from the data stored regarding the
other Outcome Frameworks.
It is a fully comprehensive Outcome recording,
monitoring and reporting suite –
Please contact us for a demonstration
by telephoning 0131 445 8640
or visit www.carista.co.uk
v1.0, March 2012. © Intrelate Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Arrange a demo by visiting us online at www.carista.co.uk or telephone 0131 445 8640.