Protocol eCAF – Frequently Asked Questions
eCAF Help () can assist with technical issues only (such aspassword issues, server errors, eCAF not working, and so on).
If you need help with a process issue, please refer to this document and other guidance notes under Useful Links. You can also access video clips of every part of the eCAF system by clicking Help at the top of your eCAFhome page.
By holding the Ctrl key on your keyboard and clicking any line from the Contents table below with your mouse, you will jump straight to that section.
Contents
Contacting eCAF Help
Training dates
Incorrect information added to eCAF
Gaining access to an episode
Granting access to an episode
Duplicate records created in error
Start a new meeting
Consent has been denied
Unknown cases in my worktray.
Adding departments to the Address Book.
Restarting a CAF assessment in error
Gaining access to tasks
Viewing work trays
Guidance notes & documentation.
Server error message / system issues
Taking screenshots
Suspended accounts
Finding multiple records during searches
Logging in issues
Address missing from the system
Selecting a new address
I need to contact you about…
The child’s reference number is sufficient for us to find the record in question. It is also better data protection to not be e-mailing children’s personal details (names, DOBs etc.), as not all e-mail systems are secure.
I have a new member of staff and they need training. Do you have a list of classroom training dates?
- this link contains all of the latest dates, as well as the latest downloadable version of the booking form.
I started a new episode / Consent Statement, but entered the wrong date / included family members that shouldn't have been included – can you help?
Not if you have added the wrong date – this is unfixable. The episode will need to be deletedthen started again. It is important that if you have done this you contact eCAF Help straight away because the more work you do, the more you will have to redo. Please also note, if you have been typing directly into the online forms you will lose all of this, so save a copy of any work to your computer before the record is rolled back so that you can copy and paste it back in again afterwards.
How do I get access to an episode?
First, check on the system to establish whether there is an active episode in a child's name. If there is a child's record and an active episode, click on the episode (in a yellow alert box on the Demographics / Personal page). If you do not have access there will be an option to request access. Give a reason and this request will be sent for the Episode Co-ordinator to action.
How do I grant access to an episode, following a request?
Click on the work item in your work tray: this will take you to a new page where you will be asked whether to accept or deny access. It will also ask you to select the level of access you wish to grant the user (select Read Only / Viewing Rights / Episode Co-ordinator assistant). If you have not already done so, you will also need to add the individual to the consent statement.
Sorry, I’ve just created a duplicate record. How can I ensure I don’t do it again?
Please contact eCAF Help to remove the duplicate.
You should always perform these searches – each needs to be done individually:
-Surname only, followed by surname and first initial/s (with wildcard of * or % straight after the initial) if there’s too many to narrow it down (i.e. for a popular surname).
-First 3 letters of first name and surname, with wildcards either side
-Date of birth only
-Post code only, with house number in wildcards if too many results are returned (afterwards you can also search under any previous post codes if any are known)
-Parent / sibling records
So if the child was named Peter Smith (DOB 01/01/2011) and lived at 1 Coventry St, CV1 1CV, I would search for:
-Smith in surname, then with P* in forename to narrow it down
-*Pet**Smi* in forename & surname (no other information in any other fields)
-01/01/2011 (no other information in any other fields)
-CV1 1CV first, then with *1* in house number (plus previous post codes if known)
-Mum Smith in forename & surname (no other information in any other fields)
-Dad Smith in forename & surname (no other information in any other fields)
-Sibling Smith in forename & surname (no other information in any other fields)
How do I start a new meeting?
Open the episode and check the map on the left: you should not start a new meeting if there is already one active (in blue on the Case Pathway). Finish this meeting first and then you can start a new one by clicking on the Active Episode stage, then Active – Decisions at the bottom of the page, selecting the ReStart button next to ‘Start next Meeting’, then entering a date and clicking Confirm. If the existing meeting was not started by you, this needs to be completed by the original EC (if you get stuck for any reason, contact eCAF Help).
Consent has just been denied by the parent / child. What do I do next?
Regardless of the stage you are at, you must restart theConsent Statement, stating that the parent / child has withdrawn consent. This will then take you to the Consent Denied page, which will close the episode straight away. Please note that the CAF process is not mandatory, and if consent has been withdrawn then you must not continue with the episode. If you have selected to deny consent in error, please notify eCAF Help immediately, as everything that you do from this point on will need deleting from the system.
I appear to have 79 / 158 / 525 tasks in my worktray. I don't know any of these children so I’m not sure why I have them and what I need to do with them.
You are looking at the eCAF Meeting tray. This contains all eCAF meetings in Coventry and all users have access to this folder – though you do not have permission to view these episodes– this folder contains the meetings for all eCAF episodes, and these are not all your tasks.
If you don’t want to see this tray, click the spanner iconabove your work tray, then untick the eCAF Meeting option and clickDone at the top. The tray will now be gone.
I want to add a department / school / team / worker etc. to the Address Book but I can’t do it.
eCAF Help will need to add this for you – please send an e-mail to eCAF Help with all details you know (minimum of first line of address and post code, but the more we have the better) and we will add this for you. If you need to add a worker, we need a job title. If the worker is on the system already, you can update their personal info.
I have already completed a CAF assessment for this child but somehow I have managed to restart the CAF assessment instead of starting a new meeting
Tell us by e-mail – we will remove it for you. However, the more work you do on this episode, the more we will need to delete, so contact us straight away.
I have recently been made Episode Co-ordinator but I haven’t got access to the child’s tasks, it is still saying it is assigned to the old EC.
This is because the Case Transfer wasn’t completed correctly – you assumed the EC role without taking the tasks:
In future, when completing transfers please ensure that your name is added next to all tasks (in the red circle)to prevent this happening again. In this case, let us know the child’s reference number by e-mail and we will organise the transfer of all tasks.
I have been granted access to someone else’s work tray – how do I see it?
You can see this by clicking the spanner iconabove your work tray, then you can tick the box next to this person’s name and finallyclickon the Done button at the top. The tray will now appear directly underneath yours.
Are you able to email me a copy of the guides that we talked about on the eCAF training?
You can find all forms and guides under Useful Links – hover over the Menu tab at the top of your home page. All forms should be the latest versions. It’s best to use theseonline versions and not print documents, as we update these occasionally.
I’ve had a server error message / there’s something strange that has happened
Firstly, don’t panic – these things happen from time to time. Try to stay on the same screen, don’t click on the back button, so we can investigate and prevent it happening again. You should e-mail or phone eCAF Help straight away, telling us exactly what you did prior to seeing this message. If you could take a screenshot allowing us to see the error message, that’s even better.
How do I take a screenshot?
To the left of the space bar is a button marked Alt – you will need to hold this, then press the Print Screen button in the top right of your keyboard. You only need to do this once, and it will capture an image of the screen at that moment, as if you had taken a picture with a camera. If you need to send this to us, open an e-mail then after clicking in the main blank section you can Paste it for us (either right click and Paste, or use the keyboard shortcut, Ctrl + v).
My account was suspended due to inactivity. I would like to access my account again.
If you haven’t accessed your account for 90 days, we will e-mail you to let you know that we will be suspending your account. If you don’t log in at least once within the next 2 weeks the system will suspend your account. This is to prevent accounts being left open in case someone leaves their post without telling us.To gain access again, e-mail eCAF Help to request a password reset. Please note, you may need to undertake additional training before access is granted again.
I searched for a child and found lots of records for the same child – which one do I select?
After searching for a child, you may find more than one line of information returned. You should check the first column – ID – and see if these numbers are all the same. This is the child’s reference number. If they are all the same, it won’t matter which line you click on, they will all take you to the same record.
If the child’s details are the same but the ID is different, this would indicate a duplicate record – we will need to delete one (or more) of these records. Please notify eCAF Help before working on these cases and we will let you know which record to use and we will delete the other/s.
I am trying to login to eCAF for the first time. When entering the password that was sent to me, the system is asking for the 2nd, 4th and 9th character but my password only has 8 characters.
You may have entered the user name incorrectly – this is almost always the case. Please check this. If it is definitely correct, contact eCAF Help and we will reset your password for you and check that your account is active.
A child has moved home, so I need to add a new address to their record.
If it is a permanent move, they will need a new Primary Address adding – you can do this from the Personal tab of the Basic Demographics. Search for the post code. Contact eCAF Help if you cannot locate the address on the system and we will add it for you if necessary.
I need to add a new address – which option do I choose?
Primary Address: The home/parental address – use this option in most cases.
Secondary Address: A second address where the child may reside on regular occasions, for example if parents have split up and the child spends weekdays with one parent and weekends with the other. The one where most time is spent is the primary, the other is secondary.
Current Address: The address at which a child can currently be found if temporarily living away from their Primary address, for example living with another relative for a short period of time.
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