This is an HTML version of an attachment to the Freedom of Information request 'Full copies of your Health and Work Conversation procedures and guidance documents'.


Topic 02 - About Me
How to build rapport and engage claimants 
from the start of the conversation
April 2017
V3.0







About Me
1. Claimant fills in 
'About Me' - a short 
2. Discussion of 
3. Optional: 
form with 
responses to About 
Claimant completes 
questions to help 
Me 
My Values exercise
focus conversation
4. Claimant uses 
My 4 Steps to 
5. Action Plan is 
identify a goal and 
completed 
how to achieve it
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What challenges can
About Me help with?
I’m not sure what 
I don’t know much 
to say to a 
about the claimant 
claimant when 
and don’t know 
they first walk in 
what’s important to 
the door
them
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Overview
 Explanation of About Me
 Practice completing About Me
 How to fill in About Me with claimants
 What About Me can be used for
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What is About Me?
Completely fine 
not to answer all 
the questions
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Practice: filling in the About Me
Take a few minutes to fill in the About Me on 
the Claimant copy of the Booklet
Fill the About Me in as yourself
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Discussion
What did it feel like to fill in the form?
How could this be useful for 
working with claimants with a 
disability or health condition?
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Benefits of using the About Me
 Helps to break the ice/build rapport
 Provides a starting point for the conversation
 Encourages claimant to open up
 Helps to identify goals the claimant might want to 
pursue later in the HWC
 Gives an overview of the person as a whole –
including things other than health
 Focuses on things a claimant can do/strengths
 Allows the Work Coach to focus on key information
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How to discuss the 
claimant’s answers
 When the claimant has finished completing the About Me, tell 
them you will take a few moments to look through it
 Start the discussion by acknowledging the claimant’s health 
condition but then quickly move onto something positive they 
have mentioned
 If you notice any specific support needs (e.g. referrals to mental 
health services), make a mental note of these and come back 
to them later (the final part of the HWC is about addressing 
these specific support needs).
 This only has to take a minute or two. 
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Discussing answers
Important: it is essential 
to actively discuss the 
claimant’s About Me 
answers with them.
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Any Questions
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