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
2
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
3
Overview
Explanation of About Me
Practice completing About Me
How to fill in About Me with claimants
What About Me can be used for
4
What is About Me?
Completely fine
not to answer all
the questions
5
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
6
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?
7
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
8
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.
9
Discussing answers
Important: it is essential
to actively discuss the
claimant’s About Me
answers with them.
10
Any Questions
11