Having engaged with over 800 people experiencing homelessness, each describing harsh journeys due to limited access to affordable housing, HOME had a lot of data to collate. Working with the Bermuda government, they developed a collaborative, single plan to end homelessness on the island, and they needed a system to support this.
HOME undertook a lengthy research process, and it was the relationship between In-Form and Homeless Link and the commitment to ending homelessness that stood out in their decision making. This led to them reaching out in 2021 and began piloting the cloud-based case management system by 2022.
Improved case management and efficiency
In-Form replaced manual processes with automated alerts, reminders, and reporting tools.
Real-time data and reporting
In-Form enables HOME to track, analyse, and report on client data instantly.
Collaboration and sector-wide integration
In-Form has created a platform for collaboration across agencies in Bermuda.
Meeting client needs
In-Form was developed with the client in mind, so tracking data and accessibility to the system has been made easier for HOME staff. In-Form takes the role of managing manual file audits, notifying case managers when assessments are due, and prompting when the assessment is overdue. This allows staff to find files when they are needed at a faster pace, which is especially valuable due to the vast amount of people in Bermuda being homeless (555 people in 2022 on an island with a population of 60,000).
Training
No other organisation within Bermuda was willing to commit to addressing homelessness which meant there was a lack of training available on the island. However, In-Form helped resolve this issue through training on how to use In-Form, and more importantly, sector specific best practice training from the wider Homeless Link teams.
“It was amazing to be able to send links for training with the confidence the training would meet the needs of our organisation and our new staff.”
“We are able to track each of our properties and the rents we are collecting for each bed. It is fantastic, we are able to run a report on a client in real time and can easily report on how many nights a person has been in. We can track each bed and identify when we have beds available.”
Denise Carey from HOME
Managing information and reporting in real time
“I talk about In-Form every day. It is such an easy-to-use system.”
HOME is a data driven organisation and staff have described In-Form as easy to access, and recording contact notes within any environment is simple.
“When the Bermuda Police call looking for someone, they believe to be missing, it is great to be able to conduct a quick search on In-Form and say, no he is not missing, we saw him yesterday.”
In-Form has allowed them to manage their information and report in real time. Staff have become comfortable with the use of In-Form, helping them manage cases more efficiently, allowing them to identify those at risk of experiencing homelessness and move from crisis management to a preventative model of working.
“I literally could talk about In-Form wins for HOME for days.”
In-Form allows HOME to track client progress and activities they are undertaking that may have a positive or negative impact on their housing status such as criminal activity, community service, and fines.
“HOME is ahead of the curve. Not only are we able to access the system and record contact notes from home, while using our mobile device or laptop, HOME is now onboarding community partners to use In-Form.”
“The In-Form technology will allow service providers in Bermuda to case manage as a system and not as a single organisation. Working together will reduce duplication of work and enhance how we serve our community.”
Denise Carey from HOME
Looking to the future
Because of the scale of the island with around 60,000 residents, it has been possible to devise a co-produced plan in order to end homelessness. Mandatory reporting, tracking and supporting clients for as long as they need it was included, with a multi-disciplinary case management team being established. Through working together on one system, the true number of homeless people can be identified and prevention can be implemented.
The final phase of implementation was completed at the the end of 2024, in which local charitable community partners were invited to join In-Form.
