External
- Consider the time of the call – generally, a claimant should not be contacted on a weekend or early in the morning/late in the evening, unless he/she has indicated that contact at such a time would be acceptable or desirable.
- Reassure the claimant that any information provided will only be used for lawful purposes and will only be released to other persons or agencies on a need to know basis. In other words, the claimant's right to privacy will be respected
- Summarise any information which may have been obtained from the claimant during a phone conversation and ensure the claimant agrees with your understanding of that information.
- Document the call – when the conversation is finished, make a detailed record of the conversation on Defcare. A copy of the Defcare note must be printed for the paper file.