Case Study: An Excellent Example of Expert Case Management, Developed Over Sixteen Years

Sixteen years, three Clinical Lead roles and countless clients supported back to meaningful and optimum recovery. These are the impressive stats of Rehabilitation Case Manager, Jane Rees, whose work has been defined by unwavering compassion, clinical excellence, and an ability to coordinate complex rehabilitation with clarity and care. As she celebrates an impressive sixteen years with Corporé, this case study illustrates her continued professional and unwavering, deeply human approach to client support.

A Strong Clinical Foundation

Rehabilitation Case Manager and Clinical Lead for Desktop Services, Jane Rees, began her clinical career as an Exercise Physiologist back in 2004. Her clinical foundation was built on supporting clients with musculoskeletal and orthopaedic injuries. These early years shaped her understanding of functional recovery and the importance of personalised interventions. Her work spearheading “warm‑up for work” initiatives built the foundation for the holistic, outcome-driven approach that continues to define her practice today.

Since transitioning to case management in 2006, Jane has managed complex rehabilitation pathways including cardiac care, return-to-work programmes, and multi-trauma injuries in both Australia and the UK. Her impact, however, extends far beyond her caseload. Within six months of joining Corporé, she was appointed Clinical Lead for the Catastrophic Injury team—a testament to her leadership and clinical acumen. Jane has since held Clinical Lead roles across Multi-Trauma and currently within the Desktop Case Management team, mentoring colleagues and embedding a culture of clinical excellence.

While Jane’s leadership at Corporé has been profound over the last sixteen years, she continues to use her extensive clinical experience and a dedicated, compassionate approach, working directly with clients. Due to Jane’s expertise and knowledge, she was particularly called upon to support an individual involved in a multi-trauma road traffic accident where professional coordination was required to help a dedicated client achieve optimum recovery.

Case Summary

Gender: Female

Injury Details: Pelvic fracture, spine fracture and laceration to her right hip/buttock

Background Information

After sustaining significant injuries following a road traffic accident, Sophie* underwent surgery and a ten-day stay in hospital before being discharged with strict instruction to rest, avoid exertion and be as immobile as possible for recovery.

As a mother of four young children and usually the main caregiver whilst her husband travelled for work, this new state of sedentary living was very difficult to maintain. Sophie was eager to begin rehabilitation, especially as pain, reduced range of movement, and fatigue limited her ability to engage in daily life.

As a historically active person who enjoyed Pilates, running and climbing, when NHS Physiotherapy was initiated one month after her accident, Sophie felt fit enough to engage with the land-based exercises, despite the significant pain she felt in her hips and lower back. Despite her perseverance, the emotional, psychological, and physical pressures had begun to accumulate significantly by the time of referral.

At Referral

Whilst Sophie had attempted to establish some normality to her life by returning to her part-time role, it was clear that referral to Corporé had been initiated just in time. Jane recognised not only Sophie’s functional challenges but also the emotional strain of navigating a change of role as a parent and relationship dynamics – all domestic responsibilities and childcare had shifted entirely to her husband, creating significant pressure within the household. Jane approached her assessment with empathy, taking the time to understand Sophie’s personal goals:

• Returning to her pre-injury responsibilities as a mother and wife
• Reducing relationship strains
• Regaining her active lifestyle.

Jane’s compassionate listening helped Sophie feel understood. She generated clear communication and provided reassurance that recovery was achievable with structured, evidence‑based support.

Involvement – Coordinated, Holistic Rehabilitation

More intensive and coordinated intervention was required to truly help Sophie make progress in rehabilitation. Jane coordinated a range of essential support, drawing on multidisciplinary input and best‑practice clinical standards to ensure progress in rehabilitation.

Physiotherapy

Recognising the need for more frequent, targeted intervention, Jane coordinated private physiotherapy, working in collaboration with the NHS support previously received in accordance with CSP guidance (PD002).

This led to significant improvements in mobility, strength, and independence—allowing Sophie to walk unaided, manage household tasks, and re-engage in family life.

Psychological Support

Private psychological support was equally vital. At INA, Sophie demonstrated moderate levels of anxiety and depression (GAD7: 13/21, PHQ9: 10/29), exacerbated by trauma-related travel anxiety. Jane coordinated PTSD treatment, including both CBT and EMDR, in line with NICE guidelines (NG116).

Improvements were achieved with travel anxiety, and retesting of GAD7 and PHQ9 showed improvements of 3/21 and 3/29 respectively, reflecting Sophie’s strengthened psychological wellbeing.

Within these sessions and from conversations with Jane, Sophie disclosed relationship challenges. The resulting stress and shift in roles strained their relationship. With sensitivity and respect, Jane gently introduced the idea of relationship counselling. This helped the couple rebuild trust, communication, and shared resilience.

Personalised Support

To alleviate day-to-day pressures and ensure safety during recovery, Jane coordinated:

• Domestic support- Specifically for childcare and household cleaning, which was gradually reduced when functional improvements were made, upon Jane’s recommendation.
• Transport assistance- a taxi account to allow Sophie to safely attend essential appointments without physical strain or travel anxiety triggers

These interventions reflected Jane’s holistic understanding of recovery—not simply from injury, but from the life disruption that accompanies trauma.

Outcomes – A Return to Strength and Independence

At case closure, Sophie was an active member of her family once again, managing childcare and the household. Her physical and psychological symptoms had greatly improved, enabling her to return to her active life without anxiety. These improvements were clearly demonstrated through Therapy Outcome Measures (TOMS), which increased from 2/5 initially to 5/5 across impairment, activity, participation, and wellbeing measures.

Above all, Sophie’s outcomes celebrate her own unwavering commitment to rehabilitation and recovery and act as a powerful reminder that with the right support, compassion, and clinical guidance, recovery can restore not only function, but confidence, identity, and hope.

Over a vast and varied sixteen years, there is one outstanding and remarkable feature that defines Jane’s case management career: her dedication and commitment to every individual she supports. Her ability to combine evidence‑based practice with genuine compassion and client-centred rehabilitation is outstanding. As demonstrated in Sophie’s case, Jane’s approach is not simply about coordinating services—it is about restoring independence and confidence.

*Name changed for confidentiality