Operational Rules
Contents
- 1 Operational Rules
- 1.1 Client Record Rules
- 1.1.1 Check for duplicate records when creating new records?
- 1.1.2 Force Users To Only Create Client Records Using 'Record a Contact For a New Client'
- 1.1.3 Use Standard "Input Field Rules" validation on Client Records?
- 1.1.4 Use People/Organisation ID as Account Code
- 1.1.5 Prefix for Account Code (If Using Org IDs)
- 1.1.6 Limit GPs and Surgeries by District?
- 1.1.7 Override Default Limit For Number Of Contacts In History Tab?
- 1.1.8 Maximum Number of People/Organisation Results Before Search Is Shown
- 1.2 RaC/New Referrals Rules
- 1.2.1 Force "Communication Method" on Record a Contact / Referral Details?
- 1.2.2 Disallow alteration of User Name on Record a Contact / Referral Details?
- 1.2.3 Allow entry of "Represented By" (second referrer name) on Record a Contact?
- 1.2.4 Allow Project To Be Changed On Referral Edit?
- 1.2.5 Allow entry of "Contact With" on Actions?
- 1.2.6 Allow use of "Priority" ratings on Actions
- 1.3 Security Rules?
- 1.4 Miscellaneous Rules
- 1.5 Changing Menu Order
- 1.1 Client Record Rules
- 2 Making a new menu grouping
Operational Rules
Operational Rules is a section of Charitylog containing system-wide settings - i.e. they apply to the whole system, independent of projects.
Operational Rules are accessed by their own menu item - Administration > Security > Operational Rules.
Client Record Rules
- Force Client Telephone Number Entry?
- Force Client Address Line 1 Entry?
- Force Client Postcode Entry?
- Force Status Entry?
These four options relate to the Client Details screen. They can be used to help ensure data is captured. When a user views the Client Details screen, if they try and save a record without the relevant field filled in, the system will pop up a warning box and will not let them save the record without the relevant information. Essentially it makes sure that no client can be active on the system at all without this piece of information. In this way it is even more universal than the Standard Input Field Rules (which only apply when recording a contact). It can be a burden to users, so should be used with caution, but it can be effective.
Check for duplicate records when creating new records?
Setting this to "yes" will mean that whenever a user creates a new organisation/person on the system, a check for possible duplicates will be carried out. If there are any possible duplicates, the user will be shown a popup box with these organisations/people shown, and will be given the opportunity to work with them instead of creating a new record.
Force Users To Only Create Client Records Using 'Record a Contact For a New Client'
If set to "yes", this will hide the "Create New" button and the "New" tab to users, forcing them to use the "Record a Contact (For a New Client)" button. This means that they will be sent to a page driven by Standard Input Field Rules rather than a full blank client record.
Use Standard "Input Field Rules" validation on Client Records?
Setting this to "yes" will apply the Standard Input Field Rules to every client details screen, so the data capture requirements will be imposed every time a user saves a client record. Like the first four options on this tab, this option should be used with caution, because it can slow data entry for users.
Use People/Organisation ID as Account Code
Setting this to "yes" will carry someone's unique Charitylog ID number into their Accounts Code field on the "Client Details" screen, in order to create invoices for them from the Accounts Module. You may be given accounts codes by your funders, or you may already have them created - but if not, using Charitylog IDs to do so is a neat solution.
If using this option, it will not simply go through the system and fill all boxes in - you will need to go to each record and manually re-save it (using a "Save Details" button or the equivalent). This will create the accounts code.
Prefix for Account Code (If Using Org IDs)
This relates to the above option. If "Use People/Organisation ID as Account Code" is set to "Yes", this prefix will be added to the automatically created accounts codes.
Limit GPs and Surgeries by District?
If set to "Yes", this will mean that once a District is set on the Client Details screen, the only GP Surgeries and GPs available to be selected on the "Personal Details" tab for that client will be those GPs and Surgeries also located in that District.
This is good if your organisation covers a large, densely populated area with a lot of Surgeries, in which case the selection list would become long if not limited by District. On the other hand, it will make it more difficult to record the fact that a client might attend a Surgery or see a GP who is outside their District of residence.
Override Default Limit For Number Of Contacts In History Tab?
Selects whether or not to make the History tab (on Organisation and People records) as long as it could possibly be, even if the org/person has many contacts here, or limit it to a system-wide setting (currently 200).
Maximum Number of People/Organisation Results Before Search Is Shown
This setting governs how long a list can be before the user is prompted to run a search. For example, if this number is set to "5", and you only have four clients on your system, when a user clicks the "Clients" link, they will simply see a list of those four clients. However, if you have six clients or more on your system, when a user clicks the "Clients" menu item they will be shown a search form instead, prompting them to run a search for the client.
Although the screen is big enough for lists to become fairly long, you are advised to keep this number low. The sooner users are prompted to search the existing data, the better - this decreases the chance of any Organisations/People being duplicated on the system. Indeed, you may choose to set this number to zero from the start of your use of the system, meaning that users will always be given a search box rather than seeing a list.
RaC/New Referrals Rules
Force "Communication Method" on Record a Contact / Referral Details?
Setting this option to "yes" will mean that users cannot record a contact without specifying what the communication method was (telephone, office visit etc - set up from a Drop-Down List).
Disallow alteration of User Name on Record a Contact / Referral Details?
Setting this option to "yes" will mean that users cannot change the "Done By" name on Record a Contact - i.e. users will only be able to log work for themselves; they will not be able to fill in Charitylog for someone else's action and log it against that person.
Allow entry of "Represented By" (second referrer name) on Record a Contact?
This will show an extra box on Record a Contact, "Represented By", where the user can record if a client was accompanied by someone - family member, health professional etc. The field is not subject to any validation and is simply for text, so for reporting needs, this is best avoided.
Allow Project To Be Changed On Referral Edit?
If you are editing a Referral after it has been entered (which we do not advise apart from in specific circumstances) this will allow you to change the Project that the Referral is logged under.
Allow entry of "Contact With" on Actions?
Setting this option to "Yes" will display a "Contact With" box on actions, which can be filled in with any Referrer. This is useful if you do work on behalf of a client, and deal with other organisations. Note that the "Contact With" box will not show on the initial contact entry.
Allow use of "Priority" ratings on Actions
Setting this option to "Yes" will allow users to log outstanding actions as "High Priority" or "Normal".
Security Rules?
Keep an audit of Record Inserts?
Sets whether or not to keep details of who has edited records in your database, which feeds into the Insert Audit Report.
Keep an audit of Page Visits?
Sets whether or not to keep details of who has visited pages. You should leave this set to "Yes", although at the moment this is only used by our programming team for diagnostics.
Limit Staff Timesheet Access to
Sets whether users can view all timesheets, or only edit their own.
These are self explanatory.
Miscellaneous Rules
Sending Emails: Review Emails Before Sending?
Selects whether to send emails immediately or let users preview them before sending.
Start and End Time of Working Day
These are used by the calendars in Charitylog, with the default start time being the office start time for each day, and for the default time on an outstanding action in the Record A Contact screen. It is also used for Support Workers default working day automatic entry.
Consent Text (Consent Help Button on Client Record)
This text will be displayed if a user clicks the "help" icon next to the "Consent Given" box on a Details screen (for an Organisation or Person). This is ideal for writing in a prepared script for users to read to clients, making sure they understand how you will use their data.
This text, if entered, will appear at the bottom of system generated emails under a horizontal rule. It does not override the standard footer set up on that letter template, but appears in addition to it - the standard footer will be above the horizontal rule, and the legal text will be below.
Changing Menu Order
Once you have finished working with Operational Rules, you may notice that there is an extra button across the bottom of the "Operational Rules" screen, "Save Details and go to Menu Order" - as shown:
The screen which follows allows you to change the order and structure of the main Charitylog menu, which all users see down the left hand side of the page. The most common reason to change the standard menu is to make your most frequently used options accessible, and to make using the system easier.
After clicking the "Save Details and go to Menu Order" button, you will be taken to the "Menu Option Structure" screen.
The columns show the following:
- The first number is a number associated with that menu item
- Option name - the name of the menu item
- Standard Program Section - where to find the menu item in the default menu setup
- Submenu Of Option Ref. Number - if this menu item is within a submenu, the number of that submenu heading will be shown here. The main menu itself is number 0, and any menu item with a 0 in this column is part of the main menu.
- Option Display Order In Section - the "weight" associated with that menu item. Items with the same weight will be ordered alphabetically.
- Option Help Text - text entered here will become available as a pop-up help text box on the menu.
To demonstrate how to use all these, let's walk through the most common change to make to the menu structure; moving the "clients" link out of the "Organisations and People" submenu, and putting it at the top of the main menu.
This is how the menu looks as standard, with "Clients" located in the "Organisations and People" submenu:
First we need to find the line associated with the "Organisations And People" submenu heading...
...and also the one associated with the "Clients" menu item:
Notice that the "Organisations And People" submenu heading is in section 0, which is the main menu, and has the number 262.
The "Clients" link is in section 262 - that is, in the "Organisations and People" submenu.
We want to take the "Clients" link out of the "Organisations and People" submenu and put it at the top of the main menu. So all we need to do is to change the "Submenu Of Option Ref. Number" entry for "Clients" to 0...
...and if we want it to always appear at the top of the main menu, we should change the "Option Display Order In Section" entry to 1 (giving the item a "weight" of 1, and making it rise to the top of the menu).
Now scroll to the very bottom of the page and click "Save Menu Order and Continue"...
...and you should now see that your new menu order has become active, with "Clients" being displayed at the top of the main menu.
Another common alteration to the menu is to create a new submenu, to keep the most commonly used menu items together.
To demonstrate this, let's make a new submenu called "Common Options", and put "Clients" and "Record an Anonymous Contact" in it. At the very bottom of the "Menu Option Structures" screen is a button, "Add New Menu Grouping".
Clicking this button will take you to a screen where all the standard submenus are displayed. You can now specify what the name of your new group is going to be, and whether it's going to belong in the main menu or within another submenu. We are going to head the new submenu "Common Options", and put it within the main menu.
Once these are filled in, click "Add New Grouping".
You will be taken back to the "Menu Option Structure" screen, where your new grouping will be displayed. You can now move it, or put other menu items in it, as before. Here's the new "Common Options" submenu, with "Clients" and "Record an Anonymous Contact" in it.
