Finding or Creating the Service User
Every Referral must be attached to a client. This is done on Step 1 (Intake) of the Referral wizard, and it is the first thing to get right — the rest of the form depends on it.
Search first
Click the client search box and start typing a name. Matching clients appear as you type.
If you find the person, select them. The Referral is attached to their existing record, and their history stays in one place.
Creating a new client here also creates a new whānau group. A duplicate client record therefore fragments both the person's history and their whānau relationships, and merging them afterwards is not a self-service fix. Try more than one spelling before concluding someone is new.
Creating a new client
If the person genuinely is not in the system, click Create new client and complete the inline form:
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| First name | |
| Last name | |
| Date of birth | Also determines whether guardian consent is required at Step 2 |
| Gender | |
| Phone | |
Submit the form and the new client is selected on the Referral automatically. You do not leave the wizard.
Existing active Referrals
Once a client is selected, a warning appears if that client already has other active Referrals. If a service is already selected, the warning is narrowed to that service.
This is informational, not a block. Check it before continuing — it usually means either the person is already being helped and this Referral is a duplicate, or they are being referred to a second service, which is legitimate.
Referring from a client record
You can also start a Referral from a client's whānau tab using the New Entry link. This opens the wizard with that client already selected, which avoids the search step entirely and is the safest way to avoid creating a duplicate.
Why date of birth matters
Date of birth drives two things later in the form:
- Whether guardian consent is required on the Consent step
- For whānau Referrals, whether a referrer phone number is required — it is if the client is under 16
Related topics
- Creating a Referral — the three-step walkthrough
- Referral Details — the rest of Step 1
- Searching for Clients — searching outside the Referral form
- Family Relationships — how whānau groups work