Care Provider: How to Access & Manage Family Enquiries on CareApp
Written by Georgia Radcliffe
Updated at August 21st, 2025
A simple and secure family enquiries channel
Enquiries let families send messages directly to your site through CareApp.
Enquiries go straight to an Enquiry inbox, keeping all communication in one place — no digging through emails, missed calls, or lost notes. This helps reduce phone calls and keeps everything organised.
Families can send an Enquiry anytime, and you can reply when it suits you. You can also add photos, attach files, or pass the message to the right person.
Every conversation is stored in CareApp, so you can easily look back in the Insights tab whenever you need.
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The Enquiry Journey
Here’s how an Enquiry moves from start to finish:
- Family sends in an Enquiry
- All Site Coordinators get a notification (assuming notifications are enabled for that member).
- A Site Coordinator opens and replies → this member becomes the Enquiry owner
- The Enquiry can be assigned to another Site Coordinator if needed
- Close the Enquiry when the conversation is finished or the task is complete
- View history in Insights
Let’s Get Started with Enquiries!
Easily Manage Active Enquiries (Web)
If you’re a Site Coordinator or Provider Administrator, you'll be able to see an enquiries tab in your CareApp account.
- Open CareApp.
- Click on the Enquiries tab in your menu.
- View all active Enquiries from families
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Reply to an Enquiry
- Tap or click on an Enquiry to open the conversation.
- Family will have already been greeted by an automated message letting them know someone will be in contact soon.
- To reply, type in the text bar, attach images or files, and send.
- Your reply is sent instantly to the family, who will receive a notification from CareApp letting them know you’ve responded.
Enquiry Ownership
- The first staff member to reply becomes the assigned owner of the Enquiry — you can see this at the top of each conversation.
- Only the owner will see the Enquiry in their Enquiries tab and receive ongoing notifications if the family replies.
- You can reassign ownership to another Site Coordinator at any time, for example, a Clinical Manager. Simply click the dropdown and select the staff member you want to assign the Enquiry to. Once reassigned, the Enquiry will disappear from your list.
💡 Tip: If you haven’t replied yet, all site coordinators will see the enquiry in their list and continue to receive notifications until the Enquiry is assigned to someone.
Enquiry Categories
- Select the category that best matches the type of enquiry. This helps keep things organised and is used for internal data tracking and reports.
Closing an Enquiry
- Once the Enquiry is resolved, click Mark as Complete. This:
- Removes it from the active Enquiries list
- Notifies the family that the Enquiry is closed
- Allows the family to rate their experience (1–5 stars)
Please note: Once closed, neither staff nor families can send more messages in that thread. To continue the conversation, a new Enquiry will need to be created.
Check out Enquiries Insights!
Head to the Insights tab and open the Enquiries page for a full overview of all enquiries, including those that have been closed.
- Click on any enquiry to view the full chat log
- Reassign enquiries that are still in progress if needed
Click here to view the full guide on CareApp Insights
Best Practice Communication
Using Enquiries is all about keeping communication with families open, easy, and approachable. Here are some tips to help you get the best results:
- Use a friendly and welcoming tone – Keep your tone approachable while maintaining respect and professionalism.
- Greet them and thank them – Start your reply by greeting the family member and thanking them for reaching out or bringing something to your attention.
- Acknowledge them as soon as possible – Even if you don’t have the full answer yet, send a quick reply to let them know you’ve received their message and are following it up.
- Aim to answer fully the first time – Wherever possible, provide a complete response in your first reply and add any additional helpful information in context to their enquiry. Only leave it open if you need more details from them.
- Keep it clear and simple – Avoid jargon or internal acronyms that families may not understand.
- Attach what helps – If a document, form, or photo will help answer their question, attach it so they have everything in one place.
- Escalate when needed – If the enquiry requires specialist input or higher-level approval, assign it to the right person.
- Follow confidentiality – Only share information appropriate for the family member and in line with your organisation’s privacy policy.
- Close the loop – Once the matter is resolved, close the enquiry so the family knows it’s complete.
FAQ
I can’t see Enquiries in my CareApp
You might not see the Enquiries tab if the feature hasn’t been switched on for your provider.
Also, only Provider Administrators, Site Coordinators, and families can access Enquiries. If you’re not in one of these roles, the tab won’t appear in your account.
If the feature should be available for you, reach out to CareApp to have it enabled.
Can I find an Enquiry after it’s been marked as complete?
Yes — completed Enquiries are stored in CareApp. In the Insights tab, go to the Enquiries page to see an overview of all closed and open Enquiries. You can click on any Enquiry to view the full chat log, or reassign open ones if needed.
Can Team Members see Enquiries?
No — only Site Coordinators and Provider Administrators can access and respond to Enquiries. Team Members won’t see them.
Who should manage Enquiries?
We recommend having one or more dedicated staff members check and respond to Enquiries daily — this could be reception, admin, or a nominated coordinator.
Staff should also be aware that Enquiries can be assigned to them if it’s relevant. For example, a question about a resident’s lifestyle activity could be assigned to the Lifestyle Team Lead.
It’s also helpful to have one or more Site Coordinators as an escalation point, such as a team lead or manager, for any Enquiries that need additional support.
What if I don’t know how to respond to an Enquiry?
If you’re unsure how to answer an Enquiry, you have a couple of options:
Assign it to someone who knows — for example, the relevant team member who can give the best response.
Escalate to your team lead or manager if it’s more complex or urgent.
When to escalate an Enquiry:
The appointed staff members should aim to respond to most incoming Enquiries. They can check with other staff or gather the information needed to reply to the family.
If they can’t find the answer and reach a dead end, they should assign the Enquiry to the most relevant staff member for follow-up. This ensures every Enquiry is answered correctly and by the person best placed to provide the information.
Tip: Respond as promptly as possible — families appreciate timely answers, even if it’s just a quick update to say you’re looking into it.
Can I message in a closed Enquiry?
No — once an Enquiry is closed, you can’t reply in that conversation. You can either start a new Enquiry or add a note on the customer’s profile instead.
Can I change the automated greeting message?
Yes! Provider Administrators can update the greeting in the Provider Administrator menu → Settings.
How do I add new categories?
Provider Administrators can add new categories in the Settings section of the Provider Administrator menu.
Can I turn off notifications for Enquiries?
Yes! You can manage your notifications in CareApp Settings → Notifications and turn off alerts for Enquiries.
Important: Even if you turn off app or email notifications, you will still be able to see new Enquiries when logged into CareApp. You will also still receive a notification if an Enquiry is assigned to you by another staff member.
Can I edit or delete my message?
Yes! If you’ve made a typo or need to change something, you can easily update or remove your message.
Just click on the three dots next to your message and select Edit or Delete from the options.
