The triage interview

Many agencies use preliminary or diagnostic interviews that do not involve providing advice, but are time-limited, fact-finding interviews designed to identify:

•what service the client needs; and
•any action that needs to be taken straight away; and
•the next steps, which might be:
◦providing information; or
◦signposting or referring the client to another agency; or
◦arranging for the client to receive further advice, either immediately or by appointment.