Some care workflows require carers to record information that isn’t currently captured within Birdie. This is common in services such as supported living, where carers may need to log financial transactions, behavioural tracking (ABC charts), or other complex care records.
While Birdie doesn’t currently support these workflows natively, partners can use external forms and link them within the Birdie app as a workaround.
When would I need to use external forms?
You may need external forms when carers need to:
Record financial transactions made on behalf of a client
Track behaviours (e.g. ABC charts)
Capture complex care information not available in Birdie
Upload supporting evidence such as receipts
Provide signatures for audit purposes
Example: Financial transactions
In some services, carers handle a client’s money. This is not an expense reimbursement, but a record of how a client’s funds are used.
Carers need to record:
What was spent
When it was spent
What balance remains
A receipt (if applicable)
A signature
Office teams then need visibility of this information to track balances and maintain oversight.
How to use external forms with Birdie
Partners can create forms using tools such as:
Google Forms
Microsoft Forms
Jotform
These forms can then be accessed by carers through the banner in the Birdie app.
You can learn how to set the banner in this article: How to create an in-app banner for Care Professionals
Step 1: Create your form(s)
Build your form in your chosen platform and include all required fields, for example:
Client name
Date
Amount spent
Description of transaction or event
Receipt upload
Signature
Step 2: Make the form accessible
Update your form settings so that:
It is public or
Set to “anyone with the link can respond”
This ensures carers can complete the form without needing to log in.
Step 3: Generate a public link
Copy the shareable link for each form.
Step 4: Organise your links (if needed)
If you have multiple forms:
Add all links into a single document (e.g. PDF or Google Doc)
This gives carers one central place to access all forms
Step 5: Add the link to Birdie
In the Agency Hub:
Add the form link(s) to the Carer app message banner [will add as link to this hca: https://intercom.help/birdiecare/en/articles/3820420-how-to-create-an-in-app-banner-for-care-professionals]
This makes the form easily accessible within the Birdie app.
What carers will see
Once set up:
Carers will see a banner in the Birdie app (e.g. “Complete your transaction form here”)
Tapping the banner opens the form (or a document with multiple links)
Carers complete the form on their phone
No login is required (if the form is set to public)
Submissions are automatically saved
Where the data is stored
Each form creates its own response spreadsheet
All submissions for that form are stored in a single sheet
Example:
If you create 5 forms (e.g. communication log, ABC chart, incident form, turn chart, transaction form), you will have:
5 separate response spreadsheets
One per form type
Each sheet will contain all submissions across all carers and clients for that form.
Managing and using the data
Office teams are responsible for creating, reviewing and managing each form and its responses.
Key actions:
Regularly check response spreadsheets (e.g. weekly or monthly)
Use filters to view:
Specific clients
Date ranges
Form types
Export or copy data for:
Reporting
Invoicing
Record-keeping
Follow up on any required actions
Example: Transaction tracking
For financial forms, office teams can:
Monitor spending per client
Track remaining balances
Review receipts and submissions
Important: Data responsibility
Form data is not stored in Birdie or on Birdie owned software.
All responses are stored in your Google, Microsoft workspace or third party app.
Partners are responsible for:
Data security
Backup processes
Retention policies
Before you implement this solution
1. Assess your team’s capability
Ensure your team is comfortable with:
Creating and managing forms
Using spreadsheets (filtering, exporting, analysing data)
Ongoing administration of submissions
2. Set expectations early
During onboarding or sales discussions:
Confirm you are comfortable using external forms
Understand the ongoing admin required to manage responses
3. Ownership of forms
Partners are responsible for:
Creating and updating forms
Managing responses
Troubleshooting access issues
Birdie does not build or maintain these forms.
4. Test before going live
Before rollout, check:
Forms are public (no login required)
Links work from the Birdie app banner
Responses are being captured correctly
Office staff can access and filter data
5. Train your office team
Make sure staff know how to:
Access response spreadsheets
Filter and analyse data
Export information for reporting
Support carers if issues arise
Summary
Using external forms allows you to extend Birdie to support more complex workflows today. While this requires some setup and ongoing management, it provides a flexible way to capture important care data that isn’t currently supported within the platform.