Read and Reply to Families in Your Messages Inbox

Messages is your inbox for every conversation with families. Open Messages from the menu, pick a conversation on the left to read the thread, and write your reply in the box under it. The badge beside Messages in the menu counts the families waiting on a reply.

Find a conversation

The list shows each family's name, the latest message, who it is assigned to, how it came in and how long ago. The filters across the top are All, Waiting on us, Unread, Assigned to me and Unassigned, each with its count.

A conversation is Waiting on us when the family wrote last and nobody has replied since. An unread one has a dot and a "Mark handled" button, which clears it without opening it.

Reply to a family

A community picks how the reply goes under "Send by": Text, Email or In-app. An email also asks for a subject, and you can start from a template. An agency writes in the Reply box and taps Send; the reply is texted when the family can take a text, and they get an email notice too.

Health or other sensitive details?

Tick "Contains health or other sensitive details" before you send anything about diagnoses, medications, test results, behavior or finances. The message then stays in the family's secure inbox, and their text or email carries only a link to read it there.

If you leave the box unticked and Latter Years spots something sensitive, nothing is sent yet. Tap Send securely to send it the safe way, or Edit message to change the words.

Files a family sends

A file attached to a family's email reply shows under that message with a paperclip, and you tap its name to download it. A file that was not kept says so in place of the link.