At AKA Case Management, every member of our team brings a unique combination of professional experience, clinical expertise and personal values. For Francis Maree, becoming a case manager was a natural progression after nearly two decades of supporting people through rehabilitation as a physiotherapist.
Francis qualified as a physiotherapist in 2006 and began her career in South Africa, where she gained experience across a wide range of clinical settings, including neurology, respiratory care, orthopaedics, elderly care and intensive care. After moving to the UK, she continued to broaden her experience in both hospital and community services, supporting people recovering from surgery, trauma and neurological conditions as they returned home.
Over time, Francis developed a particular interest in helping people with persistent pain. She spent around 15 years working in Community Persistent Pain Management, progressing into advanced practitioner and clinical leadership roles. Alongside providing clinical care, she led multidisciplinary teams and helped ensure people received high-quality, person-centred services.
Her experience extended well beyond traditional physiotherapy. Working within multidisciplinary teams meant considering every aspect of a person’s life, not just their physical condition.
Francis said, “Pain management taught me to look at the whole person. We considered not only their physical health, but also how their condition affected family life, work, finances, hobbies, sleep and emotional wellbeing. That holistic approach has shaped the way I work today.”
Francis holds a BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy, an MSc in Primary and Community Care Pain Management and is qualified as a Non-Medical Independent Prescriber. She is also registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP), CMSUK and BABICM, and is currently working towards full registration with the Institute of Registered Case Managers (IRCM) through its pre-registrant pathway.
Although Francis enjoyed her work in pain management, she increasingly wanted to do more for the people she supported.
Francis told us, “In pain management we could identify everything someone needed, but there were limits to what we could actually put in place. I found that frustrating because I wanted to help people beyond those boundaries.”
After speaking to colleagues who had successfully transitioned into case management, Francis realised it was the ideal next step.
Case management provides an opportunity to coordinate the support people need and to help them achieve their goals. It removes many of the barriers she experienced previously and allows her to make a much bigger difference.
While moving into case management presented a steep learning curve, particularly around the legal aspects of the role, Francis believes her experience in advanced clinical practice and leadership prepared her well.
Today, Francis works with a broad range of clients, including people with traumatic and acquired brain injuries, stroke, complex orthopaedic trauma and multiple injuries following serious accidents. She has also supported clients receiving end-of-life care and brings previous experience working with amputees.
For Francis, every client is unique, but they all have one thing in common. They are navigating one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
Francis explained, “It’s a real privilege to meet people at such an important stage in their journey. My role is to help them, and their families rebuild confidence, regain independence and work towards what matters most to them. Being trusted to support people during such challenging times is incredibly rewarding.”
Her physiotherapy background continues to influence the way she approaches rehabilitation. She understands the fears many clients have when beginning rehabilitation and values the balance between empathy and encouragement.
Sometimes people are understandably anxious about pushing themselves or trying something new. Francis knows how important it is to listen, understand those concerns, and gently support people in moving forward at a pace that feels right for them.
Having joined AKA Case Management, Francis says one of the organisation’s biggest strengths is its collaborative culture.
She loves that everyone comes from different professional backgrounds. There are physiotherapists, occupational therapists, nurses, music therapists and colleagues with social care experience. We all learn from each other, which ultimately benefits our clients.
She also values the flexibility the role provides, allowing her to balance a rewarding career with family life.
Away from work, Francis enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors with her husband, two young sons, and their dog.
Whether she is walking in the Peak District, kayaking or paddleboarding on local rivers, camping, gardening or simply enjoying time with her family, being outdoors is where she feels most at home. When time allows, she also enjoys settling down with a good book.
Although her childhood dream was to become a marine biologist and swim with dolphins, Francis has found an equally rewarding career. Through case management, she can combine her extensive clinical experience with her passion for helping people rebuild their lives after life-changing injury and illness. We are very pleased to have her on our team.