Meet Abilities NQ

Founded in 2017 by husband and wife Jim and Tammie Kanakis, Abilities NQ, has experienced remarkable growth, expanding its operations to include Townsville, Cairns, and soon, Mackay. As a family-owned business, they prioritise delivering exceptional services to their clients and creating an environment that fosters belonging and inclusivity.

Their services encompass a wide spectrum of support, including daily living assistance, community participation, social activities, employment support, extensive group programs, and supported independent living. With a person-centred approach at the core of their philosophy, Abilities NQ strives to create inclusive environments and foster meaningful connections, enabling individuals to achieve their goals and maximise their potential.

Their team of dedicated and highly skilled support workers provides personalised care, assistance, and guidance to individuals of all ages, empowering them to lead fulfilling and independent lives. With a dedicated team of over 300 staff members, Abilities NQ needed a way to effectively manage their operations and enhance productivity.

Harnessing the Power of ShiftCare

Abilities NQ recognised the need for reliable software to manage their complex operations effectively. Like many other organisations, they experimented with various software solutions, facing challenges with implementation and functionality. "Implementation is a really big problem for growing NDIS Providers. A lot of providers are getting stuck in their implementation when they start to scale operations with growth. I have supported other organisations in previous roles with similar projects and I have often seen organisations become stuck or have completely failed implementations occur, having to reverse course and rollback software solutions due to the complexities involved with complicated software solutions. At the outset, the business may recognises it must automate more tasks and use technology to increase efficiency, but the implementation of the software solution is often more complex and time consuming in the beginning, which businesses often don’t anticipate. This transition period can often result in invisible haemorrhaging of clients due to a reduced capacity to manage what are routine administrative tasks – the longer an implementation drags on, until the new system is properly aligned with the business.” You could say that businesses experiencing high-growth can become victims of their own early success.

Upon discovering ShiftCare 18 months ago, they saw the software's potential for transforming their business processes. 

Jonathan, Senior NDIS Coordinator for Abilities NQ, played a pivotal role in evaluating and implementing ShiftCare. Jonathan joined Abilities NQ five months ago, at a critical juncture when the organisation was considering a shift to another software solution. After conducting a thorough evaluation of both platforms, Jonathan concluded that ShiftCare was the ideal choice for their needs, standing out as a robust rostering and payroll solution for the business. 

When Jonathan came on board, he recognised the software’s potential and the opportunity for further optimisation within the business. By implementing ShiftCare more comprehensively, Abilities NQ have been able to streamline their operations and improve service delivery.

Reducing Administrative Burden

Jonathan recognised a tangible decrease in the amount of time spent on administrative tasks since implementing the software to its full potential. By leveraging ShiftCare's powerful rostering features and care management capabilities, Abilities NQ achieved greater efficiency and accuracy in their staffing allocations “I did an evaluation of ShiftCare and I thought, this is actually great. This is better than anything that I've used”. Jonathan introduced a new approach to rostering, focusing on utilising the teams functionality and fostering client-staff rapport, which significantly improved the quality of their service and the way they were rostering. 

With ShiftCare, Jonathan created dedicated teams for each client, ensuring a consistent and reliable workforce – embedded within the rostering itself. This new approach empowered rostering staff to confidently assign shifts based on team dynamics and established rapport, rather than solely relying on qualifications. As a result, Abilities NQ witnessed a remarkable improvement in participant satisfaction and service quality, and a drastic improvement in administrative burden “We’ve reduced the time it takes to roster dramatically, only 52 hours compared to our previous 400 hours of rostering. Huge savings”.

They were also able to efficiently manage their operations even during times of staffing shortages. Like many other organisations in the NDIS space, they faced difficulties in recruiting quality coordinators. With the help of ShiftCare, Jonathan and another coordinator successfully handled rostering for approximately 100 clients. “Because we utilise ShiftCare the way we are, we've been able to manage rostering with just myself and one other coordinator effectively, and now we have been able to confidently increase our support staff and participant capacity without a drastic increase in our administrative staff, and when we do increase admin, it makes sense”. By leveraging the software, they were able to quickly address staffing gaps and ensure uninterrupted service delivery.

By leveraging the software, they were able to quickly address staffing gaps to easily swap shifts and fill vacant spots ensuring uninterrupted service delivery. ShiftCare's mobile app automatically alerting staff members to the changes, enabling a seamless workflow and minimising disruptions to clients' schedules.

Unmatched Support

Throughout Abilities NQ's journey with ShiftCare, they have found the customer support invaluable in comparison to other software companies they’ve worked with “I'd say that a lot of software companies, when they get into the business of producing software, I think they may get away from their core purpose". 

The ShiftCare team has been responsive and proactive in addressing any questions or concerns that arise. Jonathan and his colleagues have found the support team to be highly knowledgeable and dedicated to ensuring a seamless experience with the software. From initial implementation to ongoing system optimisation, ShiftCare has provided prompt assistance, training resources, and regular updates to meet Abilities NQ's evolving needs. 

Future Growth and Expansion

With ShiftCare as their trusted software solution, Abilities NQ is well-positioned for future growth and expansion. The streamlined operations and enhanced efficiency achieved through ShiftCare have allowed them to focus on their core mission of providing exceptional support services. As they prepare to extend their services to Mackay, Abilities NQ is confident that ShiftCare will continue to support their growth and help them maintain the highest standards of service quality.