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What is your greatest business challenge? I’m not a mind reader (and far from it), but I’m confident you are thinking about an aspect of your business that is impacted by the COVID pandemic.
As Australia emerges from the latest lockdowns we are in the crosshairs of enormous challenges, but even greater possibilities! For example, the Australian Bureau of Statistics reported in June 2021 that 26% of businesses in the Healthcare and Social Service industry indicated they were having trouble finding suitable staff1. Given those statistics, are you comfortable providing your services with “unsuitable” staff? Or, with creative planning and strategic implementation, your company can be one that great staff will want to work with!
Success, triumph, and a sense of accomplishment require 3 things: a goal, an experience, and a measurable outcome. A Strategic and Operational Plan provides this structure for your business and your participants to succeed! In my 20 years of experience in social services, I’ve noticed very clearly that many businesses and services fail because of one thing…the failure to successfully implement great ideas with measurable outcomes. Don’t let this happen to you! Amergin wants to empower you to be impactful beyond your wildest dreams, by supporting you with your Strategic and Operational Plan, its implementation, and beyond.
Join our exclusive LIVE webinar: Strategic and Operational Planning for 2022 and Beyond and you will:
1Australian Bureau of Statistics, Business Conditions and Sentiments, June 2021, accessed 01/11/2021.
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The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission (The Commission) will soon introduce a fee for any organisation looking to provide government-funded aged care services.
The Commission proposes to implement cost recovery for applications for aged care approved provider status across all three categories of funding (as outlined below):
- Residential Care – is provided in aged care facilities on a permanent or respite (short-term) basis
- Home Care – assists older people to continue living at home whilst being provided personal and support services and clinical care
- Flexible Care – caters for older people who need a different type of care than is offered by mainstream home and residential services
The fee is designed to attract (only) quality applicants are entering the market, increase the quality of the application form responses themselves, improve efficiency and responsiveness during the approval process, and reduce the number of applications received every year.
For new applications, businesses will be asked to pay $8,780 plus additional fees for multiple applications, application reviews, or Requests for More Information – irrespective of the outcome of the application(s). Fees may be waived or reduced where The Commission has deemed regions are underserviced (in terms of geographic location or service category) however, this is currently under review.
While the announcement indicates the certainty of this new fee, the process itself, full details, and reasons why fees may be reduced or waived is still under consultation. If you would like to contribute your feedback to the Commission, please visit the Consultation page here by 5 pm, Tuesday 19 October 2021.
For more information, visit the Aged Care Quality and Safeguard Commission.
Looking to become an approved Aged Care (Home Care) provider? Visit our New Aged Care Business page on Amerginhub.
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]]>The post Residential Aged Care and the NDIS – It’s Time to Work Together appeared first on Amergin.
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The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) identified in the People with Disability in Australia (2020) report that 5,600 people under the age of 64 are in permanent residential aged care.
Of the 5,600 young people living in residential aged care (RAC), 72% require high supports in relation to changed behaviours and 88% have limitations with their self-care.
As we know, the Australian Government is committed to minimising the need for younger people to live in RAC facilities. Until such a time however (2025 as per the Younger People in Residential Aged Care – Action Plan), the aim is for NDIS participants living in RAC to receive regulated care and support as per NDIS legislation.
Queue 1st December 2020 and surprise, any RAC provider supporting an NDIS participant within their facility automatically became registered NDIS providers. A process that usually takes in excess of 6 months (sometimes much longer) and involves extensive assessments, audits, documentation and education.
RAC providers automatically became responsible for managing participants, ensuring to support them to exercise choice and control over their lives, including their participation in the NDIS and how they receive care and services.
Now, as a result, many have spent the past 8 months wondering how they turn themselves into an NDIS provider as well as meet the growing requirements they already have within aged care.
Where it becomes increasingly confusing is, NDIS participants living in RAC are dual participants of the NDIS AND Aged Care systems. This means they can access RAC funds for their accommodation and care but also use their NDIS funds as well.
While this is a great outcome for the NDIS participant, especially given their need for high supports, it is evident from the work Amergin have been doing recently that unfortunately, the two sectors are NOT working together to ensure this happens.
The majority of RAC providers are not familiar with how NDIS funding works, NDIS portal claiming, NDIS plans, Support Coordination, and Plan Management. Not to mention the significant differences between NDIS participant goal setting and those of an aged care resident. In their defense, why would they be? They have spent countless hours making sure they understand their own sector, legislation, and Standards. Combining the two is a substantial undertaking.
There is also the added layer of confusion being experienced by NDIS providers who co-support NDIS participants living in RAC. Support Coordinators and Plan Managers are key stakeholders involved in supporting NDIS participants to live the life they chose and assist them with goal setting, activity planning and how best to spend their allocated NDIS funds.
And while Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) have partnered with the NDIS Commission to create the RAC NDIS Support Hub, resources are still in development given the infancy of the initiative itself.
NDIS Support Coordinators are attempting to understand the Aged Care legislation however as Disability Services Manager, Kelli Payne and her team from Marsden Families Program identified recently, “We have done quite a bit of research ourselves but there appears to be a huge grey area when interpreting and applying the [aged care] legislation” when it comes to funding and responsibilities.
It was not until Amergin spent time breaking down the differences across the sector including funding responsibilities that the Support Coordinators at Marsden Families Program could “move forward with confidence”, said Ms Payne and ensure their NDIS participants living in RAC could utilise their plans and funds for the better.
So how can you combine forces?
Our advice; start working together and educating each other.
Of course, utilise the supports from ACSA, however as they continue to develop it’s important to also provide support to each other. After all, each of you are experts in your area/sector. You have the ability to explain complex legislation to each other and transfer it into direct service provision understanding.
Before developing care plans or budgets for care and services, engage each other for education, support to navigate the claiming portal and stakeholder/case conferences to make sure you are all on the same page (RAC and NDIS providers).
Ensure you understand just how an NDIS participant’s funds work within RAC and the NDIS plan. Cross billing can be challenging to understand and navigate therefore lean on each other to fill any knowledge gaps along the way.
Lastly, engage the support of education and consultation firms (such as Amergin) who specialise in, and therefore understand, both the Aged Care AND NDIS sectors. That way you receive tailored advice and guidance in areas such as service provision, funding and claiming, policy and procedure revisions, and audit support.
We really are all in this together and the ultimate aim is to ensure participants/residents receive the care and services they need and are entitled to, with as little disruption to your efficiencies and business processes as possible. It can be done!
Next Steps
For more information on the topic of NDIS participants in Residential Aged Care and how best to receive support as a provider, book a consult with the team at Amergin.
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]]>The post Approved Aged Care Provider | The Top 5 Things to Consider When Engaging A Consultant For Your Aged Care Application appeared first on Amergin.
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You’ve made the exciting decision to apply to become an approved Aged Care provider, congratulations!
It’s through your initial research however you’ve identified the need for support. We get it, the application process can be overwhelming, daunting, and time-consuming and it is at this point you start to consider the use of a consultant to support you.
At Amergin we speak with hundreds of organisations each year who are seeking help with just that. Often however many feel in the dark and unsure about how to select the best consulting business for their needs.
To help you make your decision, we have developed the following Top 5 things to consider when engaging an aged care consultant on your journey to applying to become an approved aged care provider:
1. Review the experience of their business
With an increase in consulting businesses across Australia, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by the variety of options to choose from. We recommend however that you request to speak with a high-level staff member about the business’ experience supporting organisations through the application process specifically. A business can have many years of operations however if it has not specifically been with aged care application support, they are unlikely to know how best to provide you with expert advice and guidance. Consider asking them about the number of organisations they have assisted, for how long, and the full extent of their experience with the process. What learnings have they adapted to their continuous improvement activities and approaches?
2. Review the experience and knowledge of their people
In addition to the above, it is important that you are not only matched with a dedicated consultant to guide you through the process, but that their aged care team has extensive experience with the application process and knowledge of the sector firsthand. Just because a consultant has knowledge and experience of the NDIS registration process does not mean they understand the aged care application process given the two are starkly different. When it comes to knowledge of the sector, throughout the application process you will be studying and looking to understand the aged care legislation and Standards and how to implement those into practice. This is where you need to be able to lean on your consultant for advice and to help transfer what they know from directly working in a provider (at a high level, not as a Support Worker).
3. Question the numbers
Any experienced consultancy business involved in supporting organisations through the application process will know just how challenging it can be given ultimately it is up to the Commission whether someone is approved or not. This is why it is important that consulting businesses are transparent in relation to their client success rates and outcomes from the applicants they have supported. From the data released by the Australian Government in relation to new Home Care Package approved providers each quarter, it would be highly unlikely for a consulting business to claim a 100% success rate…
4. Don’t be afraid to ask for references
Not only will it assist you to make your decision, but it can also lead to a beneficial working relationship for you to align with an organisation that has just been through the application process. Don’t be afraid to ask the consultancy business before signing any paperwork that you’d like to speak with at least 2 previous organisations they have supported in the past 6-12 months. If the business has had successful outcomes and built lasting positive relationships with these providers, they will have no problem with sharing that information. When speaking with the references make sure to ask not only about their experience through the process in general but importantly any areas, they feel the consultancy business could have improved.
5. Lastly, remember you get what you DON’T pay for
In life if it’s too good to be true, it usually is. The same applies to consultancy businesses. When comparing considerably different prices, do they all compare in relation to services offered? Do the products and resources they supply match up? Will you receive one-on-one support from your own dedicated consultant or a team? Just how many hours of support can you expect? Will your documents be templates or tailored specifically to your business? Are you comparing apples to oranges?
The application process is challenging enough which is why we want to make sure in partnering for support, you find the right match for your organisation’s needs.
At Amergin we take pride in making sure we are transparent, supportive, and provide consulting services with an education focus given ultimately you are in the driver’s seat once it’s time to operate.
The support we provide organisations approaching the aged care application process have been adapted over time based on direct feedback from the Commission and the extensive experience of our team.
To learn more about how we can support you in your journey to becoming an approved aged care provider (and to compare our apples) feel free to get in touch with our aged care team.
Aynsley and Jennifer are looking forward to speaking with you soon.
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]]>The post Top 4 Care Management Systems | NDIS & Aged Care Providers appeared first on Amergin.
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As the NDIS and Aged Care sectors reform and expand, we are seeing a growing number of emerging Care Management Systems (CMSs) entering the market – each offering their own unique blend of functionality, sophistication and design.
While they differ in appearance and features, they all share a common desire to help service providers manage their operations, improve efficiencies and deliver transparency on areas like financials, staff activity and client care. So which one is right for your organisation?
Our team has direct experience in the sector using some of the most comprehensive and user-friendly systems available. Based on this we have put together our top 4 recommended platforms for comparison.
Top 4 Care Management Systems Comparison Table
| Name | Ideal For | Sector/s | Cost | Integration Inclusion | Australian Company | Setup Fee | Monthly Fees | Minimum Subscription | Discount Offers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brevity | Small providers | NDIS, private aged care | Based on number of clients | Partial. | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| SupportAbility | Medium-sized service providers | NDIS | Based on number of staff | Partial (option to include more) | Yes | Yes | Yes | 12 Months | No |
| Lumary | Medium to large providers | NDIS, Aged Care (HCP), CHSP, DSS, DVA | Subscription | Comprehensive | Yes | NA | Yes | Yes | No |
| VisiCase | Established medium to large — service providers. * Fast Start for smaller providers |
Aged Care, NDIS, employment, mental health and language services | Based on number of clients | Comprehensive with advanced module integration | Yes | Yes | Yes | 3 Years | YES! Join Amerginhub |
Brevity
Why you’ll love it
If you’re an NDIS provider; smaller in size; and have a tight budget, then Brevity could be for you. Even better it’s easy to use, has all the key functions you need to operate at a base level including support around client record management, HR modules, rostering and even some reportable analytics.
In short, yes, it does the job. Does it have the full automation that other systems have? No. But you wouldn’t expect that with the price you’re paying. It’s also great for providers who do support coordination, plan management & high intensity personal activities (clinical care) and private/brokered Aged Care (Home Care) services.
Be aware
Whilst it has the functionality you need to operate, you’ll find like an emerging wine connoisseur, your taste is likely to change as your business grows. The wine that you once liked doesn’t quite satisfy your needs anymore. You start to look for improved quality and substance. You want to tick more boxes. This is where Brevity can fall over for some providers — not being able grow and adapt as your business grows and demands more.
Summary
Brevity is a great first or second stone that represent the steps of growth in your business. Some providers don’t want to see massive growth, particularly sole traders or services operating in smaller regions — in these contexts, Brevity does the job. For those who have a bigger picture in mind, then consider a platform that is able to adequately grow with you — particularly if you have multiple sites, lots of staff and a more complex operational framework.
SupportAbility
Why you’ll love it:
SupportAbility is a cloud-based platform specifically developed for the Australian disability sector – the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS).
The platform allows providers to assess participant goal progress and support the changing needs of participants over time as well as plan, monitor and report on their funding. It comes with some solid reporting tools, with in-build functionality to make sure staff are recording everything they need to and following process. Providers can also track progress and report back to the NDIS which supports evidence-based service delivery.
While SupportAbility offers all the standard administrative tools like staff rostering and client scheduling, the platform includes a unique Human Resources module to support staff professional development and promote best practice. The platform houses a good range of financial and reporting tools including full NDIS funding and budget management tools. An online learning centre means service providers are able to learn the system quite easily.
The platform houses a good range of financial and reporting tools including full NDIS funding and budget management tools. An online learning centre means service providers are able to learn the system quite easily.
Be aware:
Having a platform that’s built to support organisations operating in a specific sector is great but has obvious disadvantages for organisations who are, or intend to, diversify their services across other sectors such as Aged Care, Child Care or Employment.
SupportAbility does have some very basic lead nurturing and marketing features, however, its primary purpose is care management. In addition to this, while SupportAbility can handle care management for clients in other sectors it does not manage billing or reporting and integrations for anything other than disability services.
Summary:
SupportAbility offers a well-packaged platform, specifically designed for NDIS service providers. Amongst the list of other Care Management Systems available in Australia, SupportAbility sits (and is priced) somewhere in the middle.
The platform offers a great suite of features, designed to support evidence-based service delivery within a quality management framework. This works well for both clients (participants) and being cloud based, provides transparency for both staff and clients.
Lumary
Why you’ll love it:
Lumary (as featured in SmartCompany) is one of the most exciting and fastest growing Care Management System used across both the Disability and Aged Care sectors — and it’s not by chance.
First up, Lumary has done its homework. Instead of mirroring many other systems, the platform has been imagined entirely from the ground up whilst leveraging the power of one of the World’s leading CMS providers, Salesforce. It also focusses on some serious efficiencies around workflow, operations, claiming and other key areas.
Further, Lumary’s completely cloud-based platform also reflects updates within its platform when compliance requirements change, this includes pricing. Whilst it doesn’t provide state and federal regulatory updates or your business’ policies and procedures to govern your operations, the team ensures you are operating within a compliant environment.
Aged Care providers have the added benefit or being able to utilise an interface with the Federal Government’s Services Australia for improved claiming processes.
Be aware:
It’s a great, intuitive system that give you remarkable transparency over their business, it does come with a price tag. This is why Lumary is most suitable for fast growing, profitable (and generally larger) organisations who have the budget to invest in such as system.
Summary:
We’ve all done it. Walked into a vehicle show room, seeing the car of your dreams and then seeing the price tag and cringing. If nothing else, it’s worth getting a demo and weigh up the benefits versus the cost and see if it’s a good fit.
VisiCase
Why you’ll love it:
Visicase is a comprehensive, cloud-based care management platform that ticks all the boxes (plus quite a few more). What I particularly like about Visicase is the attention to smaller details with a significant emphasis on streamlining workflow and automating processes. The Platform comes with integrated rostering, accounting and finance interfaces so you don’t need to worry about mix-and-matching other software. It’s also supported by a powerful workflow engine that keeps track of what needs to be done and by whom.
The platform boasts a user-friendly client portal that provides access to their secure portal so they take an active part in care planning and given transparency of their plan progress, tasks and budgets.
The final big tick comes from the Platform’s adaptability. Unlike other systems, VisiCase’s Platform is not confined to a single market environment, but rather has built in multi-sector proficiency. With a growing number of businesses choosing to extend services from just disability to also include aged care, employment (and more), this is a real benefit.
Be aware:
It’s hard to find flaws with systems as comprehensive and feature-packed as this one — but that’s exactly where it fails to address some business needs. It’s hard to ignore the point that Visicase has stormed ahead with system sophistication and automation. Where it can become difficult is in the pricing — additional modules mean more money. There can also be a significant setup fee, but this also depends on the size and complexity of your organisation.
Summary:
Visicase is an impressive, multifunctional Care Management System that offers an ‘all-in-one’ solution for your organisation. It allows streamlining of remedial tasks, optimisation of resources and greater transparency on your broader operations. VisiCase does a good job at enabling individual care planning and budgeting as well as measuring progress towards desired outcomes.
With advanced integration facilities, intuitive workflow management and customisation, it’s really an all-in-one care management system that breaks many boundaries, making it very difficult to compete with.
How do you choose?
When choosing what system is right for you, make a list of the main functions and features that are important to you in a CMS. Because there is such a wide range of options available, we recommend getting details and quotes from at least 3 potential CMS systems.
Key things to consider in determining the right system for you:
If you’re interested in one of the above Care Management Systems, members of Amerginhub are given access to exclusive discounts.
Amerginhub is also your gateway to ongoing compliance community sector updates and much more!
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Alongside the Health Sector, 2020 has made the most significant impact on the Aged Care Sector across Australia; but it’s not over yet I’m afraid. In fact it’s only just getting started! Last month the Final Hearings (and subsequent Response to Counsel Assisting’s final submissions) came to a close for the Royal Commission in to Aged Care.
It was during the final hearing that Counsel Assisting reminded the Commissioners (the Honourable Tony Pagone QC and Ms Lynelle Briggs AO) that at the very first hearing in early 2019, the late Commissioner Tracey stated “The Royal Commission is a once in a lifetime opportunity to come together as a nation to consider how we can create a better system of care for elderly Australians that better aligns with the expectations of the Australian people”.
The purpose of the Royal Commission in to Aged Care (the RC) has been to confront a system that whilst for the most part tries the best it can with what little it has; however it’s still not good enough when vulnerable older Australian’s health, wellbeing and in some cases lives are in our hands. This falls upon the shoulders of the Australian Government but also Aged Care Providers equally.
Since commencing in January 2019, the RC has received 10,144 submissions and 6,729 telephone calls to the information line, conducted 25 hearings and workshops, 12 Community Forums, 2 Community Meetings, and visited 29 service providers.
Over this time a substantial amount of information has been shared highlighting the sector wide failings of a system that is long overdue for a shake-up.
Some of the RC’s initial recommendations involved requesting immediate Government action to:
- Provide more Home Care Packages to reduce the waiting lists for high level care;
- Address the over-reliance on chemical restraints predominantly in residential care; and
- Stop ANY person aged under 65 with disability from entering or remaining in aged care facilities.
While these 3 initial recommendations aren’t necessarily ‘quick wins’ for the RC (given there is still so much to work through), the Government did commence putting in place measures to work through the release of additional Home Care Package funding (albeit for lower level places not the high-level as recommended).
The Government also created a package of initiatives to help reduce the use of physical and chemical restrain in aged care homes. This will be supported by further updates to legislation and the development of educational messaging for pharmacists, nurses and personal care workers, approved providers of residential aged care services and families and decision makers.
Lastly the Government strengthened the Younger People in Residential Aged Care (YPIRAC) targets and ensure the 2020-2025 strategies would prioritise:
- Preventing younger people from entering residential aged care;
- Supporting younger people to leave residential aged care; and
- Supporting younger people while they are in residential aged care.
With the final report from the RC set to be released in February of next year (2021), it is clear this only just skims the surface of what needs to happen next.
In the October 2020 Final Hearing, Senior Counsel Assisting Peter Gray QC and Peter Rozen QC, presented submissions on behalf of the Counsel Assisting team over two days. They submitted 124 recommendations for consideration that focussed on the apparent poor care, lack of staff and support and how difficult it can be for older Australian’s to speak up/complain.
Given so many of our countries aged consumers currently accessing or needing care are considered part of the ‘silent generation‘, Commissioner Briggs and the late Commission Tracey made a point of reassuring the Australian public that they would “drive [their] policy agenda beyond change at the margin to transformative change, given the degree of substandard care that was apparent to [them]”.
As a result, the 124 recommendations tackle (to name a few):
- A whole new Aged Care Act by 2023
- The development of an Australian Aged Care Commission, Aged Care Advisory Council, Australian Aged Care Pricing Authority and hiring of an Inspector-General of Aged Care
- Improved public awareness of aged care
- Urgent review of the Aged Care Quality Standards
- Increase in Award wages, the development of a national personal care worker registration schedule (like the NDIS) and mandatory minimum qualification for personal care workers
- Improved complaints management processes and many more.
Greater weight is also to be attached to the consumer experience, something providers have struggled with for many years. While Consumer Directed Care is not a new concept for any provider, the recent findings from the National Ageing Research Institute (NARI) show that the majority of residential and home care consumers feel their needs are “mostly” not met and levels of satisfaction are low as a result. This is something that ALL providers need to start thinking about NOW including the investment they need to make back in engagement and collaboration with consumers. For those larger providers with thousands of consumers receiving support Australia wide – this is likely a message for you!
Lastly, the RC hasn’t forgotten about those new organisations wishing to jump through the hoops to become a new approved provider. You get a special mention too. One of the final recommendations is to create new approval requirements for all aged care providers, meaning the process is likely to become even harder than it already is – and rightfully so.
With consumers so vulnerable and silent in nature they can’t afford for anyone to get this wrong, especially the Commission making the decision.
Steps Providers can take as a result of the Royal Commission in to Aged Care
While we will monitor the recommendations and what is presented formally, and subsequently accepted by the Government come February 2021; I would recommend that providers read through the initial 124 recommendations and start planning sooner than later. Focus on areas that are likely to be accepted by the Govt and those that will directly impact how you provide services.
Don’t wait for the next steps, plan for them now! Need Help? Schedule a Consult today.
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]]>The post Why Your Team Culture is Eating Your Strategy for Breakfast appeared first on Amergin.
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It’s no secret that without a business strategy, you don’t get results. Your strategy is your map to achieving your objectives and your vision. But here’s the thing – your team culture eats your strategy for breakfast.
Does that sound familiar? “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” was made famous by well-known management expert, Peter Drucker.
When you break it down, it means no matter how powerful your strategy is, its success relies on the people who deliver it.
When you have an engaged, high-performing team, your business thrives. Your team are aligned with the values and direction of your business and want to go the extra mile.
However, when your team is showing unhealthy signs, not only is your strategy impacted, so is your team morale, your client services and your bottom line.
The signs of an unhealthy team culture aren’t always obvious.
They can start off small – an under-performing team member isn’t making progress or poor client feedback is starting to become more regular. When you don’t have the right strategy to manage these, the problems can escalate.
There are five ways you can nip these issues in the bud and transform your team into a high-performing one.
To get started, download your free copy of our community sector playbook, Five ways to build an unstoppable team.
It will walk you through the mistakes to avoid and the changes you can start making today to build a high-performing team and accelerate results in your business.
And if like many businesses your strategy has taken a hit this year, or gone out the window, you can get your free 2020 Strategic Planning Guide to drive your business forward with certainty and clarity.
With a high performing team and a solid strategy, you’ll have a winning combo to charge into 2021 in full swing!
Where do I start?
If you want to get started on building a high performing team that are engaged and productive, you can download our Free eBook – Five Ways to Build An Unstoppable Team
Just click the link and enter your email address and we’ll send it to your inbox.
If your staff are disengaged or underperforming, you’re battling a tense work environment culture or you’re struggling with poor customer service, it’s a sign you may be dealing with an unhealthy team.
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]]>The post 4 Budget Conscious Tactics Community Service Organisations Can Implement Right Now appeared first on Amergin.
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It’s no secret that the events of 2020 have left many community service organisations scrambling to cover costs, maintain clients and future proof themselves all at the same time.
Unfortunately, this has seen many businesses – particularly those operating in the NDIS – having to operate on a skeleton budget or even in some instances, close down altogether. On the flip side of this, we’ve thankfully also seen a high percentage of organisations thriving through the limitations and restrictions that came about due to Covid-19.
So what exactly is the difference between the success of some community service organisations and others?
The simple answer? Planning. As a business owner myself, I’ve seen firsthand what incredible change and growth can come from effective business planning – not only from Amergin’s perspective, but from our clients’ as well. If you’re anything like I was 8 years ago, you might be sitting there right now thinking ‘What good is a day out of the office going to do me? I need to be present and ‘doing’ to measure my success.’ And to be perfectly honest, (and to what my colleagues can attest) this is simply not true.
What is true however, is that if you don’t take the time to strategically map out your pathway to success, it’s going to be a long and tumultuous ride. Even worse – you might end up spending a lot of money on ideas or initiatives that don’t offer any serious return on investment. And that’s where things can take a turn for the worse.
With all of that said and done, I’ve decided to put the proverbial pen to paper and share 4 budget conscious tactics you – as a business owner or manager operating in the community sector – can put in place from today (and for free!) to help prepare for unexpected circumstances.
01. Get out of the office
No, I’m not saying take the day off. I’m saying get yourself (and ideally your management team) out of your regular operational environment, and organise a strategic planning day. Whether it be from home, a co-working space, a coffee shop or even a local park, take the opportunity sooner rather than later to revisit exactly why you do what you do. Disconnecting yourself from your regular office environment will help you to remove distractions and allow you to put all of your focus on building (or reshaping) a strategy that will ultimately drive your business forward.
If you’ve not done this previously, or are looking for more structure to your current planning days, I strongly suggest adding our recent article about the importance of strategic planning in times of change and uncertainty to your reading list. There’s also a wonderful resource put together by our Social Impact Consulting (SIC) team available for download that just may be of some assistance!
SIC TIPSocial Impact Consultant Tips – Make it a habit. Quarterly strategic meetings and an annual meeting at the start of each year will help you to stay on track and refocus on goals and priorities previously set.
02. Learn about your clients
So, you’re noticing a decline in engagement when it comes to past and present clients. This is your opportunity to put yourself in their shoes. What are the problems clients are currently facing? Is the support you’re offering meeting these needs? In these times of change in particular – it’s important to remember that everyone is feeling the impact. While your organisation may be facing uncertainty it is important to understand that your clients are also experiencing similar, if not heightened, feelings of uncertainty and concern. This results in changes in their decision-making and how they may seek out or engage with your service. How is your business model responding to this?
By taking some time to learn more about your ideal clients and what drives their choice of provider, you can start shaping how you market your products or services to them. Some basic key areas to start looking at are:
How can you get this kind of information from your community service organisations’ data?
Whilst it may seem a bit difficult to understand how you can get access to this information on the surface, you likely already have some data to start analysing. Consider mapping each of your services alongside demographic information of clients that have engaged these services already. Do you notice any trends? Are there services you offer that haven’t had any uptake? How can you reshape that service to better fit the need of your clientele?
There are also certain online tools that you likely already have in place that can help you dig a little deeper. Think about things like Facebook business page interactions, Google analytics and Google Business Pages. The great underlying commonality between all of these online platforms is the data in which they collect – and make available – for you to use to start building out your customer personas.
SIC TIP Social Impact Consultant Tips – Start by looking at your existing customers and identifying trends within a database of people who have already made a purchase decision with your organisation.
03. Spend some quality time on your website
When’s the last time you sat down and had a critical look at your own website? I mean really sat down and reviewed every single page, every single form and every piece of content in detail? I’m going to take a quick stab in the dark and guess that it’s been quite some time.
In 2020, it’s simply not enough to just have a website. Instead, you need to be thinking of your website as one of your key lead generating tools. And just like anything else in your business – it needs to be nurtured and optimised so that it’s consistently operating at its full potential. If you have a website in place (you should!), taking some time now to conduct a full website audit is a simple way to start future proofing your business.
Start by putting yourself in your ideal customers’ shoes (See point 02) and asking yourself some of the following questions:
- Is the content easy to read and digestible?
- Is the core service offering easy to find?
- Does the messaging capture my attention?
- Do the visuals support the message?
- Is it easy to make an enquiry?
If you answered ‘No’ to any of these questions on any page of your website, change it. Now. Often, when we go through the process of designing and developing a website, it’s built from our own perspectives – what we think looks or sounds good – and not from the perspective of our customers’ needs. As we see more and more products and services move to the online space, it’s this kind of thinking that needs to change. What’s a more perfect time than now to take action?
SIC TIP Social Impact Consultant Tips – Get members of your family or other colleagues to review the website and provide feedback. You’ll be surprised how different people interpret different things both visually and written.
04. Take some time to reflect
Don’t forget your Feedback and Complaints register. Reviewing your register regularly will provide you with real insights from real clients, and thus help you to make decisions that shape your business for the better. It’s your opportunity to recognise staff members who have gone above and beyond by providing exceptional service, or on the flip side, it’s an opportunity to look at where improvements can be made. While on the surface, complaints can sometimes be difficult to hear (particularly when you feel like you’ve offered a high quality service), they provide an opportunity to learn and grow both personally for staff – and as a business. Ask yourself the following:
- What could we have done better in this situation?
- Do staff need more training in this particular area?
- Was the complaint handled sufficiently?
- Do you we need to look at improving our processes?
- Have we been in contact with the person who made the complaint?
Taking this approach for both compliments and complaints will ensure you continually provide a best practice service, empowering your staff and reminding your clients why they decided to choose you in the first place.
SIC TIP Social Impact Consultant Tips – Set up a Google My Business page and enable the reviews functionality. This is a great, easy way for clients to leave public reviews and provides a public platform for you to respond directly.
The most important thing community service organisations can do now through these times of change and uncertainty is to keep going. Step back, take in the bigger picture and start taking action on the things you can change, to help get you through the things that you can’t.
Where do I start?
If you want to get started on refining your vision and develop a Strategic Plan to drive your business forward, you can download our Free 2020 Strategic Planning Guide for Community Businesses
Just click the link and enter your email address and we’ll send it to your inbox.
It’s specifically tailored for community businesses who want to move forward and need a plan to get there. It will help set your priorities and goals to reach your Vision and navigate change so you don’t feel held back.
The post 4 Budget Conscious Tactics Community Service Organisations Can Implement Right Now appeared first on Amergin.
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Julia Cameron once wrote, ‘we need to bridge our sense of loneliness and disconnection with a sense of community and continuity even if we must manufacture it from our time on the Web and our use of calling cards to connect long distance. We must “log on” somewhere, and if it is only in cyberspace, that is still far better than nowhere at all’. Who would have thought something written a decade ago would resinate so much today?
While we might be feeling disconnected to people and the world around us, we should remember that we are not alone, and we are all connected together deep down, we just need to “log on” somewhere and find it. So, what are some way you can “log on”?
First let’s start with a connection through technology, which once upon a time used to seem so impersonal and disengaging to people.
By now most of us would be using video calling (like facetime) and social media (like Facebook) to chat and see people when you physically cannot. Which is a great way to check in on someone and visually see their expressions to know if they’re going okay. But have you thought outside the box and considered, having an online game night, a Netflix movie party, taking an online class together or even put on a virtual fashion show/karaoke? The next time you’re planning on connecting with someone online, make it unique and try something different. You might find that by doing that something extra besides a message/video call brings you closer together and you’ll remember and look back on this time more fondly. Especially if you sung horrendously in your lounge room to your grandparents during your virtual karaoke night.
Now for some non-technology connecting, which can be considered “old-fashioned” but can be an unexpected way to connect with friends, family or strangers.
Of course, the first and probably one of the best things is a handwritten letter to someone, even if it’s just a few words. To change this up, in your letter send someone a hug. Put down a large piece of paper (or maybe a few glued together), lay your back down with your arms stretched out and draw the outline of you onto the paper. Get up and cut your outline out and fill the inside with photos, memories, jokes and anything you want. Fold it up and send it to your friend or family and when they open it up, they can wrap your arms around them. Add in an instant heat pack, to make it a warm hug.
Other things you can do, is send someone a care package, drop a book/movie off with your review for them to read/watch it, do a random act of kindness, join the kindness pandemic, participate in the neighbourhood bear hunt or grab some chalk and draw positive pictures/words along the footpath or driveway.
There are so many things you can do to stay connected with others around and far away, so get creative and “log on” in any way you can to make lasting memories to think fondly over this time.
Also here are some reminders: stay connected with staff, support clients well-being, connect with seniors.
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Community Organisation Strategic Planning keeps you moving forward. It’s your secret weapon for charging ahead when you’re faced with disruption and uncertainty.
But knowing how to create a Strategic Plan that genuinely works is challenging.
You can spend your precious time and hard work creating a Strategic Plan, only to find it sits on a shelf, collecting dust, because it doesn’t translate into real deliverable actions or doesn’t quite get you to where you want to be. It can leave you feeling disappointed and like it’s been a waste of time.
How to Create Your Community Organisations’ Strategic Plan
There is a way to create a Strategic Plan that translates into the growth you’re working so hard for. It just needs to cover 3 key ingredients.
We’re going to break down the first one – it’s the one that can often be missed and it’s the foundation to a solid plan.
Refining your Vision, Mission and Values
Your Vision, Mission and Values are the fundamentals to your Strategy. They give everyone a shared direction and purpose, and your people know what your business stands for.
When you have a clear Vision, Mission and Values, you can develop a Strategic Plan with the specific priorities and goals that get you to your destination.
So, if you already have a Vision, Mission and Values, why refine them?
When it comes to creating a Vision, most businesses think about their Vision through the lens of their organisation, but they may not think about how it meets the needs of the sector they operate in or the clients they serve.
Your best Vision is where the needs of your business, the community services sector and your clients overlap.
When you refine your Vision so that it reflects what your business is capable of and how it meets the needs of the community sector and your clients, you can drive forward with clarity on what makes you unique, and how you can share this with the very people who need your help.
Your Mission and Values should align with your refined Vision so you may need to revisit these too.
Where do I start?
If you want to get started on refining your vision and develop a Strategic Plan to drive your business forward, you can download our Free 2020 Strategic Planning Guide for Community Businesses
Just click the link and enter your email address and we’ll send it to your inbox.
It’s specifically tailored for community businesses who want to move forward and need a plan to get there. It will help set your priorities and goals to reach your Vision and navigate change so you don’t feel held back.
The post Community Organisation Strategic Planning: Could You Be Missing This Key Ingredient? appeared first on Amergin.
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