Case Study: Enhancing volunteer management across community and aged care programs | Anglicare Sydney

Introduction

Executive summary

Anglicare, a leading provider in the aged care sector, faced growing operational challenges caused by fragmented volunteer management processes and the introduction of stricter regulatory requirements under the Aged Care Reform Act.

By implementing Rosterfy, Anglicare centralised volunteer operations, automated previously manual compliance processes, and enhanced the overall volunteer experience. The solution enabled the organisation to strengthen operational efficiency, improve compliance readiness, and remain proactive in an increasingly complex and evolving regulatory environment.

The Challenge

Fragmented Systems and Manual Processes

Before implementing Rosterfy, Anglicare relied on disconnected HR systems and manual, paper-based processes that limited efficiency and increased administrative burden.

• Limited functionality: Existing HR systems were not nuanced to support the specific requirements of volunteer management.
• Data silos: Volunteer Coordinators faced restricted system access, often relying on administrative staff to retrieve basic volunteer contact information.
• Manual onboarding: Recruitment processes depended on fillable PDFs, handwritten forms, and manual data entry, creating delays and inefficiencies.
• Compliance risks: Police and property check renewals were tracked manually through downloaded reports and individual follow-up emails, increasing the risk of missed renewals and compliance gaps.

The Solution: centralisation and automation

Anglicare selected Rosterfy for its ability to support modern volunteer management while meeting evolving compliance requirements.

Key solution outcomes included:

• Unified platform: Consolidated multiple systems and spreadsheets into a single source of truth.
• Automated compliance: Introduced automated workflows and 30, 60, and 90-day expiry notifications for critical checks.
• Self-service functionality: Enabled volunteers to securely manage and update their own information, reducing administrative effort and duplicate handling.
• Australian data hosting: Ensured all data remained stored within Australia to meet strict organisational security and compliance requirements.

Key outcomes and benefits

1. Significant time savings

The transition to Rosterfy has eliminated the operational inefficiencies and administrative burdens that previously frustrated the team:

• Compliance checks: Saving at least 2 hours per month on property and police check management.
• Volunteer onboarding: Saving approximately 30 minutes per day per person by eliminating manual data entry for new recruits.

2. Enhanced volunteer experience

Volunteers now benefit from a centralised profile where they can:

• View all available roles across different business units (e.g., residential care, op shops).
• Complete required training directly within the platform.
• Log in using personal emails rather than complex staff ID numbers.

3. Meeting regulatory standards

The Aged Care Reform Act introduced strict compliance demands that were highly challenging to manage manually. Rosterfy allows Anglicare to:

• Easily track new requirements, such as the Aged Care Banning Act training.
• Manage specific checks for specialised programs, such as NDIS clearances.
• Pull comprehensive reports from a single program to demonstrate compliance.

Advice for the Sector

Anglicare Volunteer Services, offers four key pieces of advice to other organisations considering a similar digital transformation.

1. Consult Early and Often: Engage stakeholders throughout discovery, planning, and ongoing check-ins to ensure alignment and informed decision-making. 
2. Prioritise Planning: Do not rush the ‘go-live’. Provide ample time for change management and testing to set realistic expectations for staff and volunteers.
3. Centralise Everything: Moving to a system where ‘everything is there- all in one’ is essential for efficiency and scaling in the modern aged care environment.
4. Flexibility: Each program has unique requirements, so it’s important to balance standardised processes with adaptable approaches that address specific needs.