WESTERN AUSTRALIAN community services group, United WA, has been able to improve staff safety and significantly reduce costs with a major mobile phone systems overhaul through Macquarie Telecom, after "hitting breaking point' with two tier one telcos".

Macquarie Telecom, part of Macquarie Telecom Group (ASX: MAQ), announced it had simplified Uniting WA’s mobile services, reducing costs by more than 60 percent and providing improved support at a time when the organisation was more dependent on its mobile services and data than ever before.

Uniting WA is a Western Australian not-for-profit organisation that provides a range of vital community services. These include support for mental health, disability, homelessness, housing, financial counselling, and re-entry to society for prisoners. 

Following years of poor service and erratic costs from two tier one telcos, which rendered mobiles a heavy burden, Uniting WA realised it needed to reduce costs and find a new provider. 

Issues for Uniting WA included mobile costs growing at an unsustainable level, poor support, outdated services and unexpected billing spikes.

The not-for-profit switched its mobility services to Macquarie Telecom, which was able to reduce mobile spend by more than 60 percent by creating a shared data pool between staff, to share data without bill spikes and provide real-time access to data and call usage to help Uniting WA more effectively manage resources.

“It became clear we had become just a number to our two former telco providers,” Uniting WA principal practice lead, Luke McNiece said.

“There was zero account management and no local support, and we didn’t have the resources in house to manage our mobile services," he said. "With Macquarie that all changed – the NPS score was telling and it truly exceeded expectations and almost instantly slashed our mobile costs while improving reliability and management.”

MOBILES KEEP STAFF SAFER

The organisation’s need to maintain a reliable mobility service is greater than most – many staff work with potentially high-risk members of the community through Uniting WA’s services. Many staff use the Safe Haven app, which allows them to activate an SOS if in a dangerous situation.

“Most organisations are more reliant than ever on their mobiles in the current climate, but for us they’re an essential part of how we keep our people safe, no matter what. Knowing that our mobile services are now in safe, reliable hands gives us great comfort,” Mr McNiece said.

Uniting WA will also consider additional services such as network infrastructure, SD-WAN and cloud with Macquarie, following the success of the mobile overhaul. The organisation has transitioned non-essential staff to working from home due to COVID-19 restrictions and is looking at implementing long-term work-from-home (WFH) capabilities for those staff.

“Sometimes you don’t realise how low down the pecking order you are with a telco until you decide to make a change,” Macquarie Telecom group executive, Luke Clifton said.

“Most of these providers don’t have the ability or willingness to provide any decent support to mid-sized companies and the results are telling. Our business has literally been built on doing the opposite and doing it locally, and the impact is clear in organisations like Uniting WA that can instantly gain such significant benefits.”

www.unitingwa.org.au

www.macquarietelecom.com

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By Leon Gettler >>

ST JOHN AMBULANCE, like many Australian organisations, has had to deal with the recent social isolation of its people. In the case of St John Ambulance, the question was how to keep its 130 volunteers engaged.

The strategy employed could be a lesson for other Australian businesses.

St John Ambulance used technology to support its 130 strong team of volunteers to remain connected and engaged with the organisation during this period of strict social distancing. 

This is a critical component for the organisation as it relies on a team of volunteers who are engaged to support the community. 

The Granville Division of St John Ambulance exists to support its local health services with first aid support and services, and equipping individuals, families, and workplaces with high quality equipment. The team also has a critical role in major incidents – such as COVID-19 – where they will work alongside emergency services in times of need. 

Specifically it used the Qualtrics Remote Work Pulse in Sydney, an automated pre-built survey that enables employers to gather vital information about its employees in near real time.

SYSTEMS MAKE THE DIFFERENCE

Didier Moutia, the commissioner of St John Ambulance Australia (NSW), said the Qualtrics Remote Work Pulse technology delivered results and kept the team engaged. But much of it was also due to the systems that St John Ambulance already had in place.

“When this happened we had to look at alternative ways to provide contact with our members and also provide that social outreach to members so we looked to technology as a potential to solve that issue,” Mr Moutia told Talking Business

He said the Qualtrics’ Remote Work Pulse was used to reach out to all its volunteers and it was done in a confidential way that allowed the organisation to understand how they were tracking.

The survey is sent out to volunteers every Monday and asks them some simple questions: how are they feeling, what’s contributing to that feeling, and if there is anything St John Ambulance could do to help them, whether it was a physical requirement, such as helping to get their shopping, or whether it was a social or member welfare requirement, such as having someone contact them, or include them in social activities online.

“So it’s really just an ability for us on a week to week basis to monitor the membership, but on an individual basis, to be able to see what people are doing and what we can help them with,” he said.  

“The challenge with volunteers and any people in a group is we can ask them collectively how they’re going and they will say okay, however, what often happens is people will suffer in silence,” Mr Moutia said.

“But when you do reach out to them, our experience with this particular product is we get real feedback from people, particularly those who are struggling or who would otherwise not put their hand up or to offer that in a public forum.”

He said some of members had struggled with the social isolation aspects.

There had also been volunteers who had lost their jobs or family members to coronavirus.

When certain responses are elicited in the survey, an email is sent to leaders like Mr Moutia.

St John has an extensive peer support and chaplaincy program and leaders can engage those services for the volunteers.

He said it has well received by the volunteers who have remained totally engaged in a challenging time for everyone.

www.stjohnnsw.com.au

www.leongettler.com

Hear the complete interview and catch up with other topical business news on Leon Gettler’s Talking Business podcast, released every Friday at www.acast.com/talkingbusiness. 

THE Hornsby-Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter is calling for greater collaboration between medical centres, hospitals, emergency services, pharmacists, mental health professionals and domestic violence services to cope with an expected surge in demand from women facing abuse or homelessness, throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

President of the Hornsby-Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter, Louise McCann said women at risk were especially vulnerable during this critical period of safe social distancing and isolation.

“Social distancing and isolation throughout COVID-19 means vulnerable women in our community face greater barriers to accessing help,” Ms McCann said. 

“It’s critical that at this time that health professionals and domestic violence service providers work together to ensure women have access to the vital support services they need.” 

Ms McCann said HKWS is launching an awareness campaign to reach out to local and regional health professionals and services to inform them about the essential services HKWS can offer their patients.

“Women turn to doctors and nurses in emergency, often suffering critical injuries. However, health professionals often don’t know where to refer their patients after they have been treated,” Ms McCann said.

“HKWS has dedicated Shelter professionals on hand, delivering comprehensive case management programs to women in need, assisting them to get their lives back on track.”

PREPARING FOR SURGE IN VIOLENCE

Ms McCann said the Shelter, along with health professionals, was preparing for a surge in domestic violence as a consequence of COVID-19.

HKWS, as part of the Women’s Community Shelters network, is preparing for a potential 30 percent increase in demand for support services because of COVID-19.

“Fear of uncertainty, job loss and financial stress are key risks that could lead to an increase in domestic violence,” Ms McCann said.

HKWS housed 58 clients last year, but was forced to turn away 105 women because of a lack of resources.

HKWS is seeking pro bono assistance from health providers including psychologists or counsellors who can provide services digitally.

“HKWS is expanding our outreach services to help more women in need during this difficult period,” Ms McCann said. 

“As part of this we are extending the provision of mental health support, which is even more important at this time.”

Ms McCann said Hornsby-Ku-ring-gai Women’s Shelter aims to provide temporary supported accommodation for women in times crisis such as homelessness and/or domestic violence.

Women stay at the shelter for up to three months and are allocated specialist caseworkers who support them to assist necessary legal, health, employment and financial services. Women who cannot be housed can access out outreach program.

www.hkws.org.au

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COLES has announced it will donate extra food and groceries to the retail value of $1 million a week "to help Australians who are facing hardship as a result of the coronavirus".

The food donations will be directed to food relief organisations, Foodbank and SecondBite, which will in turn distribute the food to up to 3800 community food programs across Australia. 

Coles Group CEO Steven Cain said the decision to increase Coles’ food donations was in response to increasing demand for food relief from vulnerable Australians.

"For many years, we have donated surplus edible food from our supermarkets and distribution centres but sadly we are hearing that an increasing number of people in our community are facing particularly tough times as a flow-on effect of the Coronavirus,” Mr Cain said.

“We hope that by donating an additional $1 million in food each week to SecondBite and Foodbank, we can help get food and essentials to people who are especially vulnerable at this unprecedented time.

“It goes to the heart of our strategy which is to feed all Australians and help them lead healthier, happier lives.”

The announcement comes just days after Coles introduced a dedicated Community Hour at its supermarkets to improve access to essential groceries for the elderly and disadvantaged during the period of unprecedented demand.

Community Hour is held on weekdays from 7am to 8am in all Coles supermarkets, with access exclusively for customers who hold a government-issued Pensioner Concession Card, Seniors Health Card, Companion Card, Seniors Card, Disability Card or Health Care Card.

SecondBite CEO Jim Mullan welcomed the additional food donations.

“A key issue for us at the moment is keeping up with the growing demand," Mr Mullan said. "Coles currently donates surplus food from around 780 supermarkets and these additional donations from its distribution centres will help us to reach an increasing number of people in need."

Foodbank CEO Brianna Casey said the combination of drought, bushfires and coronavirus had placed unprecedented pressure on the charity’s food supplies.

“We are already assisting 815,000 people a month, but the need for food relief is skyrocketing at a time when donations of essential food and groceries are reducing," Ms Casey said.

"The additional donations from Coles will help ensure Foodbank can bolster its supplies to ensure vulnerable Australians can continue to be assisted."

www.colesgroup.com.au

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