Keeping HR healthy at Country to Coast PHN

Primary Health Networks (PHN) are a group of independent organisations funded by the Australian Government to coordinate primary health care solutions within that region.

There are currently 31 PHN’s across the nation which provide tailored and coordinated health care services to people in their region, based upon the specific requirements of the community.

With a goal to improve the health of the population and increase equal access to health services, PHN’s play a pivotal role in keeping people, particularly those who are isolated and in rural areas, healthy.

So, when it came to Country to Coast Queensland PHN (CCQ) searching for an HR provider to assist the organisation with its people management obligations, it was an easy decision for CEO Julie Sturgess to make.

Deep understanding of the Primary Health Network

When stepping aboard as CEO at CCQ in 2022, Julie was met with the challenge of needing to review the organisation’s structure to ensure that the organisation was best placed to meet its strategic objectives.

This is an experience which is not unique to CCQ, and a reality of many PHN’s which have been challenged by COVID and the evolving needs of the community.

The consideration and process of “rightsizing” the organisation was an experience that required a deep understanding of the PHN sector and its evolving needs over time, together with deep experience in implementing organisational review, change management and restructuring processes.

Previous experience and deep trust set the foundation

Understanding the need for change, Julie sought a support solution to evaluate and implement the restructuring project, while having the ability to become a long-term embedded trusted partner.

Against this background, Julie engaged Citation HR. Having previously engaged Citation HR while leading another PHN Julie knew that Citation HR would be an ideal partner to support CCQ.

Julie says that what led her to choose Citation HR (again) was the great experience she had when previously engaging with Citation HR, as well as forming a close working relationship with Head of Workplace Relations & Enterprise Solutions, Wes O’Donnell.

“To me, our partnership with Citation HR demonstrates the value of having an independent resource supporting all our HR needs. I’m pleased to say my managers are using Citation HR as an ongoing resource so that they don’t make risky decisions on their own, uninformed, which might land them in bad places. By using Citation HR, our managers are able to be nimbler in responding to workplace relations matters in a compliant fashion. By engaging with Citation HR, we have also found that the people management capability of our individual managers is being developed and supported,” Julie says.

Having supported the initial rightsizing project, Citation HR has continued to support CCQ with its core service when it comes to:

• Auditing its people management operations and organisational structure of CCQ;
• Addressing the matters identified within the audit process;
• Implementing a cloud-based HRIS software solution to support HR processes;
• Providing access to qualified experts via the 24/7 HR Advice Line;
• Case managing significant people management processes;
• Utilising Citation HR’s Flying Team of professionals to deliver ad hoc projects;
• Implementing e-learning training modules on key employment law requirements; and
• Providing peace of mind with the protection of the Citation HR Advice Promise.

“Citation HR gives us the responsiveness, and expertise that we need, for a cost that we could not replicate internally” Julie says. “People know that they can ring and get expert support quickly. That becomes a default process that gives security for me around our people management activities. Citation HR was very supportive in our transition into a new way of managing our people. I like things that transition smoothly and become a new way of doing business”.

Bespoke people management solutions

CCQ’s experience demonstrates Citation HR’s experience in, and understanding of, the PHN sector.

Despite this experience, our success is dependent upon structuring a bespoke people management solution that is responsive to the particular needs of the organisation, which, as in the case with CCQ, will evolve and develop over time to ensure that we continue to add value as an embedded partner in delivering contemporary people management solutions.

“The support we have had from Citation HR during our restructure program has been outstanding. Having a dedicated industrial support means it has taken a lot of the emotion out of a restructuring project that needed to happen, allowing us to put in a process-driven approach.

Having completed that project we continue to receive excellent ongoing support and value from Citation HR.

“I’m pretty much a fan. I recommend Citation HR to a lot of people as well. I wouldn’t do that if I didn’t think it was a great solution which is particularly aligned with the needs and challenges of the PHN sector” – Julie Sturgess, CEO

Streamline your people management and easily manage your compliance

We know that staying on top of compliance and people management can be a time-consuming, admin-heavy task for businesses in every industry – and this is where having a complete, compliant, and cost-effective HR solution can give organisations the peace of mind they need to get back to what really matters – running their organisation.

Ready to take your HR to the next level? Get in touch with a friendly team member at Citation HR today.