The HR power behind a staffing solutions business dedicated to helping

The We Care Staffing Solutions story began in 2012 when a husband-and-wife team identified a need, and to meet it, created an organisation dedicated to providing quality healthcare services and emergency staff to different healthcare providers across Australia.

Armed with decades of nursing experience and determination to meet the significant increase in demand for care services in the country, We Care Staffing Solutions now has between 900-1800 staff working across four Australian States and Territories. The team provide critical health services and support to clients, and partners with over 200 reputable organisations to provide care services ranging from in-home care to aged care.

Under the steady leadership of Corporate Growth Manager, Benjamin Fernandes, he’s been able to direct the business towards understanding the delicate relationship between employee and employer and, with the help of Citation HR, streamlining its people management. Here, we discuss his experience with our company.

When people are your business, you need to be the best at people management

There’s no grey area when it comes to employment law; it only takes one mistake to be non-compliant, and with Australia’s industrial relations landscape undergoing its biggest changes in over a decade, businesses have a lot to stay on top of. We Care Staffing Solutions shared the same compliance concerns as any other, but what made all the difference to them was having the right processes and support structures in place. Having Citation HR in the care business’s corner was critical to helping them manage a large workforce compliantly across various states and jurisdictions.

Benjamin says: “Being a nursing agency providing services to National Aged Care and other partnered providers is only half our business. The other half is providing direct care and support to participants via the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), Supported Independent Living (SIL), Insurances (TAC/Workcover), the Veterans Home Care program (VHC) and other direct care.”

“Our employee base ranges from registered and clinical nurses and personal care attendants to food safety attendants and domestic assistance – we offer our clients the full spectrum of health care services.”

“Because of this vast blend of work, our staff’s skills, knowledge, and location vary from state to state, meaning that we need to be on top of our compliance everywhere our employees are.”

Searched for HR excellence and commitment: found reliability, accountability, and respect

When We Care Staffing Solutions began looking to invest in the right people management solution to stay ahead of workplace laws, they also wanted to ensure their business values aligned with any providers they partnered with.

Benjamin told us more about the company’s values and how they aligned with Citation HR’s: “We pride ourselves on being friendly and dependable, and this directly translates into our values of quality care, respect, reliability, accountability, excellence, and commitment. And we found these values mirrored in our partnership with Citation HR.”

Shifting to the company’s position in 2020, Benjamin explained how choosing an HR provider would support the company’s strategic goals. “The onset of the global pandemic impacted our business overnight, but having built a solid foundation and invested in the groundwork, we were able to scale up as we rode a wave of good organic growth.

“Our rapid growth during this time helped us realise that we needed to find HR experts to support our team in managing everything from recruitment and onboarding to performance management and termination. Finding that support in Citation HR has helped us take our business to the next level with their cloud-based HRIS management software, and we can manage our people at every stage of the employee lifecycle.

“From identifying and recording WHS incidents and potential risks to securely storing critical staff data and accessing legally compliant workflows and checklists, we’ve got everything we need at the click of a button to help us get our HR and WHS processes right every time.

“It was just the other day that I was urgently searching for an employee’s phone number, and after searching through emails and contacts, I realised that everything was inside our Citation HR Software – it took me all of a minute to find what I was looking for – it’s this type of accessibility and functionality that keeps us going back to Citation HR and the services it provides our business,” Benjamin says.

24/7 HR advice and safety support are always a phone call away

“The reassurance having access to Citation HR’s 24/7 HR & Safety Advice Line gives our team is invaluable; not only does it give our team the peace of mind to do our jobs with confidence but also the guarantee that we have experts in our corner whatever the question or situation.

“Whether we just need to confirm something or if we think there’s a bigger problem on our hands, we know that we’ll get an expert on the line every time and that we’re getting industry-leading guidance and advice,” Benjamin says.

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 business owners, employers, and HR managers the peace of mind they need to get back to what really matters – running their business.

Citation HR’s industry-leading HRIS software not only keeps critical data and sensitive information safe and secure; it also houses a wealth of legal IP created and vetted by experienced workplace relations experts helping businesses of every shape and size to work smarter and faster with best-practice processes.

Start your journey with Citation HR today and make the most of our industry-leading HRIS management system, 24/7 telephone support and expert advice to help you identify any areas for improvement and stay compliant.