Standing Out with a 24/7 On-Call Function in Your NDIS Business

As the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) continues to grow and evolve, NDIS providers are constantly seeking ways to enhance their services and stand out from the competition. One effective strategy that can give your NDIS business a significant advantage is establishing a 24/7 on-call function. However, achieving round-the-clock support can be a daunting task for many organizations due to the associated costs and logistical challenges. This is where offshoring can offer a solution. In this blog post, we will explore the advantages of offshoring for NDIS providers, specifically focusing on how it enables the establishment of a 24/7 on-call function.

What exactly is a On-Call function?

Having an “On-Call” team can mean different things to different providers. For some, this is the out of hours rostering function, so that staff can call in sick and shifts can be filled in general. For others, “On-Call” means a phone number that the staff can call in the event of an emergency. An emergency could be a participant absconding, self-harming, or any form of incident outside of office hours. Finally, “On-Call” can mean a phone number that participants can call to seek counsel or assistance. For NDIS participants with psychosocial and complex needs, this can be crucial.

Ultimately “On-Call” can cover all these things. Whichever variation applies to your business, offshoring is a relevant thing to consider.

Cost Efficiency and Scalability

One of the primary advantages of offshoring for NDIS providers is the cost efficiency it brings. By outsourcing certain functions or processes to offshore locations, businesses can significantly reduce labour costs. Offshore destinations often offer competitive labour rates compared to onshore options, allowing NDIS providers to allocate their budget more effectively and redirect resources towards other critical areas of the business.

Moreover, offshoring provides scalability. As the demand for NDIS services increases, it becomes essential to have the capacity to handle a higher volume of inquiries and support requests. By leveraging offshore resources, you can easily scale up the workforce based on the fluctuating needs of your business. This flexibility ensures that you have sufficient personnel available to provide round-the-clock on-call support to your clients.

Expanded Service Hours

Establishing a 24/7 on-call function for your NDIS business demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and accessibility. Offshoring allows you to extend your service hours beyond regular business hours, ensuring that clients can reach your organization at any time of the day or night. This round-the-clock availability is particularly beneficial for individuals with disabilities or their caregivers who may require immediate assistance or have urgent concerns.

By providing 24/7 support, you enhance your reputation as a reliable and customer-centric NDIS provider. This competitive advantage can differentiate your business from others and attract more clients who value accessibility and responsiveness.

The Rostering Function

SIL providers often provide 24/7 care for their participants, which means having around 5-7 support workers allocated to each participant. The impact of this is complex rostering. It is only natural that staff will call in sick or have periods of being unavailable. The problem is painfully felt by SIL providers when people call in sick out-of-hours. Management can be either difficult or impossible to get hold of and it is laborious (to say the least!) to do the “call around” to all your staff as one scrambles to get the shift covered! This is where the value of having an offshore and out-of-hours rostering team available enters.

For an in-depth analysis of the rostering function specifically – see our blog here.

Support your Staff

Support Workers are understandably stressed when a participant absconds, gets injured, or must go to hospital. Unfortunately, this can be a common occurrence for participants with complex needs.

Having an offshore team member highly trained in de-escalation techniques and the individual Behaviour Support Plans (BSPs) of participants can be indispensable. In the heat of the moment support workers can forget the recommended strategies of the BSP and need support themselves. Having ran a SIL business myself, I know just how much the support workers need a coach to calm them down and to guide them on the next course of action. The good news is that the office hours staff can sleep soundly if they know they have a competent colleague there to support both staff and participants.

Offshoring offers numerous advantages for NDIS providers looking to establish a 24/7 on-call function. By leveraging offshore resources, NDIS businesses can achieve cost efficiency, scalability, expanded service hours, access to global talent, and a renewed focus on core competencies. These benefits not only enhance the quality of services provided to NDIS participants but also position your business as a leader in the industry. Embracing offshoring can be a transformative step towards standing out in a competitive market and meeting the evolving needs of the NDIS community.

About the Author

Chris Hall is an NDIS Business Coach and experienced NDIS executive. Chris helps providers scale through Sales and Marketing at his business, Peak Provider. Find out about his Masterclass events and 8 Week Growth Program at this website: https://peakprovider.com.au/