How Platinum Support Australia Keeps 65 Staff Connected Across 7 Homes

“There’s a lot of communication that needs to be given between our staff. It is definitely a good tool in our company.”

Laura McGuinness, Human Resources Manager

Key Results

• 94% average read rate on company updates. 59 to 63 out of 63 staff members open and view every announcement sent through Connecteam
• Zero Facebook Messenger. Personal accounts are no longer used for work communication, giving staff a clear boundary between work and personal life
• Staff connected across seven homes. House leaders post shift updates, medication notes, and open shifts in real time, reaching the entire team instantly

The Challenge: Personal Apps Were the Only Communication Option

With 65 staff spread across seven care homes, the team had no dedicated platform to share shift updates, report maintenance issues, or send company-wide announcements. All communication ran through Facebook Messenger, using personal accounts.

1. Staff could not mute work notifications without also silencing personal messages, creating constant disruption outside working hours
2. Sensitive information, including photos of participants in their homes, was being shared over a platform with no access controls
3. There was no single channel for rostering requests, maintenance issues, and company updates, leaving communication fragmented across different threads

“Employees were uncomfortable using personal Messenger accounts for work, especially since work notifications mixed with family and personal messages.”

Laura McGuinness, Human Resources Manager

How Platinum Support Australia Uses Connecteam to Keep a Dispersed Care Team Connected

Connecteam replaced Facebook Messenger as the single communication platform for all 65 staff members. The rollout was fast and adoption was strong from day one.

1. House-specific chat channels give each home team a private space to share updates, photos, and shift handover notes
2. The Updates feature is used for company-wide announcements, with read receipts showing exactly who has seen each message
3. Two dedicated help desks handle rostering requests and maintenance reports, routing each inquiry directly to the right person

“Our goal is to keep everything in one platform so there is just this history log you can go back to, and the team is not confused about how they communicate with us.”

Laura McGuinness, Human Resources Manager

Results That Affect Platinum Support Australia’s Bottom Line

Communication That Reaches the Whole Team, Every Time

• Updates regularly reach 60 to 63 out of 63 staff members, confirming near-total engagement across the organisation
• House leaders use chat channels to post open shifts when someone calls in sick, giving the entire team a chance to pick up the shift immediately
• Admin staff with full channel access can monitor every house chat without contacting each house leader individually, giving leadership a clear view of daily operations

A Platform Staff Actually Trust

• Staff now share photos of participants, outings, and daily moments within house chats, knowing the platform restricts downloads and outside access
• The Events feature is used to organise monthly whole-team meetups, building a sense of community across staff who rarely share a shift
• Staff view Connecteam as more approachable than enterprise tools like Microsoft Teams, which drives higher daily usage and consistent engagement

“Staff feel more comfortable to share photos and things like that. They actually share that with their team in that thread so that the whole team can kind of celebrate together. And I think they feel a lot more comfortable doing that knowing that it’s locked down.”

Laura McGuinness, Human Resources Manager

Before vs. After Connecteam

Why Connecteam Was the Right Move

For an NDIS provider with staff working independently across multiple homes, including overnight shifts, reliable communication is essential. Facebook Messenger made it difficult to separate work from personal communication, maintain a clear record of updates, and give leadership consistent visibility across all seven sites. Connecteam brought those workflows into one dedicated platform that staff adopted quickly.