Community service organisations rarely operate with the latest technology. Restricted by funding limitations, not-for-profits like Anglicare often rely on older, less efficient systems to manage client-based administration.
In a people-focused industry, this is more than a technology issue. Time spent navigating administrative processes is time that can’t be spent supporting people.
That’s why we are thrilled to have been selected for a Financial Counselling Industry Fund (FCIF) Innovation Seed Grant to develop a new, digital Client Engagement System at Anglicare.
The project, led by Anglicare Financial Counsellor Ron Sharma, secured $77,000 in funding toward the new system and was one of just 10 projects nationally selected for funding through the FCIF initiative.
Drawing on Anglicare’s more than 20 years of experience delivering free and confidential financial counselling, the Client Engagement System aims to strengthen how people access and engage with support.
The system will bring appointment bookings, reminders, follow-up communications, wellbeing checks and client feedback into a single streamlined workflow. Integrated with Outlook calendars, it will allow for controlled online bookings, automated reminders and structured follow-up when appointments are missed.
By reducing administrative work and improving communication, the pilot aims to create a more consistent and accessible experience for clients while helping Financial Counsellors better manage their workload.
“Financial counselling often supports people during some of the most stressful periods of their lives,” Ron said.
“This project is about making it easier for people to connect with support and ensuring we have effective ways to stay engaged with clients when they need us most.”
One of the key features of the new system is its ability to prompt wellbeing checks when a client disengages from support. Early testing has already highlighted the value of this feature.
Financial counselling clients are often navigating multiple challenges at once, including family violence, housing insecurity, health issues, relationship breakdown, and unemployment. For some, these pressures can make it difficult to stay engaged with support services, even when they need them most.
One client, a single mother, had disengaged from the service after repeatedly missing appointments. Several weeks later, she received an automated wellbeing check asking whether she was okay and reminding her that support was still available whenever she was ready.
The message prompted her to reconnect with the Financial Counselling team. With their advocacy, guidance and ongoing support, she was able to sustain her tenancy and build a pathway towards greater financial stability.
Stories like this demonstrate the potential of the Client Engagement System. With demand for financial counselling continuing to grow, staff are not always able to personally follow up with every client who misses an appointment. Automated wellbeing checks provide another opportunity to reconnect people with support, helping ensure vulnerable clients do not slip through the cracks.
The pilot will evaluate whether a centralised client engagement approach can improve appointment attendance, increase service utilisation, strengthen outcome measurement and support client wellbeing through timely follow-up.
The system will also provide richer data about the types of support people are seeking and the barriers they face. This will help Anglicare better understand emerging community needs, identify service trends and use evidence to inform future service planning and advocacy.
If successful, the project could position Anglicare for the next stage of FCIF funding and contribute to the development of a model that can be shared across Anglicare’s range of services—and more broadly across the financial counselling sector.
Most importantly, it represents an investment in more efficient systems that give staff back valuable time, allowing them to focus less on administration and more on supporting people facing financial hardship. By improving engagement, strengthening outcome tracking, and building a clearer understanding of community need, the project has the potential to deliver lasting benefits for both clients and the wider sector.
To learn more about these services, visit our Financial Wellbeing page.
