Giving St John of God Horizon House more time for the people in their care.

We are using our newly freed-up time to extend into the community and reach more people. So there's a social dividend too.

Woolworths at Work gave St John of God Outreach Services more time to help young people in their care

Choosing the right grocery supplier can benefit an organisation in unexpected ways. More connected teams, more time to look after people in your care, and a social dividend aren’t obvious benefits of a new grocery supplier, but Woolworths at Work is a little different.
In the care sector there is a human cost to time-consuming processes and unreliable suppliers. Staff are unable to give the people in their care their full attention if they are continually bogged down in manual invoicing and managing deliveries.

At Woolworths at Work, we pride ourselves on being a reliable supplier and a dedicated partner. Our role isn’t just keeping operations running smoothly, but helping your teams deliver on looking after those in their care. We can do this because we’re more than a supplier of fresh food and groceries – we’re a procurement solution that streamlines administration and shapes around your organisation’s unique structure.

This is what delivered a ‘social dividend’ for SJGOS – giving staff more time to look after the people in their care, and reach out to vulnerable youths in the wider community.

Different from the start

SJGOS operates 13 houses in Australia, 7 in WA and 6 in Victoria, caring for 60-70 young people at any one point in time. Residents are aged from 16 to 22 and are either homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, or from broken families with nowhere else to go. Young People (as they are referred to) stay for up to a year, learning the skills they need to live independently and become members of a community where they’d previously felt like outsiders.

“Suppliers need to listen to what customers actually need, then deliver on that and provide value. I think that’s what Woolworths at Work is doing. I think you’re listening, I think you’ve certainly listened to our organisation, and you’re ddelivering on our need. I don’t think I can speak more highly, it’s been a great experience.”

David Almond, Contracts and Property Manager, SJGOS

SJGOS saw the benefits of switching suppliers right away, as our Woolworths at Work onboarding team quickly set up the systems and trained SJGOS staff. “The changeover to Woolworths at Work was seamless, it all happened overnight,” explains David Almond.

Our smart procurement system provided better reporting and accuracy for accounts payable. It also reduced St John of God’s invoices from over 100 per month to just one. Time that was previously spent on reconciliation issues is now used to reach out into the community and increase the collaboration between teams from different houses.