NSW' Long Service Corporation builds platforms for community services scheme

Long Service Corporation (LSC) is using Appian software to administer a portable long service leave scheme and power self-service portals for community service workers and their employers in NSW.

The NSW government statutory body engaged Appian and Deloitte to build a “digital application” to support workers and their employers, which it launched in April.

So far, over 2100 employers have submitted quarterly paperwork, known as “service returns”, through the application.

This has led to 210,000 workers being nominated to join the scheme and to use the application.

Portable long service leave schemes let workers accrue long service leave based on their total time in the industry, rather than with a single employer.

Community services workers, in areas like housing, homelessness support, mental health, family and domestic violence support, often work on short-term contracts and will have multiple employers.

Under the NSW portable long service leave scheme, “workers are entitled to approximately 6.1 weeks of paid long service leave after seven years of recognised service in the community services industry,” according to the government.

Long service leave is funded through a levy on employers. About $100 million has been collected so far.

The “digital application” used to manage all sides of the scheme is built on the Appian Platform”, and “incorporates multiple NSW government shared services to provide a streamlined and consistent customer experience,” the vendor said in a statement.

In the backend, the application “enables LSC to reduce manual administration through improved worker matching, guided self-service functionality and greater visibility across employer-worker relationships.”

Additionally, LSC is using Appian Process HQ “to monitor adoption, compliance and operational performance across the scheme, with future phases expected to include additional case management functionality,” the vendor added.

LSC executive director Lauren Nagel said the application is designed “to improve accessibility and reduce administrative complexity for both workers and employers.”

“Workers and employers now have dedicated self-service portals and Long Service Corporation can also manage the scheme more efficiently and at scale,” Nagel said. 

“Using the application, workers and employers can securely interact with LSC through their MyServiceNSW accounts, complete identity verification, receive digital notifications, and manage service return payments online.”

Deloitte, among other things, is understood to have aided delivery to support the rollout of the portable long service leave scheme within a tight timeframe.