Barbara Leon: “It’s been demanding – but our team has stepped up”
3 minute read
We spoke with Barbara Leon, Operations Manager at UNITED – Spanish Latin American Welfare Centre, about what the first 100 days under the new aged care system have really been like – what’s surprised her, where the pressure points remain, and what her team is focusing on next.
Barbara reflects on a period of significant change, where the impact of reform has been felt across the entire organisation – from clients and families through to frontline staff and administrative teams.
What stands out most, she says, is the resilience of her team. Despite new systems, added complexity and ongoing demands, they’ve continued to adapt and stay focused on delivering care.
Q: Looking back over the first 100 days, what’s surprised you most since 1 November?
The scale of the impact has really stood out. It’s been felt right across the sector – by clients, families, providers, and especially our administrative team.
There are a lot of questions from clients and families, and it can be challenging to break down all the changes into something manageable while still keeping up with day-to-day demands.
What’s surprised me most, though, is the resilience and agility of our team. They’ve adapted to a new software system, worked together, and continued to respond to clients with sensitivity and care.
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge for your organisation or team since 1 November?
The biggest challenge has been the transition to a new Client Management System. It’s taken much longer than we expected.
For example, our old data didn’t migrate across, so we’ve had to do a lot of manual data entry. On top of that, we’ve been working through all the usual challenges that come with new systems – learning new workflows, troubleshooting issues, and getting familiar with how everything works.
There’s also been a significant increase in documentation. The volume of evidence now required to submit claims has added another layer of complexity to the work.
Q: What’s been the biggest challenge for you personally as a leader in this period?
For me, it’s been managing the fatigue that comes with such a fast pace of change.
Day-to-day operations don’t stop – we still need to make sure clients are receiving high-quality care while also meeting reform requirements. That can feel overwhelming at times.
In those moments, I come back to our purpose. Staying connected to our mission, and being present and supportive for the team, even when I’m feeling tired, has been the biggest personal challenge.
Q: What approach, change or piece of work has been most successful so far?
One of the most important pieces of work we did was developing our Clinical Governance framework last year. It clearly sets out roles and responsibilities across the organisation and reinforces our commitment to high-quality care.
We also ran a “billable hours” trial with our case managers, now care partners. That gave us valuable insights and helped prepare the team for working within the Support at Home framework.
Overall, our care partners have consistently met their billable hours targets each month, which is a real credit to their hard work and commitment.
Q: What are you most proud of from the last 100 days?
I’m most proud of finalising our first Support at Home claim through Services Australia.
On the surface, it might seem like just a standard business process, but it represented a huge amount of work behind the scenes. It really was a significant milestone for the whole team.
Q: How has the SSD Connect Alliance helped your team post 1 November?
The SSD Connect Alliance Associated Provider Handbook has been an excellent resource for us.
It’s given us a strong foundation, and we’re planning to roll it out to all our subcontractors.
Q: How is your team feeling about the next 100 days?
Our focus now is on improving and streamlining our processes, particularly how we use our new software.
At the same time, we want to make sure our care partners have the time they need to deliver genuine, compassionate care – even with the added administrative demands of billable time.
Thank you Barbara for sharing your reflections and insights from the first 100 days.
Barbara’s experience highlights just how demanding this transition has been – but also what’s possible when teams stay focused, adaptable and committed to care.
As the next phase unfolds, the focus will be on refining systems and creating the space for what matters most: quality, compassionate support for older people.
