About Nulsen Disability Services
For over 70 years, Nulsen Disability Services (Part of the PeopleKind Group) has been a cornerstone of support for some of Western Australia’s most vulnerable people. Employing more than 700 dedicated staff, Nulsen supports people with complex disability through 24/7 in-home support and allied health services:
- 24/7 supported accommodation
- In-home support
- Behavioural therapy and allied health
- Specialist support coordination
- Employment services and community reintegration (via Nulsen Outcare)
Their vision: to create a community where everyone belongs and feels connected.
Key stats: 60+ residential homes, 700+ staff, 200+ residents, Multi-service organisation spanning disability, aged care, mental health and justice sectors
By 2022, the scale and complexity of Nulsen’s service delivery had reached a tipping point.
Staying Ahead of Complexity
Operating in the ever-changing world of the NDIS isn’t for the faint-hearted. Funding adjustments, individualised care plans, staffing requirements under the SCHADS Award, and changing resident circumstances made things increasingly difficult.
The team was grappling with:
- Disparate systems – Budgets in Excel, rosters in Easy Employer, forecasting in people’s heads.
- Manual errors – Copy/Paste mistakes, version control issues, and high risk of non-compliance.
- No central visibility – Execs couldn’t easily see cost blowouts, funding gaps, or how new clients would impact operations.
“We didn’t have a tool that told us what our real overheads were, or how sustainable a new site would be. We were doing it manually – and that wasn’t going to cut it anymore.” – Sukhdev Golen, Manager: Scheduling Services, Nulsen.
They needed a single, flexible platform that could manage:
- Budgeting & forecasting
- Roster costing & optimisation
- Award compliance (e.g. minimum shifts, loadings)
- NDIS claim alignment
- Real-time decision support
A Custom Jedox Model Delivered by GK Horizons
In 2022, Nulsen engaged bi5 Solutions (acquired by GK Horizons in 2023) to deploy Jedox—a modern Enterprise Performance Management platform.
Working closely with Sukhdev and the operations team, GK Horizons built a tailored solution that brought together financial, operational, and workforce data for the first time.
“Things change every day—funding rates, resident status, staff shifts. This tool gives us a real-time view of how we’re tracking, and what we need to do next.” – Sukhdev Golen, Manager: Scheduling Services, Nulsen.
What the Solution Delivered:
Centralised Cost Inputs
- EBAs, SCHADS Award rates, leave accruals, loadings
- Single source of truth across homes, roles, and scenarios
Roster Costing Automation
- Seamless bulk import from Easy Employer
- Adjustments for overlap, public holidays, and night shifts
- Instant view of costs by house or individual resident
Scenario Planning & What-If Modelling
- Plan for new homes or clients
- Test funding cuts or wage increases
- Know impact before decisions are made
Award & NDIS Compliance
- Visual warnings for breaches
- Reconciles rostered hours vs. claimable hours
- Ensures only approved services are billed
Live Forecasting
- Cost and revenue positions updated daily
- Dynamic dashboards for Exec and Finance
Measurable Impact Across the Organisation
The solution is providing Nulsen with the following key results, and believe these would be a focus for ROI calculations:
Compliance Confidence
Helps justify NDIS claims and ensures audit readiness.
“If we’re providing services that aren’t claimable, we track that too. It protects us.” – Sukhdev Golen, Manager: Scheduling Services, Nulsen.
Financial Sustainability
Real-time alerts prevent future deficits, helping leadership course-correct early.
“We can tell you today what the deficit will be in three months. That’s game-changing.” – Sukhdev Golen
Operational Agility
Easy forecasting of new service lines, staff changes, and future cost trends.
“We can model taking on a new house, with four residents, and know instantly if it’s viable.” – Sukhdev Golen
Overhead Transparency
Keeps overheads within the 12–15% threshold preferred by NDIS.
Stronger Cross-Functional Collaboration
Finance, operations, rostering, and compliance teams are now working from the same data.
What’s Next?
Nulsen and GK Horizons are continuing to build on the success of the model with:
- NDIS funding forecast automation
- Pay rate increases by percentage
- Broken Shifts
- Global inputs for different Funding Models
- House Level Vacancy Rates, and
- Managing Locations for Participants and Houses
And a wish list to further enhance the solution:
- Integration with claiming tools and NDIS portal
- Cost-per-resident reporting for plan reviews
- AI-powered predictive analytics
- Dashboards
“The more we integrate, the more confident we become. It’s not just a system—it’s a partner in how we run the organisation.” – Sukhdev Golen
Why It Worked
- Deep sector understanding shared across the teams (SCHADS, NDIS, supported living)
- Collaborative, agile delivery
- Tailored solutions – not cookie-cutter software
- Strong partnership from day one
Final Word from Nulsen
“This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about people. With this tool, we can make sure every decision we make is in the best interest of our residents, our staff, and our sustainability.”
– Sukhdev Golen, Manager: Scheduling Services, Nulsen Disability Services
Like to know about how GKH can expand your horizons? Click here to reach out.
