How-to
Shift Times Across Several Locations: How to Stop the 9am Mix-Up
Running a small NDIS team across multiple towns or states? Here's how Sparks Provider keeps each location's local time and staff coverage straight.
Kim MatthewsFounder and disability support provider
If your coordinator sits in Queensland and your team covers clients in New South Wales and Victoria, a 9am shift is not the same 9am for everyone. Get this wrong once and a worker shows up an hour early, or a shift note logs against the wrong day. The fix is not a reminder note on the whiteboard. It is setting up locations properly once, so the system carries the right time and the right staff list every time.
Why this trips up growing teams
Most small providers start in one town. Rostering is simple because everyone shares a clock. The moment you add a second service area, two things change at once: the local time of the shift, and which staff are even allowed to be offered that shift. If your software only tracks one of those, someone ends up guessing the other.
Set up each location once
- Go to Business then Locations then Add location for each service area, with its address, state and local timezone
- Check Holidays under each location and add regional days where they differ from the business base
- Owners and admins can still see and manage every location from one account. Locations organise the roster, they do not hide branches from you
Staff only see shifts they can actually cover
When you add a staff member, tick Work locations under their address for every service location they can work in. If a worker already has a profile, open Staff then their record then Profile then Service locations to edit coverage and save. A home address alone does not assign coverage automatically, and a worker can cover more than one location. Location-specific shifts need matching staff coverage as well as matching availability before an offer will go out.
A fictional example, for illustration only
Picture a small, anonymous provider with a coordinator based in Brisbane and support workers covering two branches: one in Sydney and one in Melbourne. Early on, shifts were entered in Brisbane time out of habit, and a Sydney morning shift quietly drifted an hour off. After setting up both locations properly, with their own timezones and their own tied staff lists, the coordinator could enter a Sydney shift at 9am Sydney time, confirm the prompt, and trust that the Sydney worker saw the correct local time on their own shift list. This is a fictional scenario to illustrate the setup, not a real business.
Enter the time where the service happens, not where you sit
When adding or changing a shift, check Service location first, then enter the time as it happens there. For a Sydney service at 9am, type 9am Sydney time even if you are working from Queensland. If the shift's location timezone differs from your business base, Sparks Provider asks you to confirm the entered hours before saving. Read that confirmation screen rather than converting the time in your head. A participant's Usual service location, set on their Profile under Home, defaults new bookings for them, but it does not move any shift you have already created.
Filtering the roster when things look off
- Use the location filter on Schedule to view All locations or one specific location at a time
- Shifts with no saved service location use the business clock and calendar, not a hidden branch
- If a worker is missing from a booking list, check the shift's service location and the worker's saved coverage, then correct the profile before reopening the booking
- Archiving a location does not cancel the shifts already booked against it
What this setup does not do
Locations and coverage keep your roster organised and your shift times correct for where the work actually happens. They do not calculate award rates, decide staffing ratios, or make your business compliant with any NDIS obligation. Those decisions stay with you and, where relevant, your own professional advice.
Related reading
- From Solo Operator to Small Team: The Admin Worth Setting Up First, at sparksprovider.app/blog/from-solo-operator-to-small-team-the-admin-worth-setting-up-first
- How to Send a Client Roster Without Another Round of Admin, at sparksprovider.app/blog/how-to-send-a-client-roster-without-another-round-of-admin
- A Small Provider's Checklist Before Sending Timesheets to Xero, at sparksprovider.app/blog/a-small-providers-checklist-before-sending-timesheets-to-xero
Common questions
The details people ask next.
If I change a participant's usual service location, does it move their existing shifts?
No. The usual service location only sets the default for new bookings. Existing shifts stay as they were created and need to be updated individually if required.
Can an owner still see shifts at a location they don't usually manage day to day?
Yes. Owners and admins can manage the whole business. Locations help organise the roster and staff coverage, they do not hide any branch from an owner or admin.
What happens if I book a shift at a location a worker isn't set up to cover?
Location-specific shifts need the worker's saved coverage to match, alongside their availability. If coverage isn't saved on their profile, correct it there before reopening the booking.
Does archiving an old location cancel the shifts already booked there?
No. Archiving a location does not cancel its existing bookings.
Why does the system ask me to confirm the time when I add a shift in another state?
When a shift's service location uses a different timezone to your business base, Sparks Provider shows a confirmation step so you can check the entered hours before saving, rather than converting the time yourself.
This article is general information only and is not legal, employment, payroll or award advice. Check current requirements with the Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au) or an adviser for your business.