Sunnyfield rolls out AI policy tool for frontline staff

Sunnyfield has rolled out the Cloda artificial intelligence policy platform across its workforce, with the system expected to support about 1,500 frontline staff.

The New South Wales disability services provider expanded the rollout after a pilot across six services covering community hubs, shared living and community support.

Developed by Irish health and social care technology company HCI, Cloda lets staff ask questions in everyday language and receive answers drawn from approved organisational policies and procedures. Staff can use the tool on their existing devices and ask questions in multiple languages.

The rollout reflects a broader push by disability providers to improve how frontline workers access operational and care guidance. Across the sector, organisations face growing expectations around safeguarding, governance, quality and workforce capability, particularly where teams are spread across multiple locations.

Sunnyfield said the platform gives it a clearer view of the questions staff are asking, helping to identify gaps in information, training or internal communication. The system also includes quizzes designed to test staff understanding of key policies and procedures.

Andrew Hyland, chief executive officer of Sunnyfield, said the organisation was focused on making its existing policy library more usable for frontline teams.

"For us, the value of Cloda is very practical. We already have comprehensive policies and procedures, but their real value comes when our staff can access, understand and apply them at the point they are needed.

Cloda puts that approved guidance directly into the hands of our care staff. Instead of spending valuable time searching through documents or checking with a manager, staff can ask Cloda and get an immediate answer from Sunnyfield's approved policies and procedures, then apply it with confidence.

That has a very clear return on investment for Sunnyfield. If we can reduce the time our staff spend looking for information, strengthen consistency in how policies are applied and support better decision-making at the point of care, we are releasing valuable time back to the delivery of high-quality support," Hyland said.

The pilot also gave the provider data on how staff used the system in day-to-day settings. Sunnyfield said this showed where workers needed more clarity before the broader rollout.

Sector adoption

The use of artificial intelligence tools in disability and care settings has drawn attention as providers look for practical applications tied to workforce support and compliance. In this case, the software is aimed at policy retrieval and comprehension rather than direct clinical or care decision-making.

HCI said Sunnyfield's deployment marked a step in its expansion in Australia. The company describes Cloda as part of a wider quality management system combining policy access with functions covering training, audit, risk and incidents.

Regina Connell, chief operating officer of HCI, said the Sunnyfield project began with frontline use rather than a top-down system deployment.

"Sunnyfield's go-live is a significant milestone for Cloda as we continue to expand our work in Australia.

What has been particularly important about this implementation is that it started with the frontline. The pilot gave Sunnyfield the opportunity to see how staff would actually use Cloda, what information they needed and where easier access to approved policies and procedures could make a difference. The move to a wider rollout is a strong endorsement of what that pilot demonstrated.

Across Australia, health and social care providers are facing the same challenge: strong policies are essential, but they only improve quality and safety when staff can find, understand and apply them when needed.

Cloda is designed to close that gap by making approved organisational policies and procedures immediately accessible, in multiple languages and at the point of care. Sunnyfield is a recognised leader in disability services, with a strong commitment to innovation and the delivery of high-quality support, and we are very proud to partner with Sunnyfield and support the next stage of its digital transformation journey," Connell said.

Sunnyfield has more than seven decades of experience supporting people with intellectual disability across New South Wales. Its services include shared living, employment, vocational and community programs.

The Cloda rollout forms part of a broader investment in digital systems and infrastructure for staff and service users. The immediate focus, however, is on giving workers faster access to approved internal guidance at the point where decisions are made.