How one manager left paper-based chaos behind and got her time back for residents

The challenge: paper was running the show

Before joining Sandiacre Court Care Centre, Debra Mclean-Bentley had spent years managing care homes offline. Paper rotas pinned to noticeboards, manual timesheets filled in by hand, and annual leave tracked in spreadsheets and diaries. 

As part of a small, growing care group, She knew exactly how much time it consumed. And she knew that every hour spent on admin was an hour not spent with residents.

Rostering that ate entire days

Creating rotas manually meant juggling staff availability, skills, and shift patterns – all in your head or on paper. It was slow, error-prone, and never quite right. Double-bookings happened. Gaps appeared at the last minute. And every time something changed, you started again.

No way to know who actually worked

Without digital clocking, Debra had to rely on paper timesheets and verbal confirmations. There was no real way to verify hours. Payroll became guesswork. And honestly? The system was wide open to fraud. You just had to trust that people were being accurate, and hope for the best.

Annual leave disputes waiting to happen

Tracking holiday balances on paper meant constant confusion. Staff weren’t sure how much leave they had left, and managers weren’t sure either. When someone left, untangling what they were owed versus what they’d taken became a headache.

Compliance risks you couldn’t afford

Right-to-work checks are non-negotiable. Miss one, and you’re looking at serious legal trouble. But tracking visa expiry dates and work permits manually -in diaries, on sticky notes, in your head – meant something was always at risk of slipping through the cracks.

“You’d spend hours cross-referencing timesheets with fob access records, trying to figure out who was actually there. It was exhausting—and it took you away from the residents.”

Introducing Syncurio

When Debra arrived at Sandiacre Court, Syncurio was already in place. The contrast with her previous roles was immediate.

No more paper rotas. No more manual timesheets. No more chasing compliance in diaries. Everything she needed was in one system—and it worked the way care homes need it to.

1. Rostering in minutes, not hours

The rostering tool changed everything. Staff availability, skills, shift patterns—all visible in one place. Building a rota went from an all-day task to something you could do quickly and confidently. Changes were easy. Gaps were obvious. No more guesswork.

2. Digital clocking that ends the disputes

With digital clock-in, Debra finally had accurate, verifiable attendance data. No more relying on paper timesheets. No more wondering if hours were correct. Staff clock in, the system records it, and payroll is based on reality – not guesswork. The fraud risk? That was gone.

3. Annual leave that tracks itself

Leave balances update automatically. Staff can see exactly where they stand. Approvals are simple. And when someone leaves, there’s no dispute about what they’re owed—the system has it all recorded accurately from day one.

4. Compliance you don’t have to think about

Right-to-work checks, visa expiries, and document renewals: Syncurio’s compliance tool tracks them automatically and alerts you before anything lapses. No more manual diaries. The system handles it, so you can focus on care.

The result: time back for what matters

For Debra, the difference wasn’t just operational – it was personal. The hours she used to spend buried in paperwork, cross-referencing timesheets, chasing down compliance documents? Now she spends them with residents and staff. Doing the work she actually came into care to do.

• Hours saved every week on admin
• Rostering, timesheets, leave tracking—all streamlined
• Zero compliance anxiety
• Automated alerts mean nothing slips through
• No more payroll disputes
• Accurate time tracking ends the guesswork

The admin burden that used to dominate her days has shrunk dramatically. Processes that took hours now take minutes. And the constant low-level stress of wondering if you’ve missed something? That’s gone too.

“With Syncurio, I spend significantly less time on admin. I can focus on what truly matters – our residents and staff. It’s made me happier in my work, knowing our processes are streamlined and effective.”
— Debra Mclean-Bentley, Manager, Sandiacre Court Care Centre

What this means for care home managers like you

If you’re still running on paper and spreadsheets, you know exactly what Debra was dealing with. The hours lost to manual rotas. The payroll headaches. The compliance worries that keep you up at night. The nagging feeling that you’re spending your time on admin instead of care.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

Syncurio brings everything into one place. Rostering, time tracking, leave management, compliance – all designed for how care homes actually work. Not adapted from some other industry. Built by operators who’ve been exactly where you are.