The quickest way to fill a shift is to pick whoever’s available. The best way is to pick the right person for that participant — someone with the right skills, who the participant knows, who can actually get there, and who won’t tip you into overtime. Those goals often pull in different directions, which is exactly why matching is hard to do well by hand.
Match on more than availability
StaffLoop scores every worker against a shift on the factors that actually matter for good support:
- Skills and care requirements — the qualifications and capabilities a participant’s supports call for.
- Compatibility — language, preferences and history, so participants see people they’re comfortable with.
- Continuity of care — workers who’ve supported that participant recently rank higher, building stable relationships.
- Proximity — nearby workers reduce travel time, cost and no-shows.
A skill-match analysis shows why each candidate fits, so a coordinator isn’t just trusting a number — they can see the reasoning.
Choose the goal for the week
Because those factors trade off, StaffLoop lets you pick the strategy: Perfect Match to prioritise participant preference and continuity, Cost-Saving to favour contracted staff and avoid casual loading, Fairness to spread shifts evenly, or Balanced for a sensible all-rounder. Same team, different lens, depending on what this week needs.
Compliance is part of the match
A great match that isn’t compliant is no match at all. StaffLoop blocks anyone whose worker screening, first aid or other required clearance has expired, and flags scheduling conflicts and insufficient breaks before you publish. The result is a shortlist that’s already safe to roster.
Better care and a better bottom line
Good matching isn’t only a care-quality story — it’s an operational one. Continuity reduces turnover and complaints; proximity cuts travel cost; compliance gates prevent expensive mistakes. Get the match right and you improve the experience for participants and workers while keeping the roster affordable.
