About Gowrie NSW
For more than 85 years, Gowrie NSW has contributed to the richness of early and middle childhood across NSW. Gowrie NSW is a proud not-for-profit organisation committed to providing exceptional early and middle childhood education services. Their vision is to see children thrive and contribute meaningfully to the world, supported by high-quality programs and leadership opportunities for the early childhood sector.
The opportunity: help more people, earlier
Gowrie NSW already had an EAP in place, but it was built around traditional crisis counselling. It worked as a safety net, yet it wasn’t landing in everyday life. The service sat in the background, and a large part of the workforce didn’t really know what it was or when they’d use it.
That left gaps. Support was there for a crisis, but not for the smaller, earlier moments when people could most use a hand. And with no clear service to point people towards, leaders were often the ones carrying it, sometimes offering medical or financial guidance they weren’t equipped to give.
The leadership team saw a chance to offer their people something more holistic. It started with listening. Hearing what mattered to their staff, the team realised there was more they could offer than what was currently on the table. What people were really after was support that met them where they were, and a genuine benefit that enriched everyday life, rather than a service to reach for only when things went wrong.
You don’t have to be in a crisis to seek support. We wanted something that meets people where they are, and helps them make a small change in direction before things escalate.
Head of People and Culture, Gowrie NSW
The solution: 24/7 holistic support
Gowrie NSW partnered with Sonder to give their people one app for medical, mental health, safety and everyday wellbeing support, available 24/7.
Through a single app, educators and their families can chat with a Registered Nurse, check in on their wellbeing, access nutrition and movement content, find financial wellbeing resources, and use practical safety tools when they need them. There is something in the Sonder app for everyone, and support for everyone, whatever stage they are at.
The shift has also changed how leaders support their teams. Previously, managers could find themselves offering medical or financial guidance they weren’t equipped to give. Now they can refer with confidence, knowing there are trained professionals ready to help. That has taken pressure off leaders and given their people a more reliable place to turn.
When our educators are thriving, the children in their care are thriving too. If we give people the opportunity to look after themselves, they can show up fully, as educators and as people.
Head of People and Culture, Gowrie NSW
Practical support that meets people where they are
A year in, the clearest sign of success is how naturally Sonder has settled into everyday life at Gowrie NSW. People reach for it in the lighter moments as much as the harder ones. It has become a genuine lifestyle tool, not a service kept in reserve for a crisis.
Here are a few examples of how Gowrie’s people have drawn on the mental health, medical and safety features:
- When staff travelled from regional centres to a conference in Metro Sydney, some used the ‘Track My Journey‘ safety feature on the way there and back. It made for a nice moment, sparking conversation about how far people had travelled to be part of the day, and about the safety tools Sonder offers.
- Employees use the resource library for nutrition and meal planning through busy periods, for a bit of movement during the day, and for general budgeting support.
- The team noticed a lift in flu vaccination uptake this year, which they linked to the visibility and reminders the platform provided.
High activations rates that surpass a traditional EAP
That everyday pull is reflected in the numbers. Half of Gowrie NSW’s workforce has activated Sonder, and utilisation sits at 62%. For context, traditional EAPs tend to see around 5% utilisation, and even alternative providers like Sonder typically see rates above 40%. Gowrie NSW is comfortably ahead of both.
Much of this high usage can be traced back to the flexibility of the Sonder platform and 24/7 support.
Nearly four in five members start with in-app chat rather than a phone call. It is a discreet, low-friction way to reach a Care Specialist or Registered Nurse, at work or at home. This figure proves the importance of offering people options for getting in touch.
For educators and OSHC staff who can’t easily step away during the day, it’s unsurprising that close to half of all support requests come in outside standard business hours. Those requests for help could have been missed within a traditional EAP’s 9am-5pm opening hours. However they reach out, the average response time is around 30 seconds, in business hours and after-hours alike.
Building strong uptake through a proactive rollout
High engagement did not happen by accident. Gowrie NSW rolled Sonder out with a deliberate, sustained approach, and kept it front of mind long after launch.
- A consistent, multi-channel message. Conversations, posters, and emails, repeated over time rather than in a single launch push.
- Highlighting a new theme each month. One month it’s nutrition, the next anxiety, the next fitness or communicating with colleagues. Each message speaks to a different group and brings a new cohort into the platform, while the constant stays the same: you’ll find it here.
- A champion at every site. Gowrie NSW runs services of all sizes, from a couple of educators to thirty or forty. Having at least one active user at each site helps show colleagues how Sonder fits into everyday work.
- A custom manager toolkit. Gowrie NSW created their own toolbox talks and email scripts, developed with centre directors and general managers, so the language felt right for their services and stayed consistent across the network.
This approach also worked around the practical realities of the sector. Educators aren’t always at a screen during the day, and time is tight. The steady monthly reminders give people a prompt to come back when the moment suits them.
The result
What started as a review of a traditional EAP has become something woven through daily life at Gowrie NSW. Leaders feel more confident, knowing they can hand people to trained professionals rather than carrying medical or financial questions themselves. Educators have a place to turn for the everyday, not only the difficult. And because the platform meets people where they are, support reaches people well before anything becomes a crisis.
Educators do vital work in a high-pressure environment, and it often takes a toll on their wellbeing. A 2024 Beyond Blue survey found Australian educators believe only 38% of their colleagues are mentally healthy. But when educators are well and supported, they can be fully present for the children in their care.
I feel genuine when I talk about Sonder. In a sector where people always put children first, it’s a way of reminding them to look after themselves too, because when they’re at their best, they give their best.
People and Culture Business Partner, Gowrie NSW
Ready to achieve similar engagement?
If your organisation requires both practical support for workers and clear reassurance for managers, Sonder is ready to help.
Discover how our holistic, 24/7 care model:
- Reduces stigma and drives high support utilisation.
- Turns your safety commitment into tangible wellbeing outcomes.
- Aligns perfectly with the realities of demanding, onsite work.
