From Rostering to Franchise Owner: Kayla's Career Journey with Just Better Care Brisbane North

What does career progression really look like in the home care sector? For Kayla Jonkers, it looked like returning to work after maternity leave, taking on a rostering role, and over several years becoming General Manager and joint Franchise Owner of Just Better Care Brisbane North CBD & Brisbane Outer North.

Kayla joined Just Better Care Brisbane North in 2021, returning to the workforce after maternity leave. She brought with her a solid background in community services, Supported Independent Living, rostering, workforce management, and direct support work.

Her first role was in rostering and scheduling. From there, her career pathway expanded steadily: service coordination, HR coordination, and eventually Chief of Staff, before stepping into her current position as General Manager and joint Franchise Owner alongside Susanne Jones.

For Kayla, the initial motivation was straightforward: rebuild confidence and re-establish her career. But as she became more involved in the business, she realised there was an opportunity to contribute at a much deeper level.

A pivotal chapter: the Chief of Staff role

One of the most significant milestones in Kayla's career was stepping into the role of Chief of Staff. In that role, she contributed to executive-level discussions, supported strategic planning, and helped shape decisions that affected the whole business.

It gave her a comprehensive view of how Just Better Care Brisbane North operates from the ground up and from the top down, laying the foundation for what came next.

Why did Franchise Ownership make sense?

By the time the opportunity arose to step into franchise ownership, Kayla had spent years learning the business from the inside. She had built strong relationships across the team, earned trust at every level, and developed a clear understanding of both the operational and strategic demands of running a home care business.

She also had the advantage of seeing firsthand the depth of support available through the franchisor, Just Better Care Australia, including specialists in clinical services, HR, and operational guidance, as well as a framework that allows Franchise Owners to focus on delivering quality care locally while drawing on national resources and expertise.

That combination made the transition into ownership feel like a natural progression rather than a leap into the unknown.

Kayla and her family prove that a career in home care and family life can go hand in hand.

Leadership with purpose

For Kayla, the role of Franchise Owner is about far more than business performance. It's about quality care, strong relationships, and building a workplace where both Just Better Care Brisbane North team members and the people they support feel genuinely valued.

Her current focus areas include workforce stability, customer experience, and helping clients and families navigate significant sector changes, particularly the transition to the new Support at Home program. She places a high priority on maintaining a strong connection between office-based team members and Community Support Professionals in the field, especially in the early stages of employment.

A recent cultural values assessment reinforced what already sits at the heart of the business: a shared commitment to wellbeing, balance, open communication, and quality care.

Recognising a future business partner

Susanne Jones, who has led Just Better Care Brisbane North CBD & Brisbane Outer North since its establishment, says Kayla's progression to ownership reflects both her capability and her shared commitment to the business's long-term vision.

That alignment, built over years of working closely together, is what gives both Susanne and Kayla confidence in the road ahead.

A message for others

Kayla hopes her story shows that career progression is possible, even when the path isn't straightforward. Her advice is practical and grounded: do your role well, take opportunities when they arise, keep learning, and invest in your own development.

Be consistent. Build trust. Stay curious.

And perhaps most personally, she wants her journey to show her daughters and others who have stepped away from work to care for family that returning to the workforce doesn't mean closing the door on ambition. For Kayla, it opened a different one.