The impact on Petals has been truly transformative. What began as a solution for client management has evolved into a comprehensive system that now supports numerous additional aspects of Petals' operational processes—all within one unified platform. By replacing the multiple systems and fragmented spreadsheets previously relied upon, Kinabase has streamlined the way the charity works, creating greater efficiency, consistency, and control across the organisation.
Petals relied on CORE for client records alongside more than 30 spreadsheets, Word documents, manuals and SharePoint folders, creating duplication of data and a lengthy process to create reports for their stakeholders.
Kinabase enabled Petals to build a bespoke data structure mirroring their exact terminology, relationships and pathways, with automated workflows ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Replacing more than 30 spreadsheets with a unified system freed the team to focus on delivering specialist counselling.
About PetalsPetals is a specialist charity providing free, expert counselling to parents affected by pregnancy or baby loss. The organisation offers support for miscarriage, poor pregnancy diagnosis, stillbirth, neonatal loss and antenatal anxiety after previous losses.
What began as a local NHS service has grown into a national provider delivering more than 500 counselling sessions each month. Guided by compassion, clinical expertise and a commitment to equality of access, Petals ensures bereaved parents receive timely, tailored care.
With over 10,000 people supported to date, the charity is recognised as a pioneer in specialist baby-loss counselling and a leader in improving mental health outcomes across UK maternity services.
The ChallengePetals operated within a highly complex, multi-stakeholder environment spanning hospitals, NHS Trusts, regional partnerships and varied client pathways. Their operations were previously reliant on CORE for client records alongside more than 30 spreadsheets managed by different team members, resulting in high levels of duplication and an increased risk of error.
Crucially, they needed dependable, structured reporting to validate funding and demonstrate service impact. However, no existing off-the-shelf system could support their unique, nuanced data model.
The challenge was clear: how could Petals continue their high level of service whilst scaling their support to reach more families in need?
The ApproachWorking closely with Petals, the Kinabase team conducted a series of detailed workshops to understand their use of spreadsheets and systems, translating their data and processes into a unified and accurate data model.
Complex client pathways were rebuilt using automations that manage reminders, actions and reporting at every stage, creating an end-to-end system tailored to how the charity operates and scalable for future growth.
Petals now manages all core elements within one unified platform:
By centralising these interconnected entities, Petals has replaced a maze of spreadsheets with a cohesive system that is simple to use, provides quick access for reporting and supports everyday service delivery.
The SolutionKinabase gave Petals the ability to build a bespoke data structure that mirrored the exact terminology, relationships and pathways of their real-world service model.
Multiple entities, including clients, referrals, sessions, counsellors and funding routes, could be linked seamlessly. Automated reminders, tasks and client-journey workflow helped ensure nothing fell through the cracks, whilst integrated email and SMS communication created a smoother experience for both staff and families.
A major development has been dedicated client, counsellor and health professional portals, giving each group a more secure and professional way to interact with Petals, and increasingly a one-stop shop with the information and processes relevant to them in one place.
Unlike rigid off-the-shelf solutions, Kinabase could adapt to Petals' existing workflows and clinical terminology, rather than forcing them to change how they operate.
The ability to tailor and manage access for different members of the team has been particularly invaluable, ensuring staff have the right level of visibility and responsibility within one secure system. Kinabase has fundamentally changed how Petals operates, enabling the charity to work smarter and more effectively while remaining focused on what matters most: providing compassionate, expert support to bereaved families.
Petals now operates with a unified, structured system that replaces more than 30 spreadsheets and manual processes. The key outcomes include:
Most importantly, these efficiencies have helped Petals meet a 40% increase in demand while using around 25 fewer staff hours each week, freeing around 1,300 staff hours a year and creating additional capacity at the same time as the service has grown significantly.
The use of Kinabase across the organisation has grown and is now used across all operational aspects. As a result, Kinabase is really the go-to platform for everything operational.
Communication with clients is faster and more consistent, and structured workflows ensure every family receives timely, high-quality support.
Mike, Gabriel, and the entire Kinabase team have been exceptional throughout this journey, providing outstanding training, ongoing development, and unwavering support. Their professionalism, reliability, and commitment have been deeply impressive—they are consistently accommodating, helpful, and dependable, making them an invaluable partner to Petals.
Ultimately, the biggest difference has been having a system that fits Petals, rather than adapting Petals to fit a system. It gives the charity better information, more streamlined processes and the infrastructure to keep growing its services without the administrative burden having to grow at the same rate.
We're proud to support Petals in their vital mission and honoured to play a small part in helping them deliver care to families across the UK. For more information about Petals and the support they provide, please visit their website.
