How Mutual Plans Supported ESSSuper Through A Paraplanning Crisis
For organisations managing the financial futures of thousands of members, continuity is everything. When Emergency Services and State Super (‘ESSSuper’), one of Australia's last remaining defined benefit superannuation funds, received unexpected news that their paraplanning provider was ceasing services, they faced a potentially disruptive gap in their advice delivery capabilities.
"It was a little bit unexpected," Philip Elmslie, Manager of Member Advice at ESSSuper, said. "We found ourselves in a situation where we had not very long to try and replace that lost support and lost capacity."
The limited timing window was made more challenging by the specific requirements that ESSSuper has. As a fund managing complex defined benefit schemes, ESSSuper couldn't simply partner with any paraplanning service. They needed specialists who understood the technical intricacies of defined benefit superannuation, which is a rapidly disappearing expertise in Australia's evolving super landscape.
A Specific Set of Skills
The search began with a clear vision of what ESSSuper needed in a paraplanning partner. "Australian-based was essential," Elmslie said, noting that offshoring, while popular among many paraplanning firms, "really didn't fit within what we were looking for."
Beyond geography, technical competence in defined benefits was non-negotiable. Alongside the practical requirements of sufficient capacity, Xplan expertise, and competitive pricing, ESSSuper also sought a collaborative relationship: "We needed a partnership where they'll hopefully learn from us, we can learn from them" Elmslie said.
So began a competitive tender process involving five to six businesses, each evaluated against ESSSuper's comprehensive criteria. From this thorough exploration emerged a clear winner: Mutual Plans.
The Flexibility Factor
For ESSSuper, the decision to outsource part of their paraplanning function has always been about adaptability. "Our demands can ebb and flow a little bit," Elmslie said. Throughout the year, the fund experiences varying levels of advice demand, creating peaks and valleys in its paraplanning requirements.
"Outsourcing helps us manage that in a much easier manner rather than having a full contingent of FTE on the books," Elmslie added. While maintaining some internal paraplanning capacity, the hybrid model gives ESSSuper the flexibility to scale their resources according to member needs.
With the clock ticking, the onboarding process needed to be efficient yet thorough. It began with the practical necessities: Data security assessments, Xplan account setup, and so on, before moving into the specialised knowledge transfer required to support ESSSuper's unique offering.
"We delivered training on our defined benefit schemes to the paraplanners that would be working with us," Elmslie said. This was followed by familiarisation with ESSSuper's templates and wizards, ensuring Mutual Plans understood "the way we go about delivering advice."
Throughout this intensive knowledge-sharing period, Elmslie found Mutual Plans' approach refreshingly accommodating. "I found Silvia very supportive and patient," Elmslie said, referring to Mutual Plans' director.
Particularly impressive was the transparency afforded by Mutual Plans' workflow management system. "Their CRM system is quite helpful—it gives a lot of visibility on where workflow is at," Elmslie said. "You've got confidence that once something's been submitted, you can track it as it progresses through the process."
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Over the ten to eleven months since engaging Mutual Plans, Elmslie has found the experience remarkably smooth, particularly impressive given the urgency with which the relationship began.
"Silvia's been very flexible in her approach, very keen to support us, and that's been their main focus," he reflected. In an industry where service promises often exceed delivery, Elmslie appreciates that Mutual Plans consistently follows through. "A lot of people will say that and not really live up to it. She's been very transparent... always follows through on things that she says she's going to do or that her team says they're going to do.
"What I've particularly valued is their active communication approach," he added. "They're proactive about updates, and most importantly, they've been consistent in delivering our Statement of Advice work exactly as scheduled. The ETAs are quoted upfront to our advisers and then met without fail. In the paraplanning industry, that kind of reliability with turnaround times is unfortunately rare but absolutely critical for our planning team."
The day-to-day experience has been equally positive. "Their staff are always very courteous and very thoughtful in the way that they approach their work," Elmslie said. As a result, managing the relationship has been "quite an easy process," from onboarding to handling the natural ebbs and flows of work volume.
A Rescue Operation with Lasting Impact
Looking back, Elmslie’s assessment is straightforward: "Mutual Plans has really helped us. They got us out of a pretty tricky spot."
The partnership demonstrates how the right outsourcing relationship can deliver more than just additional capacity; it can provide genuine peace of mind when organisations need it most. For ESSSuper, Mutual Plans offered not just paraplanning services but a lifeline during a period of unexpected transition.
In an industry where the quality of advice documentation directly impacts member outcomes and compliance obligations, these qualities aren't merely nice-to-haves—they're essential. By delivering consistently across all these dimensions, Mutual Plans proved its value as a paraplanning partner capable of performing under pressure.
"Silvia has been excellent for us," Elmslie said. "It’s very easy to recommend her and her team to anyone who needs paraplanning support."