A Care Together Project

Shared Services Co-operative

What is the market failure being addressed?

Australians living in rural and remote areas often lack access to the same services and levels of care available to those living in capital cities and major regional centres. Among the biggest challenges for those operating in aged care and disability service provision are problems associated with distance and a lack of resources to deal with myriad regulatory and administrative responsibilities. Without these resources, many services are deemed to be unsustainable, often leaving residents with few options but to travel hundreds of kilometres to find the care they need.

What is the project seeking to achieve?

The shared services project is attempting to explore the viability of a secondary co-operative, which would provide services such as training, accounting, human resources and regulatory support to a range of co-operatives in the care sector. This would reduce operational costs for individual co-ops, allowing them to deliver services more efficiently and at a lower cost. It will ensure that existing workforce is retained and grows to meet expanding need. The potential for replication of this model across the Australian care sector is vast.

Last November the Care Together team hosted a Shared Services Workshop in Canberra, bringing together David Hammer and Katrina Kazda from the US-based Elevate Cooperative, alongside representatives from the care and co-operative sectors in regional, rural and remote Australia.

The workshop focused on shared services co-operatives in both the US and Australia, with discussions centring around the challenges of delivering care in these areas and the potential benefits of a shared services approach.

Participants explored the vision and purpose of a shared services co-operative and considered the types of services such a co-op could provide to support care providers in these regions.

By the end of the 2.5-day workshop, a clear consensus emerged. Two priority services stood out as foundational to a shared services co-op:

1. Compliance support, particularly around registration and regulation for care providers.
2. Human resources services, including recruitment and staffing solutions.

In addition to these, eight other services were identified as important for future consideration. The vision that guided these discussions was compelling: a future where every community in Australia – large or small – can access the care services they need.

The workshop outcomes formed the basis for a shared services co-op concept, which has continued to be developed. This shared services approach holds significant potential to transform care delivery in Australia’s regional, rural, and remote areas.

Quotes

“From the work we have done with communities, there is a vision that some form of shared services is actually essential to maintain the viability of care services in regional, rural and remote Australia.

“This project offers huge potential for delivery of services in communities that are often deeply disadvantaged by factors such as distance and difficulties in attracting, training and retaining staff.

“From the discussions we’ve had and the workshop, it’s become clear that the two areas where care services in remote areas most need assistance is workforce recruitment and regulatory compliance.

“What we are trying to do with the shared services co-op is really about enabling these small rural communities to continue doing what they do best, which is the relational work and the face to face service delivery and coordination, while providing them with the support they need in those areas that are challenging.

“We are very excited about the potential offered by this co-op and its ability to be replicated geographically and across other sectors,” Gillian McFee, Program Director, Care Together

A Care Together Project

Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network
macn.coop

Location

Murrumbidgee region, NSW, covering approximately 125,000 square kilometres from the Snowy Mountains in the east to the northwest plains and along the Victorian border to Wentworth.

What is the market failure being addressed?

Residential aged care facilities provide a vital service in the region, allowing people to be cared for as they age in their local communities. The seven small independent operators involved in this project are also important employers of local staff.  However, most aged care facilities in the region are struggling to cope with the growing administrative burden associated with issues such as recruitment, reporting, IT support, compliance and training. With increasing regulations flowing from the Federal Government review of aged care legislation, there is a related increase in administrative workload on managers and boards, which is unsustainable. These pressures all add up to an increased risk of closure if appropriate solutions cannot be found.

What is the project seeking to achieve?

The overarching aim of the project is to ensure the sustainability of aged care services in the Murrumbidgee region so that local people can continue to age in place. The project is exploring whether a co-operative might assist the existing residential aged care facilities by centralising some of the key administrative functions to achieve economies of scale and free up management time which might be better spent addressing the quality of care. By collaborating on shared services, these smaller, community-based providers can achieve greater efficiencies while still remaining independent and community care focused. A co-op would also allow for like-minded organisations to come together to share ideas on achieving common goals, even where the implementation might look slightly different for each facility. The project is driven by a steering committee consisting of managers from five of the providers involved.

This image shows how forming a co-operative can support community owned and operated Aged Care Providers to focus on delivering quality placed based care to those that need it.

Where the project is at now

The Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network Co-operative (MACN Co-op) has taken significant strides, moving from collaborative concept to registered co-op. Spanning the vast Murrumbidgee region, this community-led initiative now brings together a group of small, independent residential aged care providers determined to remain locally owned and responsive amidst mounting regulatory, financial and workforce pressures.

Recent months have seen key milestones reached: financial modelling and a comprehensive business plan have been completed, governance structures refined, and formal rules were developed ahead of the co-op’s formal registration. A dedicated steering committee guided this process to completion, with managers and board members from across seven local facilities working side by side.

The shared services co-op is designed to centralise critical, non-clinical functions (including compliance support, recruitment, IT, HR and software management) enabling each provider to achieve economies of scale and free up care teams for quality, person-centred care. Early efforts have focused on streamlining back-office operations, reducing costs and pooling resources.

Already, the MACN Co-op is helping providers avoid duplication, secure better deals on essential services and access up-to-date digital systems for compliance and record-keeping. Staff and managers benefit from shared expertise, consistent advice and a growing peer support network that counters isolation and makes space for innovation. Most importantly, the co-op protects the local ownership, identity and independence of member facilities, ensuring that aged care remains a community asset rather than being lost to larger operators with head offices located hundreds of kilometers away.

Looking ahead, the priority is now to progressively roll out shared services to the founding members. Once the model is established and tested, the MACN Co-op will invite other independent providers in the region to join, building a scalable, regionally anchored solution that promises to enable more sustainable care. With a strong foundation and lessons captured from the Care Together Program, the co-op stands as a template for safeguarding place-based aged care not just in Murrumbidgee, but for rural and remote communities across Australia.

Read more about the MACN Co-op formation and registration

Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network in the news

• Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network’s Steering Committee lead Karen Hodgson interview, ABC Riverina, 10 March 2025
• Coleambally woman looking to hand rural aged-care providers a lifeline, The Area News, 24 March 2025
• Hundreds of elderly people stranded in public hospitals waiting for aged care, The Canberra Times, 3 April 2025 (paywall)
• Fighting to stay open: How a regional co-operative could reshape aged care in Australia, The Weekly SOURCE, 23 May 2025 (paywall)
• Aged care intervention: Navorina opts in to co-op to help keep doors open, Deniliquin Pastoral Times, 15 July 2025
• Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network in NSW officially registered as co-op to keep 7 aged care homes open, The Weekly SOURCE, 16 July 2025
• Care co-op to help keep doors open, Dairy News Australia, 16 July 2025
• MACN Co-op’s Karen Hodgson interview, ABC Riverina Radio, 21 August 2025

A Care Together Project

Bringing workers together in a co-operative, with support from the Australian Services Union, to help meet the challenges of a rapidly changing regulatory environment and growing demand for services.

Location

The location for the project is the Eurobodalla shire on the South coast of NSW, centred around Moruya.

What is the market failure being addressed?

A group of 30 disability support workers in the Eurobodalla have been functioning as an informal network of sole traders, assisting each other where possible by sharing knowledge and exchanging participant referrals. The growing demand for disability services in the area as well as increasing compliance and regulatory pressures mean, however, that these workers face challenges that are not easily resolved in their capacity as sole traders. As well as burnout and income insecurity, many lack the ability, or time, to access training and professional development. They also grapple with similar administrative burdens, which typically need to be completed outside of normal work hours. In many cases, a one hour session with a participant will require another hour of (unpaid) administrative work. All of these factors have contributed to a stretched and fatigued workforce struggling to service the growing needs of participants in the area. Uncertainty surrounding further compliance requirements that may flow from reforms arising from the recent Royal Commission into Disability Services is another source of concern for these workers.

What is the project seeking to achieve?

The aim of the project is to investigate whether a co-operative structure can support workers by facilitating opportunities for improved training, skills development and work/life balance as well as creating safer, more secure working conditions. The hope is that better support in these areas through sharing of resources will ensure the retention of skilled workers in the area, which is seen as vital at a time of new and emerging quality standards for the care sector. The wider objective is to improve the quality and reach of support and care services in the region. Existing workers are primarily engaged in providing care and support services for NDIS participants, but the project will consider expanding to include aged care and indigenous care services.

Where the project is at now

Now officially formed and registered as a co-op, the Eurobodalla Community Care Co-operative (ECCC) has developed from an informal network into a vibrant, values-driven collective that is tackling workforce shortages and uneven care provision in the region.

Born out of the challenges faced by independent care workers, the co-op now stands as a practical and inclusive response to escalating demand, changing compliance standards and the pressing needs of the local region. Over the past year, the co-operative has remained focused on its founding vision of bringing care workers together to pool resources, support one another and offer better quality, person-centred support. The co-op is also widening its reach to include aged care and culturally responsive services for First Nations people.

Establishing the co-op has also meant formalising what was once an informal support network. Members now benefit from collective governance, shared knowledge and the support of Care Together. Two operational models have been designed: a flexible small-scale start-up structure suited to early development, and a more expansive growth model to be adopted as the co-op’s reach and resources increase. Each emphasises local leadership, peer collaboration and streamlined service delivery. ECCC is now recognised as an innovative and adaptable blueprint for Australia’s care sector challenges.

Looking ahead, the focus is on scaling up by recruiting more members, strengthening partnerships and upskilling existing and new workers. Given a high proportion of the region’s residents are either aged or living with disability, and with chronic health conditions on the rise, the ECCC’s model is set to keep care local, accessible and grounded in the real needs of Eurobodalla.

Case study: Pei-Shan Wu

“Workers can come together, and they all have access to training to increase their skills, and keep up with their professional development. To me that’s a great bonus for the community, if they choose a support worker from a co-op, it’s going to be a certain standard. The benefit for me is the sense of belonging. It can be very isolating being an independent support worker.”

Case study: Michelle Lloyd

“In the beginning, there was five of us that worked in a program and were all made redundant through the transition of the NDIS and block funding change. In that process, what we realised was the things we previously had in services like long-service leave, supervision, resources and all those things were no longer available to us as sole traders. What we saw was a lot of good workers burn out, a lot of people leave the industry, and also saw that people weren’t getting the quality of care that they deserve.”

“What excites me is the potential for people to have true access, true choice and true control of their own lives.”

Quotes from the steering committee

“Working as a collection of individuals intent very often just on keeping our heads above water, we don’t really have space to expand what we do into new and perhaps more specialist areas. We often have to turn down new referrals, and many of us would love to support more people in our community to gain the skills and knowledge to join us in the work we do.”

“Collectively we recognise there is significant change in the Aged Care and NDIS sectors and that for many reasons change in these areas is necessary for the benefit of those who are most vulnerable. What drives us is being able to provide quality services to participants that are holistic and centred on genuine choice and control.

“The concept of the co-operative model has great merit as it can provide the functions of training, continuous improvement/ audit, best practice, accreditation and staff support required by sole traders and small organisations.

“With a clear vision and structure, it can provide these without stifling creative, flexible and authentic client support as has happened in many large disability and aged care organisations.

“We are over-stretched as a loose collection of individuals and our client participants are not always getting the quality or level of support that they should. This would change for the better if we were all working under the mutual support umbrella of a co-op with well-designed service delivery patterns.

“Working as members of a co-op, whether in a continuing sole trader capacity or as co-op employees, will give us all economies of co-ordination and scale that will facilitate better working conditions in relation to leave and many other areas.

A Care Together Project

Co-operative Care Wagin (CCW)
cooperativecarewagin.org.au

Location

The project is based in Wagin, about 225 km southeast of Perth in the Wheatbelt.

What is the market failure being addressed?

Wagin, a small, remote, rural town is currently serviced in a disjointed way, with some gaps, through a number of providers. These include: a ‘Home Care’ provider administered by the Wagin Shire Council, Silver Chain and Juniper, an agency of the Uniting Church, which operates Waratah Lodge residential aged care. The CommuniTEA Hub social support group, run by volunteers, affirms the need for wider care. While the Shire and other services are doing a great job, there is a growing vision to establish this new co-operative as a place-based, community-owned, cross-sector non-profit mutual business with a broader and long-term vision of connected social and health care. There is also a need to collaboratively address the difficulty in attracting, retaining and housing care workers, many of whom are stretched too thin.

What is the project seeking to achieve?

We have a vision to form a co-operative in the region that, over time, will provide integrated health, allied health and social care to older people and people living with disabilities and other care needs. We also have a commitment to grow a local workforce to provide that care and support. As such, we are seeking to establish a new co-operative committed to improving integrated social care and support for Wagin residents and surrounding rural and remote towns such as Narrogin and Darkan. The starting point for the project is to establish a concierge service as a community linkage practice. Initially run by a paid employee this will connect vulnerable people whose quality of life can improve from linkages to social support along with improved navigation to and co-ordination between services. Our longer-term objective is for the co-operative to grow and provide multi-disciplinary care and support to a larger group of people including, in time, those serviced by the NDIS.

Co-op makes community debut

In December 2024, Co-operative Care Wagin made its community debut at the Wagin Street Carnival, giving local residents a preview of the innovative health and social care initiative. Convenor Wendy Pederick and fellow directors took the opportunity to showcase how the co-operative will help address critical care needs in the Wheatbelt community, located 230 kilometres southeast of Perth. Residents were eager to learn more about the initiative, with many stopping by to collect information show bags and get a first look at the co-operative’s new logo.

Co-op registers

In January 2025, Co-operative Care Wagin became the first of Care Together’s nine projects to be officially registered as a co-operative. The new community-owned co-operative has been formed in the West Australian wheatbelt town of Wagin and is aimed at helping local residents stay in their homes by gaining better access to essential care services.

“There are significant gaps in the services available to help people ageing in their homes and what we are hoping to do is use the collective skills and strengths of our community to ease that burden,” said Wendy Pederick, convenor of the Co-operative Care Wagin.

“Wagin is a remote community and getting access to services sometimes might mean travelling 200 to 300 kilometres, which is often difficult without the right supports,” Ms Pederick added. “There are really good services available, yet accessing these can be difficult.”

Read the full story.

Co-op receives funding

In April 2025, Co-operative Care Wagin received funding through CBH Group’s 2025 Grass Roots Community Grants program. This support will help CCW establish a much-needed community hub in the heart of Wagin, connecting residents with vital health, aged care, and social services.

Read CBH Groups media release.

Where the project is at now

Since its official registration in January 2025 as a community-owned care co-operative, Co-operative Care Wagin (CCW) continues to set a new benchmark for locally led solutions to rural health and social care challenges. CCW has now introduced a staffed concierge service that acts as a single, trusted access point for residents. This service helps people navigate aged care, disability, health and social services, while strengthening community connections and reducing isolation.

The co-operative model puts control firmly in the hands of local members, with residents, care workers and organisations each having a genuine say in governance and operation. This democratic structure means decisions are made transparently and reflect what Wagin actually needs, from workforce solutions to wider system navigation. The start-up phase is being led by a hands-on Board and dedicated volunteers, building the foundations for long-term sustainability while aiming to employ a part-time service manager within twelve months.

CCW’s immediate impact is clear: older people, people with disability and their carers now have easier, more personalised access to essential services, while local care workers gain career development and job security. The co-operative is tackling workforce shortages through plans for professional training, local partnerships and even housing pilots to attract and retain staff in the remote Wheatbelt.

Beyond delivering care, CCW is fostering social cohesion, strengthening advocacy for Wagin’s needs and leading plans for a dynamic local economy. Funding from sources like the CBH Grass Roots Community Grants program is enabling the establishment of a community hub, making vital services more visible and accessible right in the heart of town.

Looking forward, the ambition is to expand support to outlying towns, incorporate new services such as disability and youth support, launch social enterprises like a community cafe or wellness program, and document the model so that other rural communities can benefit from CCW’s learnings. Policy advocacy and workforce ecosystem development are also at the forefront, with the aim of not just helping Wagin, but leading a rural care revolution across the Wheatbelt and Australia.

Co-operative Care Wagin now stands as a living example of what’s possible when communities take ownership of care.

Visit the Co-operative Care Wagin website.

Co-operative Care Wagin in the news

• Wendy Pederick, Co-operative Care Wagin, interview, ABC Radio, 7 February 2025
• Co-operative Care Wagin is a community-driven model for regional health services, Melina Morrison interview, ABC Great Southern Breakfast with Paul Cook, 7 February 2025
• A new model for accessing health and social care in Wagin, The Wagin Wool Press, 7 February 2025
• Co-operative Care Wagin is a new community-owned entity to help vulnerable residents with aged and home care, Narrogin Observer, 10 February 2025 (paywall)
• Co-operative Care Wagin is a new community-owned entity to help vulnerable residents with aged and home care, The West Australian, 10 February 2025 (paywall)
• Bringing community-owned care back to rural Australia, Sky Regional News, 13 February 2025
• Wagin Iocals are helping locals, Farm Weekly Wagin Woolorama, 3 March 2025 (print only)
• New co-operative in Wagin receives CBH Grass Roots Grant, CBH Group, 15 April 2025
• New Wheatbelt co-operative has big plans, thanks to new round of funding, Farm Weekly, 19 April 2025 (paywall)
• Wagin cares: A new model for growing old together, The Wagin Wool Press, 26 June 2025
• Wendy Pederick, Co-operative Care Wagin, interview, ABC Great Southern Breakfast with Paul Cook, 27 June 2025

A Care Together Project

Girudala Community Co-operative Society

Project location

Bowen, Queensland

What is the market failure being addressed?

There is a shortage of care services in the area providing culturally sensitive programs to Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and South Sea Islander community members. Girudala has been in existence for 50 years but as demands for its services have increased, there has been a corresponding need to strengthen its resources.

What is the project seeking to achieve?

The co-operative currently manages affordable housing, home and community care services, homecare packages, NDIS support and Indigenous family and well-being programs and is now looking to expand its impact. Care Together is supporting Girudala in developing a robust strategic plan that focuses on enhancing membership engagement, strengthening governance and expanding services, ensuring long-term viability and sustainability. With the assistance of Care Together, Girudala is working to create a new business model that focuses on workforce development and growth in health and social care services. A key element of the partnership is supporting Girudala in developing a strategic plan that not only strengthens its operations but could also lay the foundation for replication of its model in other similar communities across Australia. The project is focused on governance renewal, updating Girudala’s constitution to align with cooperative principles and future needs. As the project develops, the co-operative’s capacity to offer culturally responsive care while contributing to the broader goal of building a sustainable, community-driven model that can be adapted to other rural and remote regions is being enhanced.

Where the project is at now

Building on more than 50 years of culturally grounded service and community leadership in Bowen and across the Whitsundays, Girudala Community Co-operative Society is embracing a period of renewal, taking bold steps to strengthen its foundations for the next generation.

In recent months, Girudala has focused on clarifying its vision, purpose and strategic priorities, all anchored in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of being, knowing and doing. Working with Care Together, the co-operative has crafted a new strategic plan and business model that sharpen its direction while honouring cultural values. This includes a refreshed focus on member engagement, with workshops and yarning circles strengthening the connection between the co-operative and its community.

A modernisation of Girudala’s constitution is underway, ensuring governance structures meet contemporary standards while embedding a cultural lens that reflects the “Girudala Way”. The new constitution will support stronger board operations, increase transparency and keep community voice central in decision-making. Alongside constitutional reform, the organisation is building the capability of its board, investing in onboarding, governance and compliance training.

Girudala is also driving workforce development, with an emphasis on culturally competent care and leadership. New strategies are being put in place to recruit, develop and retain staff, including operational improvements, targeted training, and partnerships for employment and volunteering. These efforts ensure the co-op can meet growing demand in areas like aged care, disability support and social housing, without compromising cultural integrity.

The expansion of core programs continues, particularly in affordable housing, aged care and family wellbeing. Service reviews and infrastructure upgrades are underway, with projects to improve housing quality and increase aged care capacity. Girudala is also actively exploring ways to diversify income streams, including through social enterprise opportunities and shared services, to support long-term financial sustainability.

Looking ahead, Girudala is deepening its partnerships, both locally and beyond. Engagement with Elders, other community organisations and networks is building cultural authority, while work with Care Together is supporting knowledge sharing and potential replication of this successful model elsewhere.

Through this period of renewal, Girudala is demonstrating how co-operatives, shaped by culture and community control, can deliver lasting impact for members, Elders, families and the broader Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

A Care Together Project

The expansion of Kudos Services’ existing capabilities to include delivery of comprehensive, multidisciplinary allied health care and key worker supports to older adults

Location

Regional areas of South Australia including Mount Gambier, the Riverland, and the Iron Triangle.

What is the market failure being addressed?

The review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) highlighted the importance of integrated and comprehensive support services that span an individual’s lifetime.

There’s an urgent need for innovation in aged care, especially in regional, rural, and remote areas. This initiative will address the critical gaps in current service models, particularly for those transitioning from the NDIS into aged care who need continuous support to achieve their social and community participation goals.

What is the project seeking to achieve?

With the support of the Care Together Program, Kudos aims to expand its scope from specialising in child development to providing lifelong support across all stages of human development. By expanding its services, Kudos hopes to meet the growing demand for multidisciplinary allied health teams that provide holistic care to older Australians.

Kudos Services strategic workshop

On 11 February 2025, Kudos Services welcomed Care Together representatives Peter Hunt and Nick Hislop for a comprehensive strategic workshop. Kudos team members participated in discussions focusing on the program’s purpose, challenges related to organisational growth, mutuality, Mutual Value, future partnerships and the need for a constitution review. The workshop also explored Kudos Services’ planned expansion into aged care delivery across regional South Australia through their new initiative, Kudos Health and Ageing. This expansion will enhance their service offering to include multidisciplinary allied health care and key worker supports for older adults.

Project update

As an existing mutual looking to expand its services, Kudos has already completed registration and has therefore progressed rapidly since coming on board as a Care Together project last September. Kudos Services has now entered a pivotal phase in its journey, advancing from its foundation in early childhood intervention to delivering holistic, lifespan care.

Over the past twelve months, Kudos has translated its values of equity, empowerment and inclusion into tangible action. The organisation has established steering and advisory structures, completed comprehensive needs assessments, and engaged closely with local communities and allied health professionals. Early pilot services are already live in Mount Gambier, while set-up and stakeholder engagement in the Riverland and Iron Triangle regions are well underway.

Workforce development remains a core focus, with significant investment in onboarding, member engagement and the creation of training modules that reinforce both clinical skills and mutual values. These efforts are coupled with business modelling, stakeholder consultation and digital platform development, laying the operational groundwork for sustainable regional delivery.

Kudos continues to demonstrate the unique strengths of the mutual governance model by fostering a supportive culture where employees have a meaningful say in strategy and operations. Ongoing feedback from both clients and staff is guiding iterative improvements, ensuring services remain responsive and effective as the expansion continues.

Lessons and outcomes from the pilot programs will be shared with the wider mutual and aged care sectors, contributing to sector reform and showcasing how employee-owned mutuals can drive both systemic change and day-to-day impact.

By embedding mutual values in all aspects of service, governance and workforce development, Kudos is building a platform for supporting people across the lifespan. Through their established services and expanded offerings, Kudos is demonstrating that values-led, community-focused organisations can deliver high-quality and sustainable care.

Quotes

“The Australian government’s focus on aged care reform, particularly its push for innovative solutions, aligns perfectly with Kudos’ capabilities and vision.”

“The government’s emphasis on improving care quality, increasing workforce sustainability, and fostering community engagement presents an ideal moment for Kudos to leverage its successful model of employee-controlled mutual governance.”

“By embracing this opportunity, Kudos Services aims to become a leader in lifelong support, ensuring that all Australians, regardless of their location, have access to the care they need to live fulfilling and dignified lives.”

“The expansion into aged care services is a natural progression for Kudos, building on its established expertise in child development and early intervention.

Project leader

• Liz O’Connell, Chief Executive Officer, Kudos Services