Co-operative Care Wagin

A co-operative approach to care in WA’s wheatbelt

A Care Together Project

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.