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Community and human services

Mutual community service providers…

  • Are a new expression of public interest ownership
  • Build trust and confidence in service providers through participative ownership
  • Enable staff to reach their full potential

Are a new expression of public interest ownership

Mutuals are focussed on the services they exist to deliver, affording a direct relationship between service providers and users, rather than through public authority bureaucracies or private sector operators.

Build trust and confidence in service providers through participative ownership

By engaging staff and service users directly, mutuals provide a voice for all stakeholders, ensuring that services are co-produced and trusted by all.

Enable staff to reach their full potential

Employee owned mutuals deliver superior business performance because employees tend to be more entrepreneurial and committed to the company and its success.

Find out more

Read about our Care Together Program to start and grow more co-ops and mutuals in social care.

Browse our campaign Action to Empower: Social Care Mutuals and read our Action to Empower report.

Read our Discussion Paper: Co-operatives and Mutuals as Social Enterprises

What are care co-ops and mutuals?

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Community and human services examples

bHive Bendigo

bHive is based in Bendigo, Victoria. Local Bendigo residents will build, operate and own the platform that will build over time to provide skill sharing, car sharing, lifts, food sharing, logistics, house sharing, crowdfunding, insurance and lots more.
Established Year: 2017
Type: Platform co-operative
Industry: Community and human services
Caboolture Community Work Cooperative

Caboolture Workers Co-op

The Caboolture Workers Co-op manages a social enterprise coffee shop at the Morayfield Health Hub.
Established Year: 2006
Type: Consumer-owned
Industry: Community and human services, Retailing and wholesale
Kudos Services logo

Kudos Services

Kudos Services is Australia’s first employee-owned public service mutual, with a focus on empowering children, young people and their families to live their best lives.
Established Year: 2018
Type: Worker-owned, Mutual
Industry: Community and human services

Nundah Community Enterprises Cooperative

Creates meaningful employment for members with cognitive and psychological disabilities. One of Australia's first social enterprises.
Established Year: 1998
Type: Worker-owned
Industry: Community and human services
SuppHorticulture is auspiced by The Veggie Empire

SuppHorticulture

Empowers neuro-diverse individuals through vocational horticulture training and inclusive workplace participation. It is auspiced by The Veggie Empire.
Type: Producer-owned
Industry: Agriculture, Community and human services
Supporting Independent Living Co-operative Logo

Supporting Independent Living Co-operative

Assists families to connect and create sustainable homes and life experiences for their family member living with disability.
Established Year: 2016
Type: Worker-owned
Industry: Community and human services, Housing
The Co-operative Life Logo

The Co-operative Life

The Co-operative Life is a financially sustainable, employee owned co-operative providing support services to adults of all aged groups who have mild, to very complex and multiple disabilities, people who live with chronic disease or are frail and elderly.
Established Year: 2013
Type: Worker-owned
Industry: Community and human services

The Rural Woman Cooperative

Enables connection of rural women and assisting them to improve their wellbeing, agency and/or financial security.
Type: Consumer-owned
Industry: Community and human services

Community and human services submissions

Aged Care Bill 2024 [Provisions]

BCCM's submission to the Parliamentary committee reviewing the Aged Care Bill 2024.
Jurisdiction: Australian Government
Committee: Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
Submission Date: 30 Sep 2024

Design and implementation of a graduated risk-proportionate regulatory model

The BCCM made a submission to the NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce. We advocated for recognition of co-operatives in the new registration framework and provided examples of how...
Jurisdiction: Australian Government
Committee: NDIS Provider and Worker Registration Taskforce
Submission Date: 28 Apr 2024

Aged Care Bill 2023 Exposure Draft

BCCM submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care in response to the Exposure Draft of the Aged Care Bill 2023 (the Bill).
Jurisdiction: Australian Government
Committee: Department of Health and Aged Care
Submission Date: 08 Mar 2024
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