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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 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

Community Care Wagin

A place-based, community-owned organisation dedicated to supporting Wagin, WA residents and care organisations to work together to solve local problems and create shared solutions.
Established Year: 2025
Type: Consumer-owned
Industry: Community and human services

Eurobodalla Community Care Co-operative

Bringing workers together in a co-op to help meet the challenges of a rapidly changing regulatory environment and growing demand for services.
Established Year: 2025
Type: Worker-owned
Industry: Community and human services
Girudala Logo

Girudala Community Co-operative Society

Providing programs and services in the areas of health promotion, affordable housing, home care, family wellbeing support, employment and training.  
Established Year: 1974
Type: Consumer-owned
Industry: Community and human services, First Nations co-operatives

Glen Innes CARE Co-operative

Member-owned, not-for-profit and driven by the shared vision of local people, service providers and partner organisations.
Established Year: 2025
Type: Consumer-owned
Industry: Community and human services, Healthcare

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

Murrumbidgee Aged Care Network Co-operative

Supporting aged care providers to continue growing and improving the person-centred care in the communities they serve, now and into the future.  
Established Year: 2025
Type: Producer-owned
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
The Co-operative Life Logo

The Co-operative Life

The Co-operative Life providse safe, high quality, caring support services for elderly people and people living with disability.  
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

New Aged Care Act Rules consultation – Release 3 – Provider Obligations

Submission to the Department of Health and Aged Care in response to the draft Aged Care Act Rules – Release 3.
Jurisdiction: Australian Government
Committee: Department of Health and Aged Care
Submission Date: 12 Mar 2025

Review of Primary Health Network Business Model & Mental Health Flexible Funding Model

Care Together submission on the Primary Health Network Business Model and how Care Together projects are demonstrating better alternatives that empower communities.
Jurisdiction: Australian Government
Committee: Department of Health and Aged Care
Submission Date: 22 Jan 2025

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
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