about us
How Did We Start?
Empowered Community Services was founded in 2017 with a clear purpose: to do disability support differently.
The organisation was built on firsthand experience in the sector, shaped by years of working directly alongside people with complex needs in Supported Independent Living and Community Access. What became clear early on was that the people receiving support deserved more than what the system was consistently delivering.
Time and funding constraints were cutting experiences short. People weren’t getting the level of community access they deserved. And too often, unfamiliar support workers were being sent in from other services, people who didn’t know the individual, didn’t understand their needs, and couldn’t build the kind of trust that makes real support possible.
Empowered was founded to fix that.
The belief was simple: consistency, trust, and genuine community connection aren’t extras. They’re the foundation. And with the right team, built around the right values, it was possible to deliver something meaningfully better, especially for people whose needs had long been underserved.
Our Vision is A world where people with a disability can access their
community to live, work, play, and thrive.
Our Difference
At Empowered Community Services, we pride ourselves on genuinely understanding the people we support, not just through policy or paperwork, but through lived experience. Over half our office team have worked as Support Workers at some point in their careers, which gives us a deep, grounded understanding of what quality support really looks like on the ground.
Our team also brings a strong mix of professional knowledge to the table, with many staff holding qualifications in psychology, social sciences, and related fields. This background helps inform how we deliver our services, not just with heart, but with insight.
We’ve been recognised over the years for the work we do, winning several local business awards and receiving acknowledgment from community leaders including Mayor Kay Fraser, the Honourable Sonia Hornery, and other local community members. It’s something we’re proud of, but at the end of the day, our real measure of success is seeing Participants living the lives they want, connected to community, doing what they love.
What We do
We deliver high-quality, individualised support under the NDIS that helps people with a disability build capacity and independence whilst ensuring they have every opportunity to participate in their community. Our services are delivered by a team of passionate and experienced staff who are committed to making a difference in the lives of the people we support. We work closely with our Participants and their families to develop tailor-made support plans that meet their individual needs and goals.
Our team focuses on developing strong relationships with Participants, their families and the community. We have regular check-ins with staff and Participants. We ensure that goals are being worked toward and any changes or challenges are communicated with staff to receive the best possible support on your NDIS journey with us. Empowered Community Services is a values-based organisation, and our team lives by our values of consistency, development, diversity, trust, understanding and respect.
Our Focus is on People
People may have some differences, but they are just like us. Like our Participants, our staff are diverse, and each has their own interests and backgrounds, enabling us to provide the best and most appropriate staff to assist our Participants in reaching their goals and aspirations.
All of our staff are trained to national standards and complete our two-day in-house training. Staff are trained on a variety of different topics, including disability awareness, mental health, and disability inclusion.
At Empowered, Participants are at the centre of everything we do. We prioritise their voice, ensuring they have genuine choice and control over the services they receive. Our approach is built around inclusion, supporting each Participant to be an active, valued member of their community and to contribute in ways that are meaningful to them.
Since the beginning of Empowered, we have always promoted real-world experiences that enable Participants to share ordinary places. We understand that our Participants are more than Participants. They are people, each with their own story and background. One of the great things about our working in this industry is we get to discover those stories!
Core Values
consistency
Empowered strongly believes that consistent hard work leads to successful outcomes.
development
Our services are committed to the ongoing development of service delivery and growth of our Participants.
diversity
Empowered will respect and value the diversity of employees and Participants.
trust
Trust ensures that we can make complex things possible.
understanding
If we do not understand, how can we contribute? To collaborate well we must understand ourselves and each other.
respect
When we respect someone for who they are, it enables them to be their ideal self.