Company: Annette Densham, Gold Coast, Queensland
Nomination Submitted by: Award Writing Services
Company Description: Wordsmithing compelling award entries for enterpreneurs and business leaders
Nomination Category: Company/Organization Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Startup of the Year - Consumer Services Industries
 Nomination Title: Caring Lotus: NDIS Support Provider Changing Stereotypes
- Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 52 words used.
Please read our support document. It shows more detail about our journey from start up to a thriving business helping 100s of people with disabilities. The document has insights on our growth, values, community engagement initiatives, social media stats for engagement, financial insights and photos of the incredible people we work with.
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes, explaining the achievements since July 1, 2022 of the nominated organization, OR written answers to the questions? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video. If you are submitting written answers to the questions for this category, provide them in the appropriate spaces below:
- Briefly describe the nominated organization: history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 195 words used.
Caring Lotus, a dedicated NDIS provider, provides comprehensive support services to people with disabilities. Our primary activities include In-Home Support and Community Access, ensuring our clients receive essential care and assistance for their daily lives.
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In-Home Support - self-care tasks - showering, dressing, and household chores.
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Community Access - helps clients attend appointments and participate in social activities.
Our clients are NDIS participants who need personalised support to navigate daily life. With choice and control at the heart of all we do, our clients are empowered to make decisions about their care and live their best lives. Our trained support workers provide compassionate, effective assistance, ensuring each client's unique needs and preferences are met.
Our commitment fosters a sense of community and belonging. We know that many of our clients and support workers often experience isolation, so we organise monthly events to bring them together. These gatherings help clients feel part of a supportive family and allow support workers to connect in an industry where they typically work in isolation. Our purpose is to enhance the lives of people with disabilities, who trust us with their care, by providing tailored support and a strong community.
- Outline the organization's achievements since July 1 2022 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
In our first year, we turned over $1.78 million, to $3.8 million in 2023, and hit $5.7 million in 2024 - 120% growth without any marketing spend.
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Wish Keeper - a secure platform that allows our clients to store important information and personal wishes, ensuring their preferences are always respected, especially during critical times.
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Matchmaking - pairing support workers and clients based on shared interests; we matched a car enthusiast support worker with a young client who loves cars just as much. They now spend their time together fixing cars, visiting wreckers, and attending car shows. This careful matchmaking helps build strong, personalised connections, making their time together both enjoyable and productive.
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“MUD” form—standing for Miscommunication, Understanding, or Directions—to help us continuously improve. If needed, we send sorry cards to workers or clients, showing we take ownership of our mistakes.
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Professional development - Aaron Sansoni membership and Business Network International (BNI), improving what we do and supporting local businesses, directing over $65k their way.
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Caring Lotus app - designed/developed as a central hub listing every staff member for easy connection and communication, centralises forms, and integrated links to important sites and support helplines to ensure our team has the resources they need at their fingertips.
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Certification process - support workers with two years of experience can become certified in just two to four weeks through an RTO and RPL.
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Intake process - revamped to be more personalised and client-focused by thoroughly understanding each client’s needs and preferences.
- Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 247 words used.
When the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was introduced in 2013, its aim was to provide equitable, personalised support for Australians with disabilities to enhance their quality of life and social and economic participation. The scheme has faced criticism for its complex processes, inconsistent funding, lengthy waiting times, lack of specialist providers, poor communication, administrative burdens, and inflexibility. People with disabilities and their families have been taken advantage of by providers, who’ve overcharged for services, provided substandard care, exploited gaps in regulation, and engaged in fraudulent activities, undermining the scheme's effectiveness and integrity.
As someone with fresh eyes on the industry, Kerry vowed to do things differently.
The successes of the past two years underpin her commitment to give Caring Lotus clients agency and control over their plans, to reinforce and inspire support workers to remember that every client is a person first. Focusing on personalised onboarding and daily care, prioritising ethical practices, ensuring transparency and accountability, and consistently maintaining high standards of service quality and client satisfaction, Kerry has achieved what she set out to achieve. In an industry where casual staff retention is low, she has created a workplace that inspires her team to go above and beyond. This is also reflected in the programs Caring Lotus has rolled out that go beyond standard care. Recognising that people with disabilities want to earn income and be part of the community is driven by entrepreneurial and social initiatives like the car wash and regular social events.
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