Different, Stronger, Together: The Chorus Journey in Community Care

This blog post is part of 80+ case studies of progressive organizations we created for the ZeroDX awards 2025. These organizations embody the principles of RenDanHeYi in their work structures:

• Zero Distance to customer: Decision what to build is based on insights from the marketplace

• Autonomy: Small teams with full decision-making autonomy enable speed in execution

• Shared Rewards: Everyone in the micro-enterprise participates in its financial success.

Today more than one thousand people, including employees and volunteers, carry this purpose across Perth andregional towns. They work in aged care, mental health, and disability support, but what defines Chorus is not its service lines. It is the relationships built with each person as part of a wider community of family, neighbors, and networks. Care is seen as something that strengthens those ties rather than reducing people to individual needs.

In 2021, this perspective was translated into a major redesign called the Fresh Approach to Community Service.Developed through consultation with staff and local communities, it rested on five principles: everyone should have the chance to thrive, support must start from local context, community citizenship should be activated, formal and informal networks should be connected, and teamwork should sustain kindness. After this beginning, the fresh approach became part of everyday work rather than a one-off initiative.

The structural shift was significant. What had been seven layers of management and central planning gave way to Chorus 2.0, a system of twenty autonomous teams known as Locals. Each team of around fifteen people is multiskilled, closely linked to its customers, and trusted to make decisions quickly. Weekly meetings help them shareinsights, and continuity is maintained when team members cover for each other. The idea that “your postcode becomesyour purpose” reflects the spirit of these teams, who work close to home and build lasting ties in their communities. In a sector often defined by compliance and turnover, this design has created greater responsiveness and stronger bonds between staff and customers. It illustrates the RenDanHeYi principle of zero distance, where decisions are made directly in response to the lived experience of the customer.

The fresh approach also took shape in community initiatives. One of these, the Intergenerational Playgroup, created opportunities for older residents and young families to spend time together. The All Abilities Disco was designed as a welcoming social space for people of different ages and abilities. The Ability Arts program offered workshops in music and creative expression, while Tea and Technology paired elders with high school students so that both could share knowledge and skills across generations. Together these initiatives showed that care could be a shared community experience, where value was created beyond formal service delivery. They also reflected the RenDanHeYi idea of shared value creation, where communities and organizations co create outcomes together.

Supporting the Local teams is an enabling group of about thirty five people whose role is to provide the systems andpractices that allow the frontline to thrive. Rather than functioning as a traditional back office, the enabling team focuses on culture, collaboration, and accountability. It
was created to replace silos with transparent agreements and shared practices across the whole organization. As the merger flattened its structure, this team helped manage the transition, though the change was easier for some than for others.

To ensure fairness in this new environment, Chorus introduced the Remuneration Diamond. This approach links pay tocontribution rather than job title by combining three levels of technical capability with three levels of leadership.Employees assess themselves, receive peer feedback, and results are reviewed annually by the REM Squad, a group dedicated to remuneration, equity, and merit. In some cases pay is adjusted retrospectively to recognise contributions that had previously gone unrewarded. The model underlines that growth and leadership can emerge anywhere in theorganization, reinforcing the RenDanHeYi principle of autonomy and distributed accountability.

The Remuneration Diamond also connects directly to the wider learning culture at Chorus. Development is seen not only as building skills but as growing the whole person, and recognition systems encourage people to pursue new levels of contribution. Around one hundred people are working toward qualifications in community services, mental health, or leadership, while peer review processes and the living playbook help spread knowledge across teams. Wellbeing surveys and support services provide regular feedback and immediate help, ensuring employees feel connected and supported. Diversity is embraced as a driver of creativity and innovation, reflecting the communitiesChorus serves and ensuring that individual differences are respected and valued. These practices keep the fresh approach alive and evolving rather than static.

In 2025, the broader policy environment in Western Australia shifted in ways that supported this direction. The Supporting Communities Forum was renewed for another two years, aiming to strengthen collaboration between government and service providers and reduce administrative burdens. For an organization built on autonomy and local responsiveness, this development affirmed that its way of working was aligned with emerging priorities in the sector.

Chorus is still formally governed by a board of eight non executive directors, but its identity now rests with theautonomy of its local teams and the trust it places in communities. By redesigning care around connection, contribution, and local empowerment, it has shown how RenDanHeYi principles can be applied outside the corporate world. What began as a merger has become a demonstration of how relationships and creativity can reshape community life for both employees and those they support.