Meet Our Directors – Harvey & Bridget

We wanted to create a family-run business where our values could drive the way we deliver genuine care to our community. With Harvey’s background in teaching and sport, Bridget’s in nursing, and both our parents wanting to remain at home as they aged, we saw the opportunity to build a unique service – one that centred around both clients and staff, and reflected our family values.

Our business was founded in 2014 under a franchise name. In July 2024, we launched our new identity as Real Caring. The early days were both exciting and nerve-wracking – working from our kitchen table while juggling accounts, paperwork, and client phone calls day and night. It was challenging, but also incredibly rewarding to be building something of our own.

In the beginning, our entire home became the office until we eventually set up a dedicated room, and later rented an office nearby. These days, all of our admin staff work from home, while our care staff are out on the road. Balancing staff onboarding with client needs was (and still is) one of the hardest challenges, though technology now makes it more manageable. Keeping up with government changes has also been demanding, but through relationships, training, and persistence, we’ve built the knowledge and skills to keep growing stronger.

• Our Name – Real Caring: After much thought, we chose a name that reflects who we are and what we promise to deliver. It holds us accountable to always provide care that is truly “real.”

• Approved Provider Status & Accreditation: Meeting government standards gave us the foundation of trust and safety for our clients and community.

• Our First Client: From day one, we focused on carefully selecting staff who share our values – people we would trust with our own parents.

• Growing the Team: Building a team that mirrors our values has been one of our proudest achievements.

• Feedback & Culture: We listen to feedback from clients and staff, act on it, and celebrate wins together. Clients want to be cared for by Real Caring, and staff want to work here – not because we’re perfect, but because we’re always striving to be better.

• How has the organisation evolved since its founding?
  Real Caring has become more client- and staff-centred, with technology supporting accuracy, timeliness, and safety across rosters, care plans, and payroll. At the same time, we’ve stayed true to the human side of care – ensuring clients can still pick up the phone and hear a kind voice, and staff always receive the support they need.

Both our parents have been on Home Care Packages and later in residential aged care, so we’ve experienced the journey firsthand.

A story that truly exemplifies what Real Caring stands for is that of Margaret, an elderly client whose family reached out to us after deciding that permanent care was not the right option for her. Margaret loved her independence and missed being at home, but required extra support to continue living safely and comfortably in her own space.

Margaret was supported by our Care Workers twice daily—morning and evening. Our team assisted her with showering, household tasks, and community engagement, such as going out for coffee, visiting Spotlight, knitting together, and simply enjoying the ocean view from her balcony.

Over the seven years of Margaret’s care, she was supported by four dedicated Care Workers, including the Executive Manager of Real Caring. Each developed a deep and meaningful bond with her, sharing in her joys, supporting her goals, and ensuring she could remain in her beloved home.

Margaret passed away peacefully at home in October 2021. Those who cared for her remember her as a kind, beautiful, and spirited person, whose life reminds us why Real Caring is committed to providing compassionate, personalised care that honours the individual.

Once we defined our core values and the qualities we seek in staff, we realised our values would guide the entire development of Real Caring. Today, this can be seen in the way we communicate, support one another, and use technology to make systems smoother and more reliable.

Eliza has been with us for 10 years, growing from care worker to Executive Manager. She is hardworking, dedicated, resilient, and highly skilled with technology. She never gives up, communicates openly and honestly, and always has time for clients and staff. Her journey mirrors the very values Real Caring was built on.

We look for people who live our core values – Compassion, Dignity, Excellence, Innovation, Collaboration, Integrity and Empowerment – alongside the skills and knowledge to provide excellent support.

To continue building a home care service that delivers genuine, high-quality care for clients while remaining a wonderful place for staff to work. When we focus on those two things, everything else naturally falls into place.