Care Plans to Community Plans: How the NDIS has prepared me for  Strata Management

Care Plans to Community Plans: How the NDIS has prepared me for  Strata Management

Finalist Essay at the 2026 SCA-SA/NT Awards

When I first started working at Stratarama, I felt an immediate connection to the organisation. Stratarama is a name I have been familiar with through the South Australian Football Community. I have been playing football at a local community club for many years and also enjoy attending SANFL and AFL games, so being part of an organisation with strong community connections felt like a natural fit for me. I had also previously attended and assisted with events for Puddle Jumpers through a former role, which gave me an appreciation for the importance of organisations that genuinely contribute to the community around them.

What was a surprise to me was how much my previous career in the disability health sector would prepare me for a career in Strata Management.

Before entering the Strata Industry, I worked in the Disability space as a Service Manager for in home care. On the surface, the two industries appear very different. One is centred around individual goals, caring for participants and managing and training support workers, while the other is focused on buildings, common property, budgets, maintenance and by-laws.

However, since starting in Strata Management, I have realised there is a big connection between the two: people.

The disability health sector is fundamentally person-centred. Every participant has individual needs, goals, circumstances and preferences. A Service Manager needs to understand those individual needs and circumstances, communicate with multiple stakeholders and ensure that everyone is working collectively for the clients care.

Strata Management requires many similar skills.

Some owners may have different circumstances, priorities and expectations. Some may be very experienced with Strata, while others may be new to community living and unfamiliar with the processes involved. Contractors, committees, tenants and other stakeholders also must work collectively in this space. While they all bring their own perspectives to the table it is important for the Strata Manager to manage and work collaboratively with all of them. 

The role of a Stata Manager is not simply about knowing the legislation, or managing maintenance request, but also about understanding people and helping them navigate a shared environment.

One of the most interesting comparisons I have found is between an Annual General Meeting and the review of a client’s care plan.

In the Disability sector, we would review and update care plans annually or when there has been a significant change to the clients circumstance. It is an opportunity to look back at the year, what has happened and has been achieved, what is working and determine what needs to change. It involves meeting with the participant, allied health, relevant stakeholders, discussing goals and planning the next steps together.

An Annual General Meeting is similar in that Owners review the financial year, consider what has occurred within their community and make decisions about the next 12 months. Budgets, maintenance, projects and priorities are discussed, and Owners have an opportunity to contribute to decisions affecting their property and community.

While the terminology and legislation may be different, the concept is very similar: review, listen, plan and move forward together.

My previous experience and role has also taught me that good communication is the most important tool when working with people.

In disability and in-home support, communication would involve participants, families, , support workers, support coordinators, allied health professionals and other service providers. Each stakeholder would have different information, knowledge, expectation and priorities. As a Service Manager, I learned the importance of ensuring that people understood what was happening, what the next steps were and when they would expect an outcome.

Carrying that lesson into Strata Management, when an owner gets in contact with their Strata Manager, they may be asking a simple questions, or they may be trying to navigate something a bit more complex. Even when the answer seems straight forward to someone in the Strata Profession, it may not be straightforward to the person asking or making the request. It is very important to take the time to explain the process clearly. People do not always want an immediate solution but may just want to feel heard.

Attention to details is another skill that has transferred directly from my previous career into Strata Management.

Both industries require very careful documentation, an understanding of complex processes and the ability to manage multiple matters at the same time. In Strata, the meeting minutes, financials, maintenance requests or contractor communication, every bit of detail matters when you are acting on behalf of a corporation.

One of the most valuable lessons that prepared me for Strata Management is how to approach disagreement.

In both industries people can have strong and sometimes conflicting opinions. When emotions are involved it can be easy to focus on what is right or wrong. The best approach is to listen to all sides of the situation, ensuring all parties are heard but remaining completely neutral. Showing empathy and providing guidance to the correct course of action that follows by-laws and legislation. In my previous career, conflict resolution between clients and even support workers was part of my every day, ensuring people are working collaboriatively as a team.

While there are many differences between the Disability Sector and Strata, both require people to work together, communicate effectively and navigate complex systems.

I am confident that my previous career provided me with many of the foundations required to be a good Strata Manager: empathy, communication, organisation, attention to detail, neutrality, problem-solving and a genuine desire to help people.

Ultimately people are what make a Strata a Community, that is the lesson I carried from the Disability sector into Strata.

Submitted by Kayla Neilson-Poole