Boutique disability accommodation service recognised

HUSBAND and wife team Damian and Renee La Peyre have more than three decades of experience between them working in the disability and community service sectors.

While they’ve both experienced first-hand the evolution and growth of the sector, they have also been privy to its gaps.

“To put it bluntly, we both became quite burnt out,” Damian said.

This led the duo to take a short detour into retail, but their passion for the work quickly brought them back to the sector with a new mission to create a service that was both meaningful to the community they wished to serve, as well as to themselves.

It was from this intention that they built CoCo Support Services, a trailblazing boutique-styled accommodation service exclusively for people with disabilities, and their families and carers, who need a break.

With the aim of providing their participants with the best possible experience during periods of vulnerability, the business offers short-term accommodation, or respite, at its “whimsical” and “magical” Tranquility House.

Designed by artists, the accommodation on offer abandons the clinical and bland aesthetic still typical of services operating in the sector for an immersive and inviting experience filled with tropical plants, warm tones, rattan furnishings and Instagram-worthy Island vibes.

“We’ve made an amazing environment where people who are probably experiencing some sort of upheaval or distress or burnout can come and stay with us and just forget about all the other stuff in a really beautiful environment,” Damian said.

“And then our approach with our staff is to really take on that pampering, going above and beyond, and really, from everything right down to the food that we serve, making it a bit of an event and something special.

“We’re really proud to be from Geelong, but we’re also proud to be able to take what we know and provide it to the whole of Australia.”

CoCo Support Service has earned itself a spot among the finalists in the 2024 Geelong Business Excellence Awards, sponsored by LBW Business Wealth + Advisors.

It’s an accolade the duo said they were grateful for.

“It lets us know that we’re having a positive impact because at the end of the day, that’s what it’s about,” Damian said.

“We’ve always had really strong values around what we think is right and wrong, and we’re lucky that we’ve been able to step into a space and still create a business that is growing, but at the same time, be a flagship for disability and NDIS services.

“We’re grateful to be able to let people know about the amazing things that are actually happening in Geelong.

“We see ourselves as part of a generation of innovation that’s happening in Geelong. As we’re seeing in all the nominees, it’s really diverse what people are bringing to the local community.”

To safeguard the experience of their participants, CoCo Support Services maintains a strong focus on those who may be easily overstimulated or traumatised to ensure their needs are met and they receive the attention and service they desire.

The team has now begun expanding its service offering into supported independent living, providing long-term accommodation services and elevating the standard for dignified, independent living for its participants.

For more information, or to secure your tickets to the GBEA presentation event at The Pier Geelong on October 17, head to gbea.com.au