With the right support, Dom is turning his passion for gardening and people into a thriving local business.
Image: Two photos of Dom. The first shows Dom wearing a high vis shirt and hat, smiling at the camera. The second shows Dom standing in a garden, holding a whipper-snipper.
If you’ve driven through Forest Hill or the surrounding suburbs in Melbourne’s East lately, you might have noticed the lawns looking a little neater, edges trimmed with care, and gardens in top shape. That’s all thanks to Dom, who has launched his own mowing business.
"I have a mild intellectual disability and enjoy looking after people's lawns and gardens." Dom shared.
The idea for the business came about through conversations and active listening with Dom and his support team. Having previously worked on a school groundskeeping team, Dom brings experience and dedication to his new venture. And since retiring from that role, he’s been keen to stay active and connected to the community.
Image: Dom wearing a blue beanie, an orange high-vis jumper, and work pants, holds a leaf blower and smiles at the camera.
Dom’s team recognised his desire to stay busy, do something meaningful, and build local connections. From chatting about what he enjoys, to exploring what those interests could look like in practice, the idea of starting a lawn mowing business began to take shape.
Together, Dom and his support team worked out a loose business plan and researched potential customers, including supported accommodation houses in the area. Dom started mowing on Saturdays and quickly expanded to Thursdays and Fridays.
As well as the garden essentials like mowing, pruning, and using a whipper snipper, Dom can also help clients looking for their fence painted or a yard clean up.
Image: Dom wearing a high vis shirt, standing behind a lawn mower.
Now, Dom is working towards building his client base and taking on more regular jobs. This growth has called on staff to provide graded assistance, giving the right amount and type of support at each step. Dom brings the practical skills, eagerness and personality, while his team helps him set up the advertising, manage admin tasks, and sort out payment systems. These are new skills that Dom is steadily developing with the right guidance, and the plan is that over time, he’ll be able to take on more of the admin side independently.
In the meantime, his team continues to support him with transport, scheduling and managing payments, so Dom can focus on the parts of the job he loves. Whether it’s mowing, whipper snipping or chatting to new clients, Dom is hands-on and in control of how his business develops.
Image: Dom standing in front of a garden shed, holding a leaf blower.
It’s also been a learning journey for support staff who have continually assessed how best to support Dom, when to step in, when to step back, and how to collaborate as a team to provide consistent, person-centred support. It’s been a shared effort and a great example of how Active Support helps people take the lead in their own lives.
With his earnings, Dom reinvests in new equipment, both for his business and for tinkering in his backyard workshop. When he’s not out gardening, that’s where you’ll find him.
If you’re in Melbourne’s east and your lawn or garden could use some attention, Dom is your man. Get in touch if with Dom's support team on 0436 912 392 if you'd like a quote from Dom.
Supporting meaningful lives through Active Support
For more than 80 per cent of the people we support with an intellectual disability, we know that using Active Support is the single greatest influence on improving their quality of life. We have been laying the foundations for this through frontline practice leadership training, monthly webinars, and celebrating stories of the power of everyday engagement through team meetings, forums and newsletters.
By launching our Advancing Active Support Plan, we strengthened our partnership with Professor Chris Bigby and the Living with Disability Research Centre at La Trobe University. Together, we are working towards our vision of making Active Support part of everything we do, so the people we support can live engaged, meaningful, and independent lives.
Active Support is most powerful when it moves beyond training and becomes part of everyday practice.
"We know piecemeal training doesn’t work, which means there is much that will be learned over time from Life Without Barriers’ comprehensive whole of organisation approach to embedding Active Support and Frontline Practice Leadership." Said Professor Chris Bigby.
Are you looking for disability services?
Please get in touch to discuss your plan, ask questions, or request more information. We'd love to hear from you.
Call 1800 610 699 or email disability.enquiries@lwb.org.au.
