Flourish Australia
(64 reviews)
Company Reviews
Working at Flourish Australia
2.964 ratings in total
5
14
4
11
3
10
2
11
1
18
83%
39%
Work/Life balance
3.1(64 ratings)
Career development
2.8(64 ratings)
Benefits & perks
2.8(64 ratings)
Management
2.5(64 ratings)
Working environment
2.9(64 ratings)
Diversity & equal opportunity
3.2(63 ratings)
Reviews
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1.0
Peer Worker
Apr 2026Queanbeyan NSW 26201 to 2 years in the role, former employee
Irresponsible & Deceptive
The good things-Pay was fair
-Company vehicles are available for staff to use
-Learning from the participants, their recovery journeys and insights
-The flexibility & creativity that comes with working in a goal-oriented, non-clinical space
-Some staff and some managers in specific programs do good work
The challenges-"Anything goes" company culture. Impossible to work with integrity within a culture that doesn't hold unsafe practices & incompetent staff accountable
-Tokenistic peer workforce. I felt confused about what I owed the participants and what was expected of me. No one was willing to provide meaningful leadership or guidance which confirmed that the scope of the role is kept carelessly vague on purpose to maximise $. In some instances "peer support" constituted driving participants around.
-Management was careless in coordinating participants who access the service; many do not use the service in a recovery-oriented way, which should make them ineligible for the programs they are onboarded into. Boundaries about the scope of the service are not enforced which inevitably creates a dynamic where longer-term participants become dependent on the service (and this maximises $).
-The company's record keeping system is a joke. Many of us worked outside the hrs of the job playing catch-up
2 people found this helpful
1.0
Mental Health Support Worker
Mar 2026Murrumbidgerie NSW 2830Less than 1 year in the role, current employee
Staff need the Board to demand clarity, not curated narratives, from the executive
The good thingsI find the work rewarding and I'm very fortunate to have such caring colleagues
The challengesI’ve worked in mental health services for many years and care about the work we do. The rollout of the new client information system has been poorly managed and has created major challenges for staff and clients.
The biggest frustration is the lack of clear ownership or accountability. Staff are held to very high performance standards, yet the same expectations don’t seem to apply to operational decision‑making. It’s left many of us feeling disillusioned.
I hope the organisation strengthens its executive leadership so staff can focus on delivering quality care with confidence.
3 people found this helpful
1.0
Experienced Support Coordinator
Mar 2026Far West & North Central NSW3 to 4 years in the role, former employee
Bad experience. Wouldn't recommend it
The good thingsSalary was OK and some of the team members were OK.
The challengesNegative culture. Unhappy workplace and target driven to the detriment of clients and staff
3 people found this helpful
3.0
Peer Worker
Feb 2026Newcastle, Maitland & Hunter NSW8 to 9 years in the role, current employee
It’s okay. Depending on your goals.
The good thingsPeople who we support.
The income.
Use of fleet vehicles.
Active night shifts.
Monthly Reflective Practice.
Training for Staff has improved.
Apple products.
The challengesFavouritism from management.
Some staff can get away with everything but others cannot. The staff who are the loudest and will fight the system get rewarded while loyal staff do not get a look in and. The culture “it is what it is”. Not good for morale.
They have people in mind for an advancement opportunity, go through the motions and say the process was fair.
Flourish Connect (new participant system) hard to navigate. No training and effective consultation with the change from older system.
1 person found this helpful
2.0
Various Roles over 4 years
Feb 2026Armidale NSW 23504 to 5 years in the role, former employee
I was not contacted for an exit interview, and the lack of communication left me feeling dismissed.
The good thingsWhen I first began with Flourish, I felt genuinely supported. I received guidance in my initial role and was encouraged to complete my studies, which I appreciated deeply. One of the main reasons I applied was the potential for career growth, and in those early years, I felt that possibility was real. This support meant a great deal to me.
The challengesOver time, I noticed significant changes within the organisation. The shift in priorities became clear, with an increased focus on KPIs and oversight. Some team coordinators were placed in leadership roles without recent program experience, which made it difficult for them to provide the guidance many staff needed. Staff were often encouraged to seek support from peers rather than management, which created added pressure and uncertainty.
The introduction of the new client management system also brought challenges, as it did not seem well aligned with the needs of several programs. This added to the workload and stress for many staff.
There were times when communication felt dismissive, and it became difficult to access support from managers or the helpdesk. Responses to messages and emails were often delayed or unavailable, which made it harder to meet expectations. Over time, it felt as though the focus had shifted away from mental health support and more toward financial outcomes.
3 people found this helpful
4.0
NDIS Mental Health Access Officer
Oct 2025Rockhampton QLD 4700Less than 1 year in the role, former employee
Overall, it was a pretty positive experience. I would happily work for Flourish Australia again.
The good thingsProfessional work environment, colleagues were great & flexible working conditions.
The challengesOnboarding and offboarding processes need to be improved.
5.0
Chief Development Officer
Aug 2025Sydney Olympic Park NSW 21279 to 10 years in the role, current employee
great, very challenging environment and focused on improving outcomes for people living with challenges of complex mental health
The good thingsvery collaborative work environment
The challengesSome systems are bit old
1.0
Peer Worker
Jul 2025Marrickville NSW 22043 to 4 years in the role, former employee
I will not recommend to work here but if you only care about getting paid then it might work out.
The good thingsWorking with supported employees
The challengesSince we have new management, they are super micromanaged, especially the site manager, lack of understanding, compassion, and empathy for their own staff and the NDIS participants. My mental health got worse at this job since they hired a new manager a couple years ago.
8 people found this helpful
GM P&CThank you for your feedback. I am sorry you had a poor experience with local management. Please feel free contact us to share your concerns in more details and help us improve our services.
30d+ ago
1.0
Peer Worker
Mar 2025Brisbane QLD 40001 to 2 years in the role, former employee
Not supportive, watch out while on probation.
The good thingsThe actual work is awesome and the team are amazing. Flexible work arrangements.
The challengesManagement tend to target those with lived experiences. Lack of support or understanding of what it means to have lived experience from upper management.
9 people found this helpful
GM P&CThank you for your feedback. I agree that the work we do is awesome, built on strong values and a great workforce that share those values. Lived Experience is central to our approach, and I’m sorry for your negative experience. Please feel free to contact me directly if you wish to discuss this further. I am available to review what actions can be taken to avoid a similar experience in the future.
30d+ ago
1.0
Support Worker
Mar 2025Broken Hill NSW 28801 to 2 years in the role, former employee
Traumatic, workplace was unsupportive and did not follow a lot of their code of conduct and ethics for both participants and workers. Would not recommend working here.
The good thingsWorking with the clients was great, some of the training was interesting and informative.
The challengesManagement, Shady practices, intimidation and lack of communication.
8 people found this helpful
GM P&CThank you for your feedback. I agree that working with the individuals accessing our services is indeed great. It’s also wonderful to hear that you found some of the training both interesting and informative. Given Flourish Australia's 70-year history, I am deeply concerned by the issues you mentioned regarding poor management, questionable practices, intimidation, and communication breakdowns. I’d be happy to discuss this matter further with you and address the concerns raised.
30d+ ago
3.0
Peer Support Worker
Feb 2025Tamworth NSW 23401 to 2 years in the role, current employee
Thank goodness great onsite manager but wouldn’t want to be them dealing with upper management
The good thingsClients and coworkers the manager been great
The challengesUpper mananagent no other concerns about staff client except outputs and looking good
4 people found this helpful
1.0
Mental Health Worker
Jan 2025Salisbury SA 5108Less than 1 year in the role, former employee
Disempowering and devaluing.
The good thingsWorking with clients.
The challenges- Micromanagement is seen as an effective way to control & disempower employees.
- Management does not appreciate proactive & passionate employees, they prefer you to be part of a click.
- Culturally incompetent - management has displayed micro aggressions despite so-called organisational values.
10 people found this helpful
2.0
Support Coordinator
Jan 2025Newcastle, Maitland & Hunter NSW9 to 10 years in the role, former employee
Disappointing experience
The good thingsAmazing participants, good co workers
The challengesFlourish was once an amazing organisation, management changed and became solely focused on making money and KPIs. No longer person centered
9 people found this helpful
5.0
Headspace Manager
Sep 2024Bankstown NSW 2200current employee
Working in an NGO like Flourish Australia can be rewarding due to its focus on mental health and community impact. Management are very supportive and guided my career journey.
The good thingsFlourish Australia has a strong focus on mental health, not just for participants but also for staff. The organisation’s commitment to promoting well-being and recovery can foster a collaborative and empathetic work environment.
The challengesWorking in a non-governmental organisation (NGO) like Flourish Australia can present unique challenges, particularly around compensation, career progression, and staff movement, especially when the organisation operates within tight budgets and award structures guided by the local PHN.
3 people found this helpful
1.0
Allied Health Assistant
Aug 2024Queanbeyan NSW 2620Less than 1 year in the role, current employee
I would not recommend this organisation.
The good thingsWorking with the clients. Being encouraged to do self-development.
The challengesWorking with peer support workers who are still finding comfort in managing their own mental health has been a unique and insightful experience.
Persecution and psychological harm are not handled very well by management, who use victim blaming as a "reflective practice" tool.
9 people found this helpful
1.0
Community Services Manager
Jul 2024Adelaide SA 5000Less than 1 year in the role, former employee
Traumatizing.
The good thingsClients who require support and make what we do worthwhile.
The challengesManagement/HR People and Culture- Corporate.
9 people found this helpful
1.0
Support Coordinator
May 2024Sydney NSW 20007 to 8 years in the role, former employee
Not-For-Proft who only cares about the money - Abysmal
The good thingsWorking with dedicated and hardworking people who care about the people we support
The challengesManagement - Absolutely abysmal - working for a not for profit employer who focuses on the bottom line is a disgrace. Managers are terrible. The culture is terrible. All they care about at Flourish is making money. There is never anything good to say to the people providing support - its just pressure every single second at work.
14 people found this helpful
5.0
People Connector
Mar 2024Salisbury SA 5108Less than 1 year in the role, current employee
I work in a supportive and empowering environment
The good thingsEnough supports from manager
Strong interpersonal relationships among coworkers
The challengesAll the challenges are promptly resolved in Adelaide office
1 person found this helpful
2.0
Peer Support Worker
Jan 2024Broken Hill NSW 28803 to 4 years in the role, former employee
Unfortunate it became a money pot when the NDIA started up.
The good thingsThe participants and seeing them reach achievable goals.
The challengesManagement unqualified and hire unqualified staff who do not perform in their role's.
5 people found this helpful
1.0
Support Worker
Oct 2023Tamworth NSW 2340
Worst low brow organisation I have ever worked for.
The good thingsGet paid to sit around doing nothing.
The challengesLazy workers who don’t care about participants and winge all day - board of management needs a complete overhaul like Qantas .
18 people found this helpful
1.0
Mental Health Worker
Jun 2023Tamworth NSW 23401 to 2 years in the role, former employee
Worst organisation I have ever worked for
The good thingsNo good things to say about Tamworth Flourish
The challengesTamworth is run by a few long termers who do not provide support, blame other staff, talk badly about others overall
15 people found this helpful
4.0
Data Analytics & BI lead
Jun 2022Less than 1 year in the role, former employee
Good company
The good thingsgood work life balance
The challengestechnology need to improve/update
3 people found this helpful
1.0
Mental Health Worker
Jan 2022Less than 1 year in the role
Don't work here.
The good thingsLooks good from the outside.
The challengesDisorganised and unskilled management who put staff at high risk. Upper management don't notice the high staff turnover or don't care. Probably both. You find out soon enough the whole organisation has a rotting structure.
26 people found this helpful
2.0
Senior mental health worker
Dec 202111 to 12 years in the role
Left after twelve years and didn't get a card or a farewell.
The good thingsWorking with the clients, what a diverse, amazing and interesting group.
The challengesManagement. What a risk adverse group of people. Live music, no, someone might have a beer. The beach, too difficult. Onerous administrative tasks.
18 people found this helpful
2.0
Mental Health Worker
Sep 2021Less than 1 year in the role, former employee
Good coworkers, terrible management.
The good thingsCoworkers here are generally pretty great, and will be your main source of positive mood in my experience.
The challengesManagement will micromanage to an extreme extent while failing to perform their own duties, often leading to lower level employees performing their roles for them.
They also have no concern regarding the well being and safety of their employees.
14 people found this helpful
3.0
Senior worker
Aug 2021Progressive company in mental health sector, need to streamline upper management.
The good thingsWell known in the sector
Large company
Technology is good
The challengesToo many managers and not enough frontline staff
Very busy, not enough staff to keep up with new clientele
9 people found this helpful
4.0
Peer Support Worker
Mar 20211 to 2 years in the role, former employee
A supportive organisation, and a privilege to work for.
The good thingsStrong team dynamics
The challengesRevolving shift roster challenges.
3 people found this helpful
4.0
Mental Health Worker
Dec 20201 to 2 years in the role, current employee
Great experience, great clients, and a great team to work with.
The good thingsI love the team and the direct managers and team leaders I work with. Great communication and support amongst the team and heaps of support from our manager around professional and personal life balance.
The challengesHigher-up management is not terribly in-touch with the staff, resulting in decisions that are difficult to implement on a day-to-day basis, and they show little understanding or care for work-life balance (thankfully this is mitigated by having an awesome manager).
7 people found this helpful
3.0
mental health support worker
Oct 2020Good experience, but not something you would want long term.
The good thingsFlourish was my first job in the mental health sector and was good experience.
The challengesFlourish is an organisation that preaches mental health but doesn't treat their staff very well. Management was disorganised and unsupportive. There was a high staff turnover and it was apparent that staff would stay for a year or two to gain experience, and then move on to something better. The clients at Flourish also picked up on this.
As a casual worker, it was difficult to have a work- life balance. Also, since I was casual, if the clients cancelled their support for that day, I would be sent home early. I had shifts that were 7 hours that ended up being cut down to 3 hours due to cancellations.
10 people found this helpful
3.0
Mental Health Worker
Mar 20201 to 2 years in the role, current employee
I am learning from the lived experience of the people I support
The good thingsHelping people overcoming mental illness
The challengesUnderstanding of the model of care in NSW.
Working without mentors or managers
2 people found this helpful
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