Aboriginal Community Elders Services

What Aboriginal Community Elders Services does

Aboriginal Community Elders Services Inc (ACES) is a not-for-profit Aboriginal community-controlled organisation (ACCO) incorporated in 1987 under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981, headquartered at 5 Parkview Avenue, East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia. The organisation was founded by Elders, including the late Aunty Iris Lovett Gardiner, in response to Aboriginal Elders dying in mainstream nursing homes without Aboriginal cultural practices being observed. ACES delivers culturally safe aged care services through four core programs: Residential Care Services (a 25-bed facility named the Iris Lovett Gardiner Aboriginal Elders Caring Place, described as growing in capacity), the Outreach Care Program (case-managed in-home support across metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria), the Social Support Group (community activities and excursions), and the Support at Home Program (effective 1 November 2025, with eight funding classifications and tiered unit pricing). Supplementary offerings include the ACES Men's Shed and Carer Gateway support.

The organisation is governed by a Board of Management elected by the local Aboriginal community, with no shareholders or equity investors. Revenue is derived predominantly from Australian government aged care funding streams — NATSIFACP (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program) and the Support at Home Program — supplemented by tax-deductible donations (processed via Stripe with credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and direct deposit) and minor ancillary fees such as visitor meals. Clients access services through My Aged Care (for Aboriginal people aged 50+ and non-Indigenous people aged 65+), NDIS funding, or direct community referral. ACES employs approximately 60 staff including full-time, part-time, and casual positions, with over 20 dedicated to the Residential Care Program. The current CEO is James Atkinson (Yorta Yorta/Bangerang man, former CEO of Rumbalara Aboriginal Co-operative), and the organisation maintains operational partnerships with the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) for medical services and has engaged with the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria on treaty processes. ACES is uniquely positioned as the only Aboriginal community-controlled aged care provider in an urban Victorian setting, and in April 2025 was represented for the first time at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York.

Name

Aboriginal Community Elders Services

Legal name

Aboriginal Community Elders Services Inc

Website

https://acesinc.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aboriginal Community Elders Services (ACES) is a not-for-profit Aboriginal community-controlled organisation in Victoria, Australia, founded in 1987, delivering culturally safe residential aged care, in-home outreach, and social support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aged Care Services

NAICS

Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (623312), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Continuing Care Retirement Communities (623311), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331), Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (6233)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Assisted Living with Enhanced Care / High-Acuity (Aging-in-Place) (HLADABAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Independent Living with Supportive Services (Light ADL/IADL Support) (HLADAAAE), Companion Care & Social Support (non-clinical) (HLADAGAB), Live-In Care (Single Caregiver, 24-Hour Presence) (HSABAHAB), Housing & Placement Coordination (Assisted Living, Memory Care, SNF) (HSABAIAL), Elder Services & Aging Support (BPAGAEAF)

Keywords

• Aged care services
• Residential aged care
• Home care support
• Community aged care
• Social support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brunswick

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funded Aged Care Services: ACES receives funding through NATSIFACP (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flexible Aged Care Program) for outreach services and Support at Home Program funding for coordinated in-home care services. These government contracts fund the majority of service delivery operations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: ACES accepts tax-deductible donations (over $2) to support elder care services. Donations can be made via credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or direct bank deposit. The organisation also receives donations in memoriam.
3. Visitor Meals and Ancillary Fees: Minimal cost fees charged to visitors who join residents for meals at the residential care facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACES provides culturally safe aged care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders through a 25-bed residential aged care facility in East Brunswick, a case-managed Outreach Care Program that delivers personal care, transport, and social support in clients' homes, and a Social Support Group program that supports community engagement. The Support at Home Program coordinates nursing, personal care, and home and community services, with additional programs including the Men's Shed and Carer Gateway.

Product overview

ACES operates as a not-for-profit Aboriginal community-controlled organisation providing aged care services through a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include: Residential Care Services (a 25-bed aged care facility), the Outreach Care Program (in-home support), the Social Support Group (community activities), and the Support at Home Program. Additional programs include a Men's Shed and Carer Gateway support. All services are designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders and people with disability to remain connected, independent, and well within their communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Outreach Care Program Case-managed in-home support service helping older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people remain living safely and independently in their own homes, providing personal care, housekeeping, transport, social activities, and access to medical services.
• Residential Care Services A 25-bed (and growing) Residential Aged Care Facility in East Brunswick providing culturally safe high and low care services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, offering private rooms with ensuites, meals, and social-emotional wellbeing programs.
• Social Support Group A program providing social activities and community connection for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders aged 45 and over and people with disability, including art, hydrotherapy, day trips, and cultural activities.
• Support at Home Program Coordinated services helping clients remain safe, independent, and connected while continuing to live at home, including home and community supports, nursing care, personal care, and care management.
• ACES Men's Shed A weekly men's gathering running every Wednesday, offering activities including building, yarning, and fishing for community engagement and wellbeing of Aboriginal men connected to ACES.
• Carer Gateway Support services for carers providing resources and assistance for those caring for Elders in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• First Peoples' Assembly of VictoriaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 August 2025Reuben Berg (co-chair) and Prue Stewart (head of governance and negotiations) visited ACES to educate staff and Elders on the Advancing the Treaty Process with Aboriginal Victorians and the First Statewide Treaty.
• United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2025Board Member Dr Uncle Glenn Harrison and Strategy & Policy Manager Nigel D'Souza represented ACES at the 24th Session of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York - the first time Elders from their communities were invited to present at the UN.
• Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS)coreOthersMedical doctors from VAHS provide regular medical services to residents at the ACES Residential Care Facility, supporting the healthcare needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO): Peak body for Aboriginal community-controlled health organisations in Victoria, with which ACES maintains partnership ties. Directly comparable as an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation focused on health and wellbeing services for Aboriginal Victorians, including aged-care advocacy.
• Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS): Aboriginal community-controlled health organisation based in Fitzroy, Melbourne, serving the same Victorian Aboriginal community as ACES. It is a current ACES partner providing medical services to residents and is directly comparable in mission, governance model, and target population, though its primary focus is primary health rather than aged care.

Broad incumbents

• Benetas: Victorian not-for-profit aged-care provider operating residential facilities and home-care services, including programs for culturally diverse communities. Comparable through overlapping aged-care service lines (residential, home support) within the same Victorian market, though broader in scope than ACES's Aboriginal-specific niche.
• Bolton Clarke: One of Australia's largest not-for-profit aged-care providers, operating residential facilities and home-care services nationwide. Comparable in that it delivers the same aged-care service categories (residential, home support, dementia care) and competes for My Aged Care and Home Care Package funding, but operates as a broad incumbent rather than an Aboriginal community-controlled niche player.
• Uniting AgeWell: Community-services not-for-profit operating residential aged care and home care across Victoria and Tasmania. Directly comparable in operating model (not-for-profit residential + home-care), and competes in the same Victorian aged-care market, though without an Aboriginal community-controlled focus.
• Helping Hand Aged Care: South Australian not-for-profit aged-care provider operating residential facilities, home care, and retirement living. Comparable through its residential aged-care and home-care service lines, though focused on South Australia rather than ACES's Victorian catchment.
• IRT Group: Large Australian aged-care provider operating retirement living, residential aged care, and home care across NSW, Queensland, ACT, and Tasmania. Comparable in service categories and reliance on government aged-care funding streams, though geographically focused on eastern states other than Victoria.
• Mercy Health (Aged Care): Major Catholic not-for-profit operating residential aged-care facilities and home-care services across Victoria and other states. Comparable through its residential and in-home aged-care service model that competes in the same Victorian market for government-funded aged-care clients, though without ACES's Aboriginal community-control focus.
• Baptcare: Large Australian not-for-profit aged-care, disability, and community-services provider operating across Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia. Comparable through its residential aged-care, home care, and community-support offerings that overlap directly with ACES's portfolio, but as a mainstream multi-state operator.

Regional players

• Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW: Peak body representing Aboriginal community-controlled health services across NSW, with members delivering aged-care and community-support programs to Aboriginal Elders. Comparable in mission, community-controlled governance, and Aboriginal aged-care focus, but operating in a different state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acesinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acesinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aboriginal Community Elders Services