A Place to Connect, Grow and Build a Life Outside of Home...
Skill Building & Social Support
Peppermint Place is a centre-based NDIS disability support service for children, teens and adults — focused on capacity building and supporting individuals to meet their goals with flexibility to just be themselves.
Ana's Journey
She didn't just train for this. She lived it.
Ana Kelly spent 20 years as a special school teacher before founding Peppermint Place — earning her Graduate Certificate in Special Needs Education along the way, with a specific focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability.
But her real education? That came at home.
Ana's son (now 12) is AuDHD. Her daughter (10) is, let's say, strongly heading that direction. Between her decades in classrooms and her life as a parent navigating the same systems her families did, Ana doesn't just understand this world academically — she understands it in her bones.
"I finally understood what it really meant to hand your child over."
When Ana's son was diagnosed, something shifted — not in her skills, but in her perspective.
"I finally understood how much trust families put in the people who care for their child. How much it takes to leave someone you love more than anything with people who may not know, love and care for them the way you do.
I remembered seeing parents anxious about leaving their child with someone new. Now I was that parent. And I understood — really understood — that what they needed wasn't just reassurance that their child would be safe. They needed to know their child would be truly seen."
That understanding is now woven into everything at Peppermint Place. The extra reassurance. The honest conversations. The "tell us everything — nothing you say will scare us" approach. Because that's what Ana would have wanted for her own family.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
TELL US EVERYTHING!
When you walk through our door, Ana wants you to feel one thing above all else: safe enough to tell her everything.
Parents often hold back — worried that sharing their child's more challenging behaviours will get them rejected before they've even started. Ana's response to that?
"The more you tell me, the better. Nothing you share is going to scare me — it only helps me put better supports and strategies in place. We're not here to say 'they can't come' and walk away. We're here to problem-solve."
And if something isn't working? You'll hear about it honestly, without blame, and with a genuine plan to work through it together. Because that's the only way this works — for everyone.
THE PEPPERMINT PLACE VISION
Empowering Every Child to Reach Their Full Adult Potential
The dream? Multiple Peppermint Place locations — each with the same philosophy, the same quality of team, the same family feeling — expanding into weekend and overnight respite so families have genuine flexibility and real relief knowing their young person is fully supported to both grow and being themselves.
The foundation for that future is being built right here in Kallangur. One individual, one family, one beautifully tailored program at a time.
The Peppermint Place Team
The people alongside Ana...
Ana doesn't hire warm bodies. She hires people who get it.
What does that mean at Peppermint Place? Experience with complex and challenging behaviours — not just theoretical knowledge, but real, calm, unflappable experience. People who don't stand back and observe, but jump in, notice what someone needs, and make it happen. Who see two kids pulling out a board game and think "these two should play together" — and then make that connection happen.
Kind. Boundaried. Able to tell the difference between joyful chaos and the kind that doesn't serve anyone.
No princesses. Just genuinely great humans who love this work.
Megan
Support Team Member
Megan brings three years of Peppermint Place experience alongside a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood and a Certificate in Assistant Speech Pathology — a combination that makes her genuinely invaluable when it comes to supporting communication and development in a way that feels natural and fun. She approaches every day with kindness and a genuine love for helping young people experience life to the fullest. When she's not at Peppermint Place, you'll likely find her in the garden — and if you're lucky, she might even bring something delicious in for Cupcake Thursday. 🧁
Morwenna
Admin Master
Morwenna is the organisational backbone of Peppermint Place — keeping admin, accounts and enrolments running with supreme efficiency, genuinely excellent humour, and (by her own account) the best nails on the team. As Ana's right-hand woman, she's been holding everything together since August 2024, and brings a love of arts and crafts that means she fits right in with what happens on the other side of the office door. The secret to the team's culture? Meaningful eye contact, white chocolate cream eggs, and knowing when a photo of someone's pet is exactly what's needed. 🐾
Jo
Support Team Member
Jo brings something to Peppermint Place that can't be taught — a decade as a full-time carer for a family member, eight years as a support worker, and a Diploma of Counselling that means she understands people at a genuinely deep level. In her two years with the team, that quiet, grounded empathy has become one of her greatest strengths. She's the kind of person who notices what someone needs before they've said a word — which, in this environment, is everything. When she's not at Peppermint Place, you'll find her among her plants, which feels about right for someone who has a natural gift for helping things grow. 🌿
Sandy
Support Team Member
Sandy brings a background unlike anyone else on the team — a career as a Registered Nurse and Midwife, followed by time as a school bus driver for Pine Rivers Special School, which means she arrived at Peppermint Place already knowing many of the kids she'd be supporting. In her 18 months here, she's embraced every learning opportunity with genuine enthusiasm, and the kids — true to form — have taught her plenty in return. Outside of work, Sandy's world revolves around dogs: two Golden Retrievers at home and a volunteer role helping with puppy training at a local dog club. Basically, if you need someone who's calm under pressure, endlessly patient and genuinely devoted to the ones in her care — Sandy's your person. 🐾
Pam
Support Team Member
Pam brings a Cert III in Early Childhood alongside 14 years of experience as a teacher aide and inclusion support worker — which means she's seen just about everything and knows exactly how to meet kids where they're at. In her 14 months at Peppermint Place, she's become a trusted, steady presence who genuinely loves the families, the kids and the team around her. And if anyone ever needs a tidy up between sessions? Pam's a qualified hairdresser with a particular talent for kids' cuts — arguably the most underrated skill on the team. ✂️
Nicky
Support Team Member
Nicky brings fun, creativity and unstoppable positive energy to Peppermint Place — backed by years of teaching experience and a genuine love for what she does. In her 18 months with the team, she's become known for bringing joy and real learning into every interaction with participants. Off the clock, Nicky is an avid Mickey Mouse collector, a lover of the water, and someone who'll happily explore any corner of Australia — ideally in something yellow. She describes the Peppermint Place culture as one where management leads by example, communication stays open, and everyone genuinely looks out for each other. Which, honestly, is exactly what it looks like from the inside too. 🌟
What Our Families Say
"The only place I've felt 100% comfortable leaving my child."
Before finding Peppermint Place, my biggest concerns were trust and safety — finding somewhere I could leave my daughter with confidence, knowing she was in safe hands and had the social interaction she needed.
From the moment we arrived, it felt different. Warm, caring, with planned activities — but without any pressure to participate. My daughter could make her own choices, move at her own pace, and just be herself.
The team arranged 1:1 care within a social environment, which was exactly what she needed. And the difference that's made for our family? I don't stress at drop-off. I don't worry while she's there. I just know she's okay — and that peace of mind is everything.
Since attending, I've watched her listen to instructions, adapt to new routines, and form genuine relationships with her carers. Things I honestly wasn't sure I'd see.
If you're hesitant about trying Peppermint Place — don't be. It's the only place I've ever felt 100% comfortable leaving my child, knowing she's safe, well cared for, and genuinely having fun.
110% recommend!
"I feel very blessed to have found Peppermint Place."
My biggest challenge was always finding staff experienced enough to genuinely care for my child — someone with very high needs who required real skill, patience and dedication. Finding that, alongside a place where she could access the community and socialise, felt like searching for something that didn't exist.
Then we found Peppermint Place.
What surprised me most was how quickly she settled in. The staff were amazing from day one, and the 1:1 support ratio meant she had the dedicated, consistent care she needed to feel safe enough to just... relax into it.
That 1:1 support has changed everything. It's given my daughter access to the community in ways I couldn't manage alone — and it's given me the time and space to be present for my other children too. That gift is hard to put into words.
The growth I've seen in her since attending has been extraordinary. Outdoor play, cooking skills, puzzles, turn-taking, sharing, listening — she arrives with enthusiasm every single time and comes home having genuinely achieved something.
To any parent worried about complex needs or challenging behaviours — please know that anything is possible here. My daughter has very challenging behaviours, and the team have never been anything but supportive, skilled and caring.
I feel very blessed to have found Peppermint Place.
"He rushes in the door and doesn't look back."
Before Peppermint Place, my son's needs weren't being met. He wasn't settled, he wasn't supported the way he needed to be, and as a parent you feel that deeply — the constant worry that the people caring for your child just don't quite get him.
At Peppermint Place, that changed immediately. The support felt specific to HIM — not a generalised approach applied to every child, but genuine attention to what he actually needs to feel safe and settled.
My son is highly sensory and always on the move. Sand and playdough are his thing — and whenever he asks for them, they're there. When he needs to move, there are swings, a trampoline and space to just be his active, sensory-seeking self. The environment wasn't adapted for him as an afterthought. It just... fits.
The difference in him is obvious. He's excited at drop-off. He rushes straight outside to play. He doesn't look back.
At a previous service, I used to get called at work to be told my son was crying and upsetting others — and asked whether I should come and collect him. At Peppermint Place, I only hear from the team when something genuinely needs my attention. That distinction means more than I can say.
To any hesitant parent — your child will be seen, understood and supported here. By people who genuinely take the time to make them thrive.
"Don't walk — Run to Peppermint Place."
After difficult experiences in the past, trust wasn't something I gave easily. Finding somewhere I could genuinely trust with my son felt almost impossible — until someone at his school mentioned Peppermint Place. The moment I spoke with Ana, something shifted. The way she talked about support, about kids, about what Peppermint Place stands for — that conversation was the beginning of something that has changed our lives.
Walking in for the first time, I felt it immediately. This was somewhere my son could just be himself.
He has trauma. When people approach him too quickly or startle him, he becomes frightened and upset. I didn't have to explain this at length or manage the process myself — the team simply noticed, adapted, and changed how they approached him. Naturally. Organically. Without being asked.
Since coming to Peppermint Place, his speech has improved. His understanding of turn-taking and sharing has grown. And most tellingly of all? He absolutely loves being there. The enthusiasm he has for going in says more than I ever could.
To any parent hesitating because of complex needs or challenging behaviours — please hear me. Don't walk. Run. They get it. They truly, genuinely get it. And everyone there — especially Ana — are angels who have given us back something we didn't think we'd find: the confidence to trust someone else with our son.
"For the first time, my daughter wasn't put in the too hard basket."
Finding support for my daughter had always been a challenge. Time and again, her additional needs were seen as too much — too difficult, too complex, too hard. Getting accepted somewhere, let alone welcomed, felt like a constant uphill battle.
Peppermint Place was different from the start. And I knew it the moment my daughter came home happy — talking positively about her day, about the activities, about the staff. And yes, very enthusiastically about the chickens. 🐔
The team support her with her toileting routine — including some very specific habits around toilet paper — without judgment, without fuss, and without making either of us feel awkward about it. They just handle it, with kindness and consistency.
What I notice most is that she genuinely likes going. She talks about it positively, she's settled there, and I have absolutely no safety concerns leaving her in their care. The staff are lovely, the ratios are strong, and I regularly receive updates on how she's been — plus genuine, helpful advice whenever I ask for it.
To any parent whose child has been turned away or written off elsewhere — there is a place that will see your child differently. This is it.
Still Have Questions?
If you have questions about whether or not Peppermint Place is a good fit for your child/young adult, or regarding your NDIS package and how it could be used for one of our programs, please fill out the form, and a lovely human being will contact you.