CBS achieves International Customer Service Accreditation

Community Based Support (CBS) has hit a new milestone, receiving accreditation to the International Customer Service Standard (ICSS: 2020–2025) through the Customer Service Institute of Australia (CSIA).

This is a first for CBS, and the result speaks volumes about the passion and dedication of our team. The accreditation recognises the work we do every day to help people live the life they choose, in the place they love.

A whole of organisation effort

The road to accreditation began with a deep dive into our customer service practices, policies and culture. Guided by the ICSS framework, we reviewed every aspect of our operations – collecting evidence, identifying opportunities and showcasing how we put customers at the centre of everything we do.

Staff from across CBS contributed to the process, sharing everything from training and communication tools to real-world examples of service delivery and outcomes. It all led up to a rigorous three-day onsite assessment in November 2024, where CSIA’s assessor spoke with team members across all areas of the organisation.

Standing out from the crowd

We’re proud to share that CBS scored at the high end of the ‘Implementation’ range, an exceptional result for a first-time applicant. According to CSIA, our performance exceeds that of many first-time applicants, including peers in aged care and government sectors.

The report highlighted the standout commitment of our team, calling out our culture of care, openness and genuine desire to make a difference. These values – respect, quality, collaboration and accountability are what drive us, and it’s rewarding to see them recognised at a national level.

Speaking about the accreditation, Community Based Support’s CEO Allyson Warrington said “This accreditation is a powerful endorsement of the passion and professionalism our team brings to work every day. It shows that genuine, person-centred service isn’t just what we do—it’s who we are. We’re proud of this milestone and excited to keep improving, together.”

What’s next

Like any good review, the accreditation process also pointed us to opportunities for improvement, particularly around internal consistency and making better use of technology. We see this as a chance to build on what’s working and continue to grow.

Most importantly, this achievement is more than a certificate. It’s a reflection of who we are, how we work, and our ongoing commitment to delivering high-quality, person-centred support.

We’ll continue to build on this foundation as we look toward recertification after the next ICSS review.