James Read
Realm Care was founded by James Read in 2021.
James brings more than 20 years of experience across youth services, child protection, and the disability sector, with a strong focus on supporting people living with psychosocial and neurodiverse disabilities.
After completing a Certificate III in Youth Work in 2003 and a Certificate IV in Community Services in 2004, James began his career working as a support worker with neurodiverse teenagers in residential care. The service supported young people under guardianship who were unable to remain in foster care due to their complex emotional, developmental, and psychosocial support needs.
This early work provided James with extensive hands-on experience supporting young people with neurodevelopmental disabilities, trauma backgrounds, and mental health challenges within residential environments.
James later worked within the court system before moving into the child protection sector as a case worker, where he was frequently allocated children and young people with neurodiverse and psychosocial support needs. During this time, he also worked closely with foster families, helping them understand and support young people experiencing trauma, emotional dysregulation, and other psychosocial challenges.
Throughout his career, James has remained committed to ongoing professional development and building a strong knowledge base in disability services, mental health, and human systems.
His qualifications include:
- Certificate III in Youth Work (2003)
- Certificate IV in Community Services (2004)
- Diploma of Community Services (2014)
- Bachelor Degree in Psychological Science (2018)
- Postgraduate Degree in Human Factors (2020)
- Diploma of NDIS Auditing (2021)
From 2020 to late 2021, James worked as a Regional Manager for a large disability organisation in South Australia, overseeing service delivery across multiple disability programs and supporting teams working with people living with disability.
This role provided significant experience in service leadership, NDIS compliance, quality systems, and operational oversight within the disability sector.
Following this period, James returned to Queensland and established Realm Care, with the vision of creating a more personalised and thoughtful respite experience for NDIS participants.
Drawing on his extensive background across direct support, child protection, leadership, and academic study, James developed Realm Care to provide respite stays that prioritise safety, suitability, and meaningful experiences in a calm rural environment.
His approach focuses on ensuring that each participant's stay is carefully considered so that the environment is appropriate for their needs and expectations.
Suzanne Read
Grief Mentor, Author, Healer & Owner of Coolabine Retreat
Suzanne Read brings over 25 years of leadership experience with Telstra, where she led large teams and specialised in coaching and mentoring leaders to reach their potential. Her corporate career was built on empowering people, developing capability, and creating strong, supportive teams.
In 2019, Suzanne’s life changed profoundly when her husband passed away from leukaemia. This experience became a turning point that led her on a deep journey of self-development, healing, and understanding grief. Through this journey she discovered that grief, when supported and understood, can open the door to profound personal transformation.
Suzanne went on to establish her grief mentoring business, Life Beyond the Grief, where she supports individuals navigating loss. Through her work she has studied and integrated a range of healing and personal development modalities, and she now coaches and mentors clients to live with their grief while reopening their hearts to new possibilities in life.
She also hosts a podcast series, Life Beyond the Grief, exploring grief, healing, and personal growth, creating conversations that help people feel less alone in their experiences and empowered to move forward with compassion for themselves.
A long-held dream of Suzanne’s was to create a place where people could step away from the pressures of modern life and reconnect with nature and themselves. In October 2024, she realised this vision by opening Coolabine Retreat, a peaceful country accommodation experience designed to offer rest, reflection, and renewal.
Since marrying her husband James in 2024, Suzanne has developed a deeper understanding of the NDIS sector and the important work of Realm Care, the support organisation he founded.
Together they have combined their shared vision and experience by bringing Realm Care and Coolabine Retreat together to create a unique offering — therapeutic farm-stay style respite experiences for NDIS participants, blending care, nature, and meaningful connection.
Suzanne’s work today is guided by a simple belief:
"when people are supported, given space to heal, and surrounded by the right environment, new possibilities for life can unfold."
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