28/08/2026
❤️ A New Chapter for CHAD Care Services
CHAD Care Services (CCS) would like to share an important and emotional announcement with our wider community.
Our staff and participants have already been personally informed and are aware of this transition. We now wanted to share the news with the wider CCS community and everyone who has supported us along the way.
After an incredible journey as the Founder and Director of CCS, Chathura “Chad” Dissanayake will be stepping down from his role as Director on 28 August 2026.
Since establishing CCS, Chad has played a significant role in building the organisation from the ground up and shaping the values we continue to carry today — putting participants first, providing high-quality support and being genuinely connected to the people and community we serve.
Under Chad’s leadership, CCS achieved a number of significant recognitions, including Best Disability Care Services in Hobart City Council and nominations for the Tasmanian Disability Awards – Best Support Service of the Year for several consecutive years.
Chad has also personally been involved in numerous community initiatives, including BLV sports events, with a strong focus on inclusion and creating opportunities for people with disability to be involved and connected in the community.
In recognition of his personal contribution, Chad was honoured with the Community Hero of the Year Award at the 2025 Tasmanian Disability Awards.
While these achievements are important milestones, what means the most to CCS is the trust, relationships and memories built along the way.
A Message from Chathura “Chad” ❤️
It is very difficult for me to put this into words because CCS has never simply been a business or a job for me. CCS has been a huge part of my life.
When I started CCS, I had a vision of creating something where people were not just participants, but people we genuinely knew, cared about and stood beside.
Over the years, I have had the privilege of meeting so many incredible people. I have shared conversations, celebrations, challenges, difficult days, funny moments and countless memories that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Some of the most meaningful moments for me have not been the awards or recognition. They have been the small things — seeing a participant achieve something they never thought they could, hearing from a family that our support made a difference, seeing a support worker go above and beyond, or simply sitting down and having a conversation with someone.
Those are the moments that made CCS what it is today.
As many of our staff and participants already know, I have made the very difficult decision to step down as Director, with 28 August 2026 being my final day in the role.
This decision is mainly because of my move to Melbourne. It has not been an easy decision at all.
I have always believed that if I am going to lead CCS, I need to be personally present. I want to be able to meet participants, speak with families, connect with support workers, do shifts, attend community events and stay involved in what is happening on the ground.
I don't want to become a Director who is only involved from a distance. I know the standard we have set at CCS, and I know how much our participants and families trust us.
I am worried that being based in Melbourne would make it difficult for me to maintain that personal touch and continue delivering the level of quality and care that I expect from myself.
For me, stepping away is not because I care any less. It is because I care so much about the quality we provide.
I believe it is better for someone who is physically based in Tasmania to take the CCS legacy forward.
I am genuinely happy that Kamal Bhandari and Prakash Upreti will be taking on the leadership of CCS. They share similar values to me, and I genuinely believe they are the right people to take CCS into its next chapter.
I also want to reassure everyone that I am the one stepping away — CCS is not stepping away from you.
The existing support workers will continue to support our participants, and the current support arrangements will remain. There will be no sudden changes for participants because of my departure. I am confident that the transition will be smooth.
To every participant who trusted me and trusted CCS — thank you.
To every family who gave us the responsibility of supporting someone you love — thank you for trusting us with something so important.
To every support worker and staff member who has worked alongside me, especially through the difficult days — thank you for believing in what we were trying to build.
To our founding members, volunteers, community partners and everyone who helped CCS along the way — I will always be grateful.
And to every person who encouraged me, supported CCS, attended an event, recommended us to someone or simply said a kind word — you have all been part of this journey.
There have been challenges, stressful days and long days. But when I look back, I would do it all again.
I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved together.
I may be leaving the Director's chair, but I am not leaving the memories, friendships and people who have become part of my life.
CCS will always have a very special place in my heart.
I hope everyone understands that this decision has not been easy. I am leaving with mixed emotions — sadness because I am stepping away from something I love, but also happiness knowing that CCS has a strong team and the right people to take it forward.
I genuinely believe that the best days of CCS are still ahead.
I hope CCS continues to grow, continues to support more people, continues to be involved in the community and continues to provide the kind of support that goes above and beyond — without ever compromising on quality.
Finally, I want to say something very simple:
Thank you for letting me be part of your journey. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you for believing in CCS. And thank you for making this journey so incredibly meaningful
