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Independence World

Responsive – Personalised – Dependable

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24/7 Care for Approved Clients

Limited Capacity to Ensure Quality

Fully Tailored Service

Working with NDIS Participants since 2014

About Us

Our Story

Paul Innes is the Director and inspirational leader behind WITHINNES Pty Ltd a company that was officially registered in November 2007. Not long after in June 2008 CAREANDSUPPORT was registered and was initially run as a disability service provider to manage Paul’s own government-funded package. As a young man Paul sustained a life-changing injury and become quadriplegic, through his first-hand experience he was uniquely place to understand the challenges with finding the right support to provide genuine high quality care. To learn more about Paul’s personal journey click here to read his autobiography.

Paul

Director

Paul is the Founder and Director of Independence World. Originally from Sydney, he’s been a proud Cairns local since 1984. After becoming a quadriplegic through a swimming accident in 1988, he founded Cairns’ first disability advocacy organisation. Paul has worked in government, real estate, and conservation — even helping reintroduce rare frog species. A creative spirit, he also enjoys singing and performing as a “sit-down comedian.”

April

CEO

Born and raised in North Queensland, April is Paul’s niece and the CEO of Independence World. With a natural gift for numbers, she’s completing her accounting studies and has her sights set on forensic accounting. April has been part of the team since 2013, bringing focus, warmth, and organisation to her role. Outside work, she enjoys cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Dylan

Manager

Dylan is a true all-rounder who thrives on learning and solving challenges. Creative and resourceful, he takes pride in finding new ways to make a difference. A lover of the outdoors, he enjoys fishing and exploring with family and friends. As a youth soccer coach, he helps young players build confidence and teamwork — values that also guide his work in the care industry.

Emma

Management Consultant

Born in Far North Queensland, Emma first supported Paul more than 25 years ago before spending two decades in Melbourne in HR and organisational development. Returning home in 2021, she now manages Independence World with passion and purpose. Emma values heart-led leadership, strong team culture, and exceptional client care. Outside work, she loves food, gardening, swimming, and practising Qi Gong.

Leanne

Team Manager

Leanne has dedicated her career to people — from early retail days to more than 20 years in Human Resources. As a Team Manager, she brings her bubbly personality and people-first approach to create supportive, positive workplaces. She loves helping others grow and thrive. Outside work, Leanne enjoys reading, gardening, and caring for her ever-growing orchid collection.

Luke

Operations Manager

Born in Innisfail, Luke travelled across Queensland before returning home to join Independence World in 2018. Known for his technical expertise and calm, practical approach, he’s especially skilled in building and fixing computers. Easy-going and genuine, Luke brings steady support to the team. He loves animals, technology, and life in beautiful Far North Queensland.

Testimonials

Kerry-Anne
“Before getting started with Independence World I was housebound, struggling with a lack of mobility and pain, and having trouble keeping up with housework and parenting. As a mother of 5 kids, I felt overwhelmed and at times hopeless. I was pushed beyond my limits. Initially, I had some reservations about getting support and having strangers in the house. My experience with Independence World has been phenomenal. The whole family is excited every day before the workers come. Each worker has their strengths and is able to help with diverse areas of support. They are not just a help though, they have provided me with friendships and company. The support workers genuinely care about me, and it means the world. They go above and beyond. The biggest thing that’s changed is my emotional wellbeing and mental health. I am so happy about my decision to work with Independence World and would recommend them to anyone.”
Cairns, Queensland October 2023
Gail
“Before starting with Independence World I was struggling. The support wasn’t frequent and it didn’t feel personal or of a high quality. After being in hospital, I was ready to be discharged but without any support. Independence World was able to come on board and support me the next day after I contacted them. Dylan came to visit me at the hospital and offered to help me get home. I now have regular support, a strong routine, and a great team of support workers who I fully trust. They are understanding, I can talk to them, they help me remember and get to appointments without the stress, and my confidence has improved massively as a result. I recommend Independence World to anyone needing support who wants a team that will go above and beyond.“
Cairns, Queensland October 2023
Dave
“Before starting with Independence World, I struggled to find any support with my condition. I was down in the dumps and felt like I’d fallen through the cracks. I was struggling with my daily living and had lost my quality of life.

After starting with IW, I regained my freedom. The service has been great in terms of the hours, the rostering system and the people I can choose to support me. I get along well with my support workers – they are good people. Through getting this support, I’m out and about again, doing the things I used to love doing. “
Cairns, Queensland October 2023
Joy
“I didn’t know anything about MND, support workers or what they did. When I was diagnosed, I felt depressed, lonely, and scared about the future. Now I rely on my workers every day for daily assistance and they are wonderful.

After a week, I was so comfortable with the team. I have nothing to worry about. They all have different talents, are easy to relate to, are caring and nothing is ever a problem for them. They’ve helped to build my confidence back up and to feel comfortable around others, I have people to talk to and I’m able to stay independent and social. My support workers feel like my friends and family.

They also help me enjoy my life. Every morning when my support worker arrives, the party begins! I highly recommend IW to anyone unsure about where to start on their support journey.”
Cairns, Queensland October 2023
Jonas
“I only can speak highly and positive about Independence World and the services they offer. I have been with them for a little bit more than a year now and it has been hassle free, personal and easy to deal with them. Having never had any issues with them and the Carers are well trained and prepared by the owner himself. The biggest advantage over other bigger personal Care agencies I find, is the owner himself living with a disability knows what the needs of his customers are and can relate to the different situation very well. Thumbs up from my side, would recommend IW to anyone who is in need of a helping hand.”
Cairns, Queensland November 2016
Luke
“My relationship with Independence World has only been short, but in that short time they have been reliable and very professional. The reason I started using Independence World was because of how well they worked with their clients and no fuss attitude.”
Cairns, Queensland February 2021
James
“The service from Independence World goes beyond what most care agencies would deliver. They treat me as an individual rather than another figure on their books, and have given me advice and support as only someone who has experienced the same difficulties can. Independence World truly want to help, and if I had to use one word to describe them, it would be genuine.”
Yeerongpilly, Queensland October 2016
Kevin Cocks AM
“My Compliments to Paul regarding both Jude and Gina for their professionalism and sense of humour, it was great working with them and it made my trip much easier. I think the culture that your organisation Independence World embeds, is highly reflected in both these ladies professionalism. Once again thank you for your support.”
Queensland September 2017
Queensland Anti-Discrimination Commissioner
Kim and Ariel
“At a time in our family’s life when quality support services were hard to find, we discovered Independence World. Within days of meeting management, we had a support team suited to our son’s needs. We found them to be very helpful and genuinely caring of our situation. We would not hesitate in recommending Independence World.”
Trinity Beach, Queensland March 2014
Samuel
“Yuko was polite, professional & did a good job. Holly was very polite, caring & had a very genuine friendly personality. I was very happy with her mannerism, her attitude to work & her feedback on what tasks she had performed & asking what else I would like done.
Holly’s speed & quality of work was very good, the best I’ve had from all companies in every way. I am very happy with Holly.

You have some good genuine staff with caring attitudes, thank you Emma & Independence World.”
Cairns Queensland October 2021
Joanne
“I’ve been using the services of Independence World over the past 12 months and I’ve found the staff have exceeded my expectations in their flexibility and service delivery. I would highly recommend all of the services that they provide.”
Cairns, Queensland April 2022
Anthony
“My name is Anthony and I have had the pleasure of Support from Independence World for some time and I must admit, this organisation has been absolutely brilliant supporting me with activities. The guys I have encountered have been great and they are very accommodating to myself which is exactly what is needed.”
Cairns, Queensland April 2022
Jimmy
“I found independence world only a couple of months ago and my life changed pretty significantly. I’m looking forward to every day these days cos they have some very cool people that work there and that’s really good. They seem more relaxed and less formal, don’t wear uniforms and stuff. Don’t go anywhere independence world cos I need you 😊😊😊😊😊“
Cairns, Queensland April 2022
Cheryl
“The staff from Independence World are beautiful inside and out. My support worker always has a smile for everyone that crosses her path and she goes above and beyond to help me with whatever needs to be done.
She is extremely patient and understanding and I really don’t know what I would do without her.
The management team always listen and strive for the best possible outcome for me. I appreciate their honesty and the respect they show me.”
Cairns, Queensland April 2022

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Cairns Care Service | Independence World | Staff Party

Responsive

Our 24/7 support services offer peace of mind with prompt communication and adaptive responses to meet your needs.

Personalised

You’ll have a personal manager for tailored service, ensuring compatibility between participants and support workers based on needs, interests, and goals. We invest time to understand each individual to create detailed support strategies that exceed expectations.

Dependable

We offer a diverse team of high-quality support workers, dedicated to providing the level of service we would want for our own loved ones. Our focus is on participants’ needs, ensuring dependable and excellent care.