Socialsuite

Company Overview

Intereach is a community-based not-for-profit organisation that supports older people, children, families and communities across regional New South Wales and Victoria. With a strong place-based approach, Intereach delivers a wide range of services focused on early childhood, family support, disability, mental health, aged care and community wellbeing. Intereach works alongside individuals, families, partners and local communities to deliver practical, inclusive and responsive services that support positive social outcomes and long-term community resilience.

Background

Intereach: Building Momentum Through its First Double Materiality Assessment

For Intereach, sustainability has always been deeply connected to purpose. As a not-for-profit delivering community-based services across regional New South Wales and Victoria, the organisation’s long-term impact depends on understanding what matters most to the people it serves, the workforce that delivers those services, and the partners who support its work.

In 2025, we undertook our first organisation-wide Double Materiality Assessment (DMA) to create a structured, stakeholder-informed foundation for sustainability decision-making. The assessment marked an important step forward. Not just in defining priorities, but in building internal capability and momentum that would carry directly into strategy and planning.

Implementation

Creating Focus and Pace From the Outset

From the beginning, we approached the DMA as a practical exercise rather than a compliance task. The aim was to move efficiently, maintain momentum, and ensure the process added value across the organisation.

Using Socialsuite’s materiality platform, we were able to clearly scope the assessment, identify relevant sustainability topics, and engage stakeholders in a structured and consistent way. The technology provided a clear framework, while still allowing the organisation to apply its own context, judgement and experience throughout the process.

‍“We were very conscious that this was our first double materiality assessment, so we wanted to keep the pace up and avoid over-complicating things. Socialsuite gave us a clear structure, which meant we could focus our energy on engagement, learning and decision-making rather than building tools from scratch.” — Yvette Buhagiar, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Intereach

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Working Closely with Socialsuite

A key enabler of the process was the close working relationship between Intereach and Socialsuite. Throughout the assessment, we had access to timely, practical support; both on how to use the platform effectively and on broader process questions as they arose.

This combination of technology, human support and access to Socialsuite Academy resources helped Intereach build confidence quickly. Questions could be addressed in real time, allowing the team to keep moving forward rather than losing momentum.

“The support was not just about the software,” Yvette explains. “It was also about understanding the process. Why certain steps mattered, how to interpret what we were seeing, and how to make informed decisions as an organisation.”

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Learning That Materiality Is Not a One-Off Exercise

One of the most important outcomes of the 2025 DMA was a shift in mindset. Intereach recognised early that double materiality is not something you do once and put on the shelf. It is an ongoing, evolving process that improves over time as understanding, engagement and data quality increase.

For many stakeholders, this was also their first exposure to sustainability and materiality concepts. Intereach saw this not as a limitation, but as a clear signal that education, communication and engagement need to be built into future assessment cycles.

“The first time you run a materiality assessment, not everyone fully ‘gets it’ straight away. That’s okay,” says Yvette. “What matters is creating the space to learn, reflect and improve. Each cycle builds capability and deepens understanding.”

Results

From Assessment to Action

Importantly, for us the DMA doesn’t end with a report. Immediately following the 2025 assessment, we used the outcomes as the foundation for developing our first Sustainability Strategy and Plan for 2026.

The DMA helped bring together work already underway across the organisation, clarify priorities, and provide a shared reference point for leadership, staff and partners. It also created a defensible basis for decision-making, grounded in stakeholder input and organisational context.

By moving directly from assessment into strategy, we reinforce the idea that materiality is a decision-support tool, not a standalone exercise.

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Looking Ahead

Intereach plans to refresh its double materiality assessment annually, building on the 2025 baseline and continuing to strengthen stakeholder engagement over time. Future cycles will incorporate a broader mix of engagement approaches and ongoing education, ensuring sustainability priorities remain relevant as community needs and operating contexts evolve.

For Intereach, the value of the DMA lies as much in the process as in the outcomes.

“Double materiality has helped us think more clearly about where to focus and how to evolve,” Yvette reflects. “With the right technology and support, it becomes a practical, ongoing part of how we plan for the future; not an extra layer of complexity.”

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Intereach