Celebrating 10 Years of UPC

This week, Unison Property Corporation (UPC) marked its 10th anniversary, recognising a decade of providing quality property services while creating employment opportunities for people facing barriers to work.

To celebrate the milestone, the UPC team, partners and stakeholders gathered at Where is My Coffee? in Kensington. The event celebrated the people behind UPC, notably the cleaners, groundskeepers and support staff who have helped shape the organisation over the past 10 years. Attendees heard reflections on UPC’s impact, including from Abuk, a UPC cleaner whose story of finding secure housing and flexible employment through Unison highlights the important work of UPC.

From a practical solution to a social enterprise

UPC was established in 2016 to provide cleaning, grounds maintenance and property services for Unison properties. What began as a practical way to maintain properties and create job opportunities has grown into a social enterprise with a broader purpose: delivering quality services while creating pathways to employment for people who may otherwise struggle to find work. Over the past 10 years, UPC has grown beyond Unison properties and now provides services to a range of external clients, while remaining focused on its social purpose.

Today, the UPC team – made up of dedicated cleaners, groundskeepers and Owners Corporation staff – delivers services at a range of different properties across Melbourne including public housing, social housing, office spaces and privately owned buildings.

Just last year UPC’s Social Enterprise team achieved triple ISO certifications: ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems), ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems) and ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems), demonstrating its commitment to quality, safety and continuous improvement. The achievement marked an important step in UPC’s evolution, formalising processes that support both high-quality service delivery and positive employment outcomes.

Creating opportunities through employment

Employment is at the centre of UPC’s social impact. The organisation provides training, career pathways and meaningful work opportunities for people facing barriers to employment, including newly arrived migrants, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, social housing – including Unison – renters, as well as those who have faced long-term unemployment.

For many employees, work at UPC is more than a job. It provides financial stability, opportunities to build skills and confidence, and a pathway in, or back in, to the Australian workforce. UPC’s management team works closely with employees to provide practical support and flexible arrangements where needed. As the organisation has grown, so too have opportunities for career progression, with several employees moving into leadership roles.

Looking ahead

Ten years on, UPC continues to evolve. In 2026, Unison welcomed Daniel Carter as Director, Social Enterprise Services. Daniel brings extensive experience across social enterprise, having worked for 10 years at VMCH, our partner on-site at Where is My Coffee?, providing employment opportunities for people with disability. He now leads UPC and will build on its social impact in the years to come. As building owners increasingly look to sustainable procurement, demand is also growing for impact-driven Owners Corporation, property maintenance and asset services like those UPC provides. With every new contract comes the opportunity to create more pathways into employment and provide the flexibility and career development opportunities that are central to UPC’s mission. As it looks to the future, UPC remains focused on the people at the heart of its success – so at this 10 year anniversary we thank the cleaners, groundskeepers and support staff that have made the UPC vision a reality.

Here’s to the decade ahead!