THE MIDDLE GROUND PEER CIRCLES
Facilitated peer conversations for middle
managers and people leaders in human
services and the NDIS.
You spend much of your working life supporting other people. Peer Circles offer space to bring your own questions, hear different perspectives and be recognised as a person, not just the role you hold.
Bring what you’re navigating. You don’t need to arrive with an answer.
A COMMUNITY OF PEERS
Some leadership questions need more than another course or a quick piece of advice. They need time, a different perspective and people who can stay with the complexity.
Our circles bring together a small group of peers for ongoing conversation. Dianna and Rebecca hold the structure, while members help shape what matters most.
CONNECTION
Meet others navigating the space between frontline practice and organisational leadership.
REFLECTION
Explore patterns, assumptions and possibilities without pressure to produce an immediate solution.
PRACTICE
Leave with an insight, a useful question or a next step that fits your own context.
IS THIS FOR YOU?
Peer Circles are designed for middle managers and people leaders who:
Lead, supervise or support a team in human services or the NDIS.
Translate organisational expectations into everyday practice.
Carry responsibility while navigating competing demands.
Want to contribute to a peer community as well as receive support.
You don’t need a polished story, a particular leadership style or all the answers.
The founding group is grounded in the NDIS context. If you work in other human service sectors, please get in touch. The Middle Ground is built for you too.
WHAT HAPPENS IN A CIRCLE?
A typical session moves through five parts. The conversation responds to the people in the room rather than following a fixed curriculum.
A moment to notice how you’re arriving and settle into the conversation.
Bring a question, a pressure, a small win or something you’re still thinking about.
Spend time on a shared topic or a member’s real challenge, using questions and reflection rather than rushing to advice.
Exchange useful insights, resources and perspectives where they fit.
Name what you’re carrying forward into your own work or day.
ROOM TO BE YOURSELF
Camera on or off. Speaking or using the chat. Time to think before responding. You choose what you share about yourself.
Listening matters too. Participation is about genuine engagement, not performing confidence.
We ask members to listen with curiosity, make room for different perspectives and respect one another’s boundaries.
This is a peer conversation, not a sales opportunity. Workplace rank doesn’t give anyone’s perspective more weight.
TRUST & BOUNDARIES
Members agree to shared confidentiality and participation principles before joining. Protect other people’s identities and leave identifying details about participants, colleagues and organisations out of the conversation.
Other members’ stories and contributions are not yours to share. Any learning proposed for the public collection would be separately reviewed, de-identified and shared only with explicit permission.
Confidentiality has limits where serious safety concerns or reporting obligations arise. These are explained in the membership agreement. Peer Circles are not therapy, clinical supervision or a replacement for your organisation’s support and reporting processes.
MEET YOUR FACILITATORS
We bring experience in human services, leadership and working through complexity. Our role is to help the group think together, not to have the final answer.
CO-FOUNDER & CO-FACILITATOR
Dianna brings 25 years of leadership experience in human services, including CEO, executive and national management roles. She is curious about how beliefs, habits and past experiences shape the way we lead. In The Middle Ground, she brings a focus on the person inside the role, helping people recognise patterns, explore different perspectives and consider what they might do next.
CO-FOUNDER & CO-FACILITATOR
Rebecca brings more than 20 years of experience across disability services, operational and executive leadership, consulting and sector education. She is interested in how people lead within complex systems, and how relationships, expectations and organisational conditions shape their choices. In The Middle Ground, she brings leadership experience, deep sector knowledge and a systems lens that keeps the people in view.
JOIN US IN 2026
Join for the remainder of 2026 and help shape how Peer Circles develop. Your experience of the conversations and your feedback will help us learn what is useful and what needs to change.
FOUNDING MEMBERSHIP · REMAINDER OF 2026
You can still enquire about joining the founding group for the remainder of 2026 and help shape what comes next.
Contact Dianna to find out about upcoming sessions, availability and the cost of joining. We’ll talk through the practical details before you decide.
You’re welcome to ask a question before deciding. We can talk about your role, what you’re looking for and the practical details of joining.
If your organisation would like to fund your place, let us know when you enquire.
Getting in touch is an enquiry, not a commitment to join. We’ll confirm availability and the practical details with you before you decide.
LOOKING AHEAD
Just interested in Peer Circles?
Email Dianna to register your interest without joining our newsletter.
Sign up for occasional perspectives, practical resources and updates from
The Middle Ground, including news about Peer Circles for 2027.
GOOD TO KNOW
No. It is a facilitated peer space built around members’ real experiences and questions, rather than a set curriculum or assessment.
No. You can contribute through listening, asking questions and reflecting with others. There is no requirement to share a personal situation before you are ready.
The founding group has an NDIS focus. If you lead people elsewhere in human services, contact us to discuss peer circles for your sector.
We welcome enquiries about employer-funded membership. Contact us to discuss the current arrangements.
Not automatically. Session contributions are private. Anything proposed for public sharing requires a separate conversation and explicit permission.
No. Peer Circles began with middle managers in mind, but the need for thoughtful conversation and peer connection isn’t limited to a job title. Executives, CEOs and other people leaders are welcome to enquire.
What matters is finding a group where you can speak openly, contribute as a peer and explore the questions you’re carrying. We’ll talk with you about your role and what you’re looking for to help find the right fit.
EXPLORE IN YOUR OWN TIME
You can explore our perspectives, practical resources and reflective questions without joining a circle.