CARER SUPPORT
Increasing support for unpaid carers across Victoria who care for family members , friends or neighbours who are frail due to age , disability , mental or chronic illness . We provide a range of services through federal and state funding .
Supporting unpaid carers across Victoria
We are in our third year of leading a partnership of seven health organisations to deliver Carer Gateway services in Victoria with Alfred Health , Grampians Health , Barwon Health , Bendigo Health Care Group , FamilyCare , and Uniting ( Victoria and Tasmania ) Ltd .
Funded by the Federal Government , Carer Gateway provides counselling , respite care , group support , coaching and more for unpaid carers .
This year we have focused on reviewing and building our collaboration strategy with consortium partners , our Carer Advisory Group ( CAG ) and our Young Carer Advisory Group ; continued marketing to raise awareness and referrals ; and further developing our systems , processes and staff capacity .
This has resulted in an increase in the number of carers accessing Carer Gateway ’ s services , expansion of our carer coaching , in-person peer support services and improved data and reporting .
What did we achieve ?
17,696 carers received a service , up 1.56 % from last year
14,417 new clients registered
23,779 carer support planning sessions conducted , up 13.6 % from last year
24,563 tailored support package services created
11,394 emergency respite services provided
56,381 intake calls received , with an average wait time of 45 seconds each
training about advocacy and engaging stakeholders delivered to 12 people : 9 Carer Advisory Group ( CAG ) members and 3 staff launched Rainbow Crew LGBTIQA + peer support group with Alfred Health
creative collaboration between the Young Carer Advisory Group , Visible , headspace and artist Ziggy Grana
– to create illustrations highlighting responsibility and identity in young carers that showed at the Gertrude Street Projection Festival
265 carer engagement presentations delivered across the state
4 prominent state-wide carer expo engagement opportunities with Victorian carers
– Care & Ageing Well Expo , Melbourne Care Expo , Melbourne Disability Expo , Midsumma Festival
38 Health