Carers - partnering with you

Australia has over 2.7 million carers who are caring for people with all kinds of needs. Of this number, 245,000 people are living as unpaid carers in South Australia.  Unpaid carers play an important role in supporting a family member or a friend.

Carers play an important role in health care.

Who is a carer?

A carer is someone who helps a family member of a friend with daily living activities such as emotional support, grocery shopping, preparing meals, administering medicine, personal care and paying bills.

If you provide unpaid care and support to a person with specific needs, regardless of whether the care you provide is for one hour a day or 24/7, you are likely to be a carer with help available for you.

Support available for carers

• Carers SA
• Carer Gateway                   
• Mental Health Carers 

Partnering with carers in health care

SA Health is committed to partnering with carers.  The SA Health Partnering with Carers policy was developed with Carers SA and carer representatives to reflect the priorities and needs of unpaid carers and establish principles and standards. The policy identifies what is important to carers, based on feedback from carers and includes clearly defined roles and responsibilities for SA Health staff.

Our key priorities (PDF 88KB) include: 

• early identification and recognition
• carers are engaged as partners in care
• carers provide comments and feedback
• carer friendly workplace
• celebrate carers during National Carers Week
• staff education and training.

Carer information

• Carer information (PDF 97KB) outlines how carers can partner with us, their wellbeing, providing feedback and support available for carers.
• Staff information (PDF 118KB) on partnering with carers outlines who is a carer, the important role they play in health care and provides support available for carers.

Carer engagement

• How to engage with Local Health Network Carer groups
• Consumer, Carer and Community Engagement Strategic Framework and resources

Carer feedback

• Your feedback is important – carer feedback process and contacts
• When you share your carer experience (PDF 535KB) 
• Consumer, Carer and Community Feedback and Complaints Management Strategic Framework and resources. 

Mental Health Carers

Are you a carer who provides support to a person with a mental illness. For information and resources to help, visit the Mental health carers page.

• Rights of carers of people receiving mental health care (PDF 296KB)

Mental Health Carers Experience Survey (CES) 2021 Report

In 2021-22 the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist, in partnership with Carer Champions from Local Health Networks, led the first statewide implementation of the Carer Experience Survey (CES).

A total of 84 mental health services across the state received feedback from 476 carers on key areas for quality improvement including identifying carers and providing information and support. OCP also worked with Lived Experience Australia, to produce a report with recommendations at the statewide level, which will be the baseline for the next collection of data.

The survey report outlines what carers say about their experience in Mental Health Services in South Australia.

Employees with caring responsibilities

SA Health recognises that there are many employees with caring responsibilities, and we encourage staff who are carers to read the SA Health Flexible Workplaces Policy Directive (PDF 412KB) and Flexible Workplaces Policy Guideline for details on managing your work and carer duties.

Contact

Clinical Governance Unit
Telephone: (08) 8226 2567
Email: Health.DHWClinicalGovernanceEnquiries@sa.gov.au