National Respite and Community Care Conference The Future of Carer Supports 23 October 2014 Sue Elderton National Policy Manager Carers Australia

About Carers Australia  Carers Australia is the national peak body representing the diversity of Australians who provide unpaid care and support to family members and friends with a:  disability  chronic condition  mental illness or disorder  drug or alcohol problem  terminal illness  or who are frail aged.  Carers Australia has associations in all states and territories which provide:  information and referral  counselling  respite  education and training  and a host of other supports.

The future of carer supports: that is the question

In the beginning was the PC report on Caring for Older Australians  Concerns identified in the 2011 PC report included:  reduced access to carers and family support due to changes in social and economic circumstances (ageing population demanding more informal carers combined with labour market pressures which will require more workers)  variable care quality across the system, which older Australians and their carers also find complex and difficult to navigate  Remedies for carers:  Aged Care Gateway should assess the capacity of informal carers required supports, but carers could also separately approach Carer Support Centres for a wide range of assistance, including emergency respite.

Role of Carer Support Centres “Services specifically for supporting carers should be coordinated and undertaken, where appropriate, by a network of Carer Support Centres, which could also provide services to carers of people with disabilities. Most emergency respite services would also be organised and administered through these Carer Support Centres.”

The PC report begat LLLB  Labor Govt commits to CSCs “as the place to go for carers” as part of its aged care reforms.  CSCs to commence - 1 July  Centres to provide:  carer specific information,  education and training,  counselling,  access to emergency respite  and referral to other services.

And then the Govt begat the NDIS  Original NDIS policy excluded carers.  However, in March 2014 an Operational Guideline emerged including flexible respite for carers. (Operational Guideline – Planning and Assessment – Supports in the Plan – Supports for Sustaining Informal Supports)  As with Home Carer Packages in aged care, respite, subsidised respite comes through the NDIS participant’s package.  Where will carer supports for the carers of people with a disability who are not eligible for an NDIS package sit?

Model for CSCs lags behind the design of the 2 big reforms  CSC design a second order priority  Largely viewed as a bi- product of services and supports for “direct” clients  Government changes – CSCs get caught up in departmental changes  Funding to existing CRCCs extended for one year (to July 2015) During the battle, Absalom happened to come upon some of David's men. He tried to escape on his mule, but as he rode beneath the thick branches of a great tree, his hair got caught in the tree. His mule kept going and left him dangling in the air. Samuel 2 - 8:9

Consequences of lag: gaps in supports, provider uncertainty  Carers Australia is pleased that the Government has not rushed to implement a badly thought through model. However:  Reforms to aged care and disability supports appear to have pre-empted some options for carers – e.g. prospects that carers that can access important services in their own right out of their own funding bucket.  Many carers fall between the gaps both within the NDIS and between the NDIS and aged care.

The new integrated carer support project  Delighted to hear that DSS has restored the focus on integrated carer supports.  Much work to be done and it will take time to do it properly.  Our two asks:  That associations representing carers be closely consulted in the development of models  That funding to existing providers be renewed for at least another year

Principles for integrated carer supports  The existing suite of supports available to carers be maintained (but in some cases improved)  Carer support services are most effective when harmonised and streamlined  This means:  Where they can be coordinated substantially through a one-stop shop  No division between the delivery of carer supports based on artificial distinctions (such as the age, disability or illness of the person being cared for).

Principles for integrated carer supports  As much as possible, carer supports should be delivered to carers on a Consumer Directed Care basis  Provision of carer supports through personal budget if carers choose(UK model)

Plug: Carers Australia National Conference