Deliberative process helps Canberra become a carer friendly city


Released 19/10/2017

As we mark National Carers Week, the Carers Voice Panel, a deliberative democracy process involving 49 carers and community members has concluded today. The Panel’s work will directly inform the development of the ACT Carers Strategy.

The new Carers Strategy will better support and recognise the 46,000 carers in Canberra. Carers provide unpaid care to family members, friends or neighbours who are living with a disability, a physical or mental health condition, or are frail aged.

Carers also provide care to children and young people who are unable to live with their families.

Delivering on an election commitment, the ACT Government has committed $250,000 for the development and implementation of the new Carers Strategy.

The Government partnered with Carers ACT and DemocracyCo to facilitate the Carers Voice Panel that ran for two days over the last fortnight.

A strength of the Carers Voice Panel was the cross-section of carers present. Carers of frail aged people to carers of people with a disability, young carers and foster and kinship carers shared their own unique experiences, perspectives and advice.

I thank them for taking the time for participating in this process. For many of carers, an hour out of caring duties can be complex, so I am profoundly grateful that such a diverse group of carers was able to devote two days to this important task.

I look forward to formally receiving the outcomes of the Carers Voice Panel from Carers ACT in coming weeks, and getting to work on delivering a carer friendly Canberra.

- Statement ends -

Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases


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