Brimbank City Council has adopted its first Carer Support Plan 2022-2025, which outlines a range of actions that put carers at the heart of Council programs and services.
Designed in consultation with more than 100 carers, the Carer Support Plan positions Council to respond to the diverse range of carer support needs and interests within an evolving funding and service delivery environment.
Carers play an invaluable role in the Brimbank community, providing unpaid care and support to family members and friends who have a disability, mental illness, chronic or terminal illness, an alcohol or drug related problem, or who are frail-aged.
Our research shows a significant number of unseen carers who are not accessing supports available to them. These unseen carers are the primary focus of Brimbank’s first Carer Support Plan.
The Carer Support Plan will build stronger service partnerships with key agencies, through which Council can broaden the range of supports available, and improve how residents access programs, regardless of their age, socio-economic context, and English language proficiency.
The plan is aligned with the priorities of the Victorian Carer Strategy 2018-2022.
Quotes to be attributed to Brimbank Mayor Cr Bruce Lancashire:
“While caring can be incredibly rewarding, it can also have impacts on carers’ social lives, financial prospects and their own health and wellbeing.
“Many carers in the community fall through the cracks of government programs.
“Our Carer Support Plan puts those previously unseen carers at the heart of Brimbank Council programs and services. With a range of new short, medium and long-term actions, the Plan shows us new ways to support carers so that Brimbank can become a healthier community.”