Useful Resources for Public Health Staff

OBLIGATION FOR PUBLIC SECTION STAFF WHEN WORKING WITH CARERS

The NSW Carers (Recognition) Act 2010 (the Act) was introduced to improve the recognition of Carers. The Act establishes a Carers Charter to help public sector staff to respond to the needs of Carers. Under the Act, public sector agencies are required to raise awareness and understanding of the Carers Charter among staff.

All public sector staff must:

Become aware of and understand the Carers Charter at Schedule 1 of the Act
Consult with appropriate organisations that represent Carers when developing policies that impact on Carers
Develop internal human resources policies following appropriate considerations of the Carers Charter

For more information download a copy of the Carer Awareness Factsheet for health staff here.

WORKING CARERS

For staff who are carers, NSW Health defines working carers, also called staff carers, are employees who work while also providing unpaid support to people who need it due to disability, chronic illness, mental illness, frail age, dementia or drug or alcohol dependency. Working carers can be employed on a full time, part time; contract basis or a volunteer.

Balancing the role of working and caring can present carers with significant challenges. Without adequate support, working carers may experience detrimental effects on their wellbeing and overall quality of life.

There is policy and legislation to ensure that carers are supported in the workplace. Working carers are entitled to the same rights as other employees, this includes carers leave and the right to request flexible working arrangements. Carers can also expect not to be discriminated against in the workplace because of their caring role.

In 2023, at our very first district's Working Carers Forum, the two key factsheets were launched and marked a successful partnership between the SWSLHD Carers Program and Liverpool Hospital Human Resources. Visit the link below for futher details on the two factsheets around support for working carers:

Manager's Guide to Support Working Carers and Information for Staff Who are Carers

Support for Health Staff with caring responsibilites

SWSLHD Carers Program offers support for health staff who are carers. The support can be in two different form as one-one support or in a group setting. For more information about individual one-one working carers support, see this flyer for more details.

Working Carers Support Network

Our support network group meets informally 3-4 times per year and gives working carers the opportunity to get to know other carers, share similar experiences, learn from each other, learn about new services and feel part of a caring community.

Many staff carers report that attending a support network provides opportunity to talk with others who understand their situation, where they can share and gather helpful information and tips for coping. Getting together also helps carers feel valued, stronger and improve self-esteem.

Any staff member who provides care to a family member or friend because of disability, chronic condition, mental illness or age/frailty is welcome to attend. Working Carer Support Networks are currently running at Bankstown-Lidcombe, Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals.

For more information contact the Carers Program on 0476 801 022 or 0477 384 643 or send us an email:

SWSLHD-CarersProgram@health.nsw.gov.au

USEFUL TOOLS TO ENGAGE seful tools to engage with Carers

Carer Awareness Factsheet for Health staff

Identifying the Carer at Patient Registration - NSW Health Patient Administration Systems (PAS) and Electronic Medical Record screens (eMR) have been changed to record and display if a patient has caring responsibilities or receives ongoing support from a family member or friend. Patients and their carers have a better experience when they are acknowledged and able to talk to and work with health professionals. To access more information and watch a short video with more details click here.

The Model of Care for Carers, Carer's Compass & Checklist is a useful resource for understanding Carer needs

Carers TOP 5

TOP 5 is a tool for health staff to promote the inclusion of carers as part of the health care team and acknowledges the value of carer information for patient with specific needs. TOP 5 encourages staff members to engage with carers and understanding their five most important carer tips when caring for their loved one, which support personalised, individualised care.

TOP 5 is currently being implemented at Bankstown Hospital, please contact the Carers Program for further information and staff in-service about TOP 5.

TOP 5 Brochures are available in four languages:

English Arabic Chinese and Vietnamese.

ONLINE SHORT COURSES

HETI Modules relating to carers and disability: