Carers NSW Conference 2022

The term ‘informal carer’ is often used to describe someone who cares for a family member or friend, when in reality, there is nothing informal about the caring role.

The Carers NSW Conference 2022: There’s nothing informal about carers, was held on Wednesday, 12 October 2022.

The conference explored how important the use of language is when talking about carers, and also took a deeper dive into some of the impacts that the caring role can have on individuals, families, communities and workplaces.

These impacts extend to areas such as social connectedness, employment opportunities and the overall health and wellbeing of carers. The recent pandemic and natural disasters have only increased these impacts for 'informal' carers.

The conference also looked at how we can improve the outcomes for carers and the people they care for in NSW through increased recognition and support, working better together and across systems, and examining the evidence and being informed.

Key Themes

Key themes explored at the conference included:

The Cost of Caring: What caring costs carers and government
Carers’ Rights and Recognition: The importance of identification and recognition in carers accessing supports - specifically regarding the diversity of different carer groups and experiences of caring (for example Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander carers, culturally and linguistically diverse carers and young carers)
Partners in Care: Working together with carers in the design and delivery of services and supports.