In this edition: Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Audit Survey, Calendar of events, new TOGETHER magazine, carer stories, and more... No images? Click here Message from our CEOWe are proud to celebrate the five year anniversary of our Toowoomba and Ipswich regional offices. As Queensland’s largest NDIS Local Area Coordination (LAC) Partner in the Community, Carers Queensland has supported thousands of participants and their families to access their NDIS plans. We’re focused on sharing information and resources with participants and non-participants to connect them to services to pursue their goals. Particularly in regional areas, where services can be more challenging to access, our community and mainstream teams are creating unique programs and activities to foster greater community inclusion and keep participants connected and supported. It's an honour to be a part of these wonderful communities. In other news, Carers Queensland has been invited by QIP Accreditation to participate in the pilot of a new accreditation - Standards for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults. This is incredibly important work, you can read more below. With Easter and ANZAC day approaching, we wish you and your family happy and safe holidays. Debra Cottrell Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Audit SurveyCarers Queensland is participating in a new pilot program with Quality Innovation Performance Limited (QIP) to achieve accreditation against QIP Safeguarding Standards for Children and Vulnerable Adults. To help improve this process, QIP is gathering feedback about Carers Queensland, through an anonymous survey. Your feedback is important and will be analysed by an external specialist survey company. If you would like to provide your feedback, please tap on the link below. Please note: you must be over the age of 18 to complete the survey. April Calendar of EventsAfter the month we have had of wild weather in Queensland, we know how important it is to have a break, prioritise our self-care, and connect with like-minded people. In April we’ll have a Carers Social in Mt Gravatt for the Brisbane Southsiders, in a beautiful café with sweeping city views. We will also be holding a Kokedamas making workshop in the picturesque Queens Park, Ipswich. For carers of a loved one with dementia, this April we will organise a special High Tea at Dandelion and Driftwood in Hendra. Plus two awesome Young Carer events in April! Be sure to check out all the details in our calendar, and don't forget to join our Carer Health and Wellbeing Facebook Group to stay informed and updated on upcoming events and activities. If you need a little help connecting online, feel free to contact us at healthandwellbeing@carersqld.com.au and our friendly team will walk you through it. Our new training services are coming soon...For more than 10 years, our Registered Training Organisation (RTO) has been providing subsidised and accredited training for unpaid carers. Carers Queensland has supported hundreds of carers to learn new skills and gain new qualifications. But the future of training is evolving, and so are we. From June this year, we will be rolling out a new model of training that is highly flexible, more engaging through online and video content, and with dedicated staff to ensure you are supported on your journey. More information is coming soon! Register your interest in our new training services by clicking below. Our TOGETHER Autumn magazine is out now!In this issue, we spotlight the first official Graduation Ceremony of our Registered Training Organisation (RTO) students; Disability Inclusion Programs Grow in 2022, and how Carers Queensland helps people with disability to be their own boss. We also highlight some of our new partnerships and some amazing stories from our carers and NDIS participants. Tap on the link below to read our latest Together Magazine edition. Anna learned the importance of taking care of herselfOfficially, Anna became a carer for her husband in 2008 because he could not stay awake for more than a few hours a day. Yet, she was already a carer for her son, who was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was six years old. At first, Anna did not think of herself as a carer. She was a mother and coped with daily challenges on her own. Identifying as a caregiver helped her understand that there is support available, and she no longer feels alone. Anna completed the Skills for Success short course at Carers Queensland through Your Caring Way. It helped her recognise her strengths, the talents she already has as a carer, and how she can apply them at work. We can help you get back into workWe understand what it means to look after a family member or loved one, so we provide flexible options and ongoing support, every step of the way. Your Caring Way can help you get back into work or find a volunteering role that suits you. Contact us on 1300 585 636 or tap on the link below to register your interest. Are you a Carer Friendly Business?Being recognised as an Accredited Carer Employer will make your business stand out from your competitors. It demonstrates your commitment to staff and your support for the local community. NDIS NewsletterWe want you to get information that matters. The NDIS newsletter contains a range of news, stories, and events about our LAC program and the NDIS. Glen returns to the boardwalk and the beach with support from the NDISFor the first time in years, Glen feels alive again and has gone from being isolated and not wanting to leave the house to being supported and seen. The Sunshine Coast resident, who lives with rheumatoid arthritis, is using his National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports to access an occupational therapist and support workers who are helping help him to regain and maintain his independence. Thanks to the NDIS, he’s now able to go to the shops, return to the beach as well as cook his favourite meals. Importantly, his mental health has dramatically improved. Free support for carers from Carer GatewayCarer Gateway gives you access to a range of free services and supports to help you when you are caring for someone else, these include:
Carer Gateway is a national support service funded by the Australian Government and delivered by Wellways Australia. 2022 Federal BudgetUnpaid family and friend carers make a massive contribution to our community. In 2020, they saved the Australian economy $77.9 billion. Cost of living pressures are most acute for our nation’s carers, and they simply cannot continue to plug the gap in supports for their loved ones without better and ongoing supports for their own health, wellbeing, and financial security. The 2022 budget is out and Carers Australia have released their response. Tap on the link for more information. |