Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group

Details

Additional information: Join the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group

Young Carers are the experts of their own lives. To help make our Carer Gateway services better for Young Carers, we think it’s important we listen to them directly and pay them for their time and participation.

That’s why Merri Health is starting a Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group to improve our services for Young Carers across Victoria. Young Carer Representatives will have an opportunity to be involved in decision making, designing and evaluating services, policies, communications, and programs.

Carer Gateway Young Carer Engagement Advisor Sophia speaking on the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group.

Who are carers?

Young carers are people under 25 years old who provide unpaid support to a family member, friend, sibling, parent or partner with a disability, a medical condition, mental illness, addiction or who is frail due to age.

Young Carers come from across the community – they might be part of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander or LGBTQIA+ communities, from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, live in metro and rural or regional areas, or be people with disability.

Who can apply?

Young Carers from anywhere in Victoria can apply. You do not have to be currently receiving supports or services through Merri Health or Carer Gateway.

Young Carers who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, LGBTQIA+, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse and people with disability encouraged to apply.

See the FAQs below for more info about who are eligible.

How will it work?

The Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group will run remotely. Young Carer Representatives will need basic internet access and computer skills, including email and attending video meetings.

How do I find out more?

For more information about the Young Carer Representative on Carer Gateway Advisory Group role, download the Carer Representative Position Description and read the FAQs below.

How do I apply?

There are two ways you can apply to the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group:

You can apply by completing an Expression of Interest form here

OR, You send an application in a format of your choosing to Sophia.Tipping@merrihealth.org.au It can be a letter, a poem or story, a video, a collage – get creative! Make sure you include the following details:

Full name
Contact details (Phone Number, Email address, Post code/suburb)
Date of Birth
A bit about yourself and your experience as a Young Carer
Why you would be a great Young Carer Representative on the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group

If you are under 18, a parent or guardian must be willing to provide consent for you to apply.

Applications close Friday 24th September

Carer Representative Position Description

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Carer Gateway?

Carer Gateway is an Australian Government initiative that delivers services and support to carers across Australia. Read more here

What is the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group?

The Carer Gateway want to set up a Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group in Victoria. This group will be made up of people with lived experience expertise as young carers and will be involved in decision making, designing and evaluating services, policies, communications, and programs as part of the Carer Gateway.

Young Carers are experts in their own experiences and we hope that this group can make services better for more young carers.

How will the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group work?

The Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group will have monthly meetings that will run remotely (via Zoom or another online meeting application). Representatives will need basic internet access and computer skills, including email and attending video meetings.

What sort of things will I be involved in as a Young Carer Representative?

Young Carer Representatives on the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group will share their experiences, opinions and knowledge of being a carer, provide feedback and help develop ways to improve services, policies, communications and programs.

You should expect to:

Speak in a group setting with other carers
Follow a code of conduct regarding safe and respectful behaviour
Read information or resources
Take part in facilitated workshops or training
Share feedback
Complete surveys

There will be other optional opportunities such as public speaking, representing the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group at other meetings, training of staff and reviewing documents at different times.

Am I eligible to apply to be a Young Carer Representative?

You are eligible to apply if:

You are over 15 years or over.
You have been or are you currently an unpaid young carer (a young carer is someone under 25 years old who provides unpaid support to a family member, friend, or partner with a disability, a medical condition, mental illness, addiction or who is frail due to age).
You want to help support other young carers and make services better for other young carers.

Do I need to be a current Young Carer to apply?

You don’t have to be a current unpaid young carer. If you have past experience of being an unpaid carer when you were under 25 years old but are no longer in your caring role and you meet the other criteria then we encourage you to apply.

Does it matter if I was/am not the main/primary carer?

You don’t have to have experience of being the main or primary carer to apply. While many young carers are the only or main carers of their loved ones, many are co-carers who help other people care for the person they support. We want people with a wide range of experiences of being an unpaid carer to apply – including people who were co-carers or were not the main carer.

Do I need to have used Carer Gateway services or young carer services to apply?

You don’t have to have experience of using Carer Gateway services or any carer services to apply. However, you do need to want to help support other young carers and make services better for other young carers.

What supports are available for Young Carer Representatives?

All Young Carer Representatives will be provided with training and support to help them in their role as Carer Representatives.

We are committed to addressing the accessibility requirements of Young Carer Representatives wherever we can. For young carers with current caring responsibilities, we can cover respite costs to ensure you are free to attend Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group activities.

Let us know if you have any accessibility needs that we need to meet for the interview when you apply (for example interpreters, communication access requirements).

We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply including, but not limited to people with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as those from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and LGBTQIA+ communities.

The Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group Projects leads will be a key contact for successful Young Carer Representatives should their support needs change during their term.

Do Young Carer Representatives get paid?

Yes! Young Carer Representatives will get paid a "sitting fee" for participating in meetings and an hourly amount for doing other work outside of meetings. We also provide training opportunities for all Young Carer Representatives.

Young Carer Representatives are providing valuable expertise and time to help improve our services therefore we want to make sure you are paid for all the work you do as part of the Young Carer Gateway Advisory Group.

How much time do I need to be a Young Carer Representative?

We ask that Young Carer Representatives commit to a minimum of 4 hours a month for a period of 12-month. There may be opportunities for more hours at times but this will be optional.

Do I need to complete police checks or other checks before I apply?

You do not need to complete any checks before you apply. However, all successful applicants will need to get a National Police Check, Working with Children’s Check and Statutory Declaration before they can start. We can help you complete these if needed.

What costs are involved in being a Young Carer Representative?

Carer Gateway will cover:

Payment for tasks as a Young Carer Representative (including attending meetings, events and training)
Travel costs to attend face to face events
Costs associated with accessibility needs (including respite for care recipient if necessary, interpreters, etc)