Josephine* and Steve* will be the first to tell you that life as a full-time carer is hard work. When they made the decision to grow their family back in 2000, neither could anticipate how drastically their lives as they knew it would change.
Make life a little easier.
Get the help you need to improve your wellbeing and maintain your quality of life as a part-time, full-time or even an occasional carer.
What is Carer Gateway?
Support for unpaid carers
Your care situation is as unique as you are.
Carer Gateway is a national initiative program funded by the Australian Government that offers a free and diverse range of short-term services to help you manage your caring role and improve your wellbeing.
Uniting is one of the seven providers that delivers the Carer Gateway Program across Victoria. Uniting’s delivery of this program is in partnership with the lead provider – Merri Health.
Living in Victoria?
Uniting supports carers in:
- The Eastern Metropolitan Region of Melbourne
- Gippsland
- Goulburn North East
- Albury (NSW).
Who can access Carer Gateway?
You can access Carer Gateway if you provide unpaid care to people with:
- Disability
- Chronic medical condition
- Mental health diagnoses
-
Ageing related conditions such as dementia or mobility issues.
All caring situations are different. Some carers look after another person 24 hours a day, while other carers help with specific tasks, such as housework, transport or shopping.
Carers can be of any age.
To make life easier, services are provided in ways that suit your situation. You can choose from in-person, online or over-the-phone support.
What short-term services are covered?
You can access:
- Tailored support packages can be one-off practical support for items and services or funding supports for up to 12 months
- Carer support planning - A full assessment of your needs
- Carer counselling - a professional counsellor can listen to your concerns and offer support.
- Peer support groups - Meet with other people in similar caring situations to share stories, knowledge and experience.
- Respite allows you to take a break. This can be in home, residential or emergency respite.
- Young Carer Support – Tailored support for young carers
- Carer Coaching – opportunity to think about how you're coping, any goals you have and how you can take steps towards achieving them.
- Online skills courses - Develop your skills as a carer and improve your wellbeing through free, online workshops.
We cannot guarantee funding approval for the Tailored Support Packages. Funding is allocated depending on the individual assessment.
3 simple steps to accessing carer support.
View services
To access Uniting's carer Gateway services, visit the central Carer Gateway website or call the team on 1800 422 737 (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.)
Register
Express your interest online or via phone. You can also request for a call-back online.
If you’re referring on behalf of the carer, please fill out the e-referral.
Access support
A member of the Gateway team will be in touch to discuss your needs and help you access support.
If you need an interpreter, please call 131 450.
Carers Employment Support Program (CESP)
Supporting carers in preparing, applying and maintaining study and employment.
The CESP program provides up to 20 hours of individual, tailored support that could include:
- identifying, planning and meeting your goals
- building your resume / cover letter
- enrolment to study programs and industry connections
- workshops to develop your growth mindset, and
- ongoing support as you settle into your new role.
Register your interest and we’ll be in touch to work out how we can help you on your journey to employment.
Upcoming events
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Hear the real story
Carers: unpaid, unsung and often unseen.
Media release
As part of Carers Week, Uniting Vic.Tas is celebrating the invaluable contributions carers make to the lives of millions of people across Victoria and Tasmania.
“When the autism diagnosis was made, I suddenly realised – ‘this is it, this is for life’ – so that’s when I called up Carer Gateway and it’s when things really changed, and I got the support I needed."
Real stories
Above and beyond normal parenting.
Catherine's story
Catherine’s son, Luke, was diagnosed with autism in 2020. Her second child, Ben, was later diagnosed with developmental delay and is currently undergoing the autism spectrum disorder diagnostic proccess.
It’s a role that we didn’t ask for, that we didn’t choose, and it’s been thrown on us and we are coping with it as best we can.
Hear the real story
Farida’s Story.
Hear the real story
Sarah and Layla’s story.
Get in touch
Let us become part of your support circle.
Get in touch with the team to find out if Carer Gateway can support you.
Call us on
1800 422 737