Advocacy
Carers SA is the peak advocacy body for Carers in South Australia. Raising the collective voice of Carers is at the heart of our work to support recognition, Carer rights and better health and wellbeing outcomes for all Carers.
We persistently advocate across governments, health and social services, communities and business to prioritise meaningful support and services for Carers, so that their needs, expectations, values and perspectives inform and influence decision-making by government, service providers, policy makers, legislators and service systems.
Our Advocacy is aligned with:
- Carers SA Strategic Plan 2026 – 2029
- Strategy 2 Advocacy and Impact: Carers’ collective voices influence policy, service systems and community attitudes, and improve the supports Carers receive.
- National Carer Strategy 2024-2034 and National Carer Strategy Action Plan 2025-2027
- Priority Area 1: Carers are seen, valued and enabled to identify early, and Priority Area 6, build the evidence base about Carers.
- South Australian Carers Charter in the Carers Recognition Act SA 2025
- Carers have a right to be respected, to have their health and wellbeing considered, and to be involved in decisions that affect them.
Our advocacy aims are to enable Carers to
- Have their voices heard on issues that are important to them
- Defend and safeguard their rights
- Be partners in decision-making that impacts them and the people they care for
- Contribute to shared planning and problem solving to improve the lives of Carers.
How we advocate
- We develop Carer policy informed by Carers, through our surveys and feedback, forums, focus groups, round tables, the National Carer Survey and the Carer Wellbeing Survey.
- We meet with Ministers and other decision-makers, and respond to calls for submissions from governments, regulators and other peak bodies.
- We collect and analyse Carer reported outcomes, unmet need and service gaps, monitor policy and legislation, and partner with researchers.
- We train Carer Advocates, convene and chair the Carer Support Network of South Australia (CSNSA), and build the capacity of the Carer sector.
- We contribute to national policy through the National Policy Advisory Group led by Carers Australia and are guided by our Carer Advisory Groups: The Carers Advisory Committee, Aboriginal Panel, CALD (culturally and linguistically diverse) Carer Panel and Young Carer Collective.
Advocacy Action Plan 2026-2030
Our Advocacy Action Plan is an evidence informed roadmap for the next five years, setting out
7 priority areas, 27 actions and 35 discrete projects. It ensures the voices, rights, wellbeing and needs of all Carers are consistently elevated in policy and decision-making and gives government evidence based insight into Carers’ priorities.
Carer Voice in Services
What Carers tell us does two jobs. It becomes the evidence behind what we ask government to change, and it changes how we deliver services ourselves. When enough Carers tell us the same thing, that is not a complaint, it is a case.
How Carer voice shapes our services
For further information on our advocacy work contact allison.willis@carerssa.com.au