Education and training

Carers NSW provides education for carers and carer support groups across NSW free of charge.

  

Guest Speaking

The education sessions run for one hour including time for questions.  Our Education for Carers sessions are designed to provide information, knowledge and skills for carers that will enhance their caring role, help strengthen resilience and improve overall health and wellbeing.

Your ability to keep providing care can be greatly affected if your own health deteriorates. We can help you to create a better balance between your responsibilities as a carer and your own personal wellbeing. Getting this balance right will also improve the health and wellbeing of the person you care for.

Sessions offered:

• Carers NSW, Supporting Carers
  This session introduces carers to Carers NSW. As the state-wide peak organisation for carers, learn about how Carers NSW supports carers across the state through our services, programs and resources.

• Taking Care of Yourself
  For many carers, taking care of themselves is often their last priority. Taking Care of Yourself encourages carers to consider their own needs. It explores some of the barriers to self-care as well as some strategies to help carers look after themselves.

• Health and Wellbeing
  In the caring environment stress always seems to be lurking. While caring for and supporting a family member or friend is often rewarding, at times stress may cause carers to feel physically and emotionally overwhelmed, making it difficult to cope. Health and Wellbeing investigates stress and how to identify possible indicators, the effect it can have on a carer and strategies to maintain physical and emotional wellbeing.

• Taking a Break
  All carers need to take time out every now and again to provide relief from the demands of caring, to increase resilience and strengthen their ability to care for longer. Taking a Break explores the benefits of and various ways to take a break. It also looks at barriers that may prevent carers from taking a break and how to overcome these.

• Feelings
  It is quite common for carers to experience conflicting emotions. While caring can be both rewarding and satisfying, there are many carers who also find it stressful and demanding. Feelings explores some of the feelings and emotions that carers often say they experience and how to deal with difficult feelings.

• Supporting Carers of Ageing Parents
  This session is for carers who currently care for, or who may soon take on the caring role of an ageing family member. Supporting Carers of Ageing Parents provides an introduction to caring for an older person and incorporates issues such as considerations when taking on the caring role, a carers' ability to care for another and expectations that carers may face. The session also explores support services that can assist carers in caring for ageing family members.

• Transitional Care Module
  This free workshop is designed to help carers who are at a stage where they can no longer look after an ageing relative or friend at home and are trying to navigate their way around the aged care system. This workshop will provide you with: An insight into the role of the carer during this transition, an awareness of the emotions that may be experienced, tools and services that will help you plan and prepare for transitioning someone into aged care and/or end of life care and an overview of Carers NSW services and programs.

 

To request a guest speaker please complete the Carers NSW Guest Speaking and Exhibition Request Form. For further information please email [email protected] or phone (02) 9280 4744.

 

Online Education Website

The Online Education Website brings Carers NSW knowledge and resources directly to you, no matter where you are across New South Wales. The Online Education Website provides a range of online modules for both carers and services providers that gives information, knowledge and skills to carers help in the caring role.

  

Carer Support Groups

• Setting up a carer support group
• Promoting a carer support group

 

To access the website click here: https://lms.carersnsw.org.au

For more information on accessing the Online Education Website, email [email protected]

 

 

Setting Up a Carer Support Group workshop

A free online interactive workshop that addresses common issues and considerations for new facilitators in setting up a brand new support group for unpaid family carers.

Topics include:

• Why a support group and how to attract members
• Setting up a carer support group
• Running a carer support group
• Planning a support group meeting

This training is open to:

• Service providers and carers who would like to set up a new carer support group
• Service providers and carers who have recently begun to run a carer support group

 

Locations and dates for workshops in 2020    

• Online     18th March, 25th March, 1st April 2020     10am-12pm
• Online     10th June, 17th June, 24th June 2020       10am-12pm

 

Click here to download the flyer.

 

To register for this workshop click here.  

 

For additional resources click here: https://lms.carersnsw.org.au

 

 

 

Carer Support Groups: A workshop for facilitators

A free interactive workshop covering a broad range of topics and issues that relate to the role of a carer support group facilitator.

Topics include:

• An introduction to group processes and group work
• Identifying and responding to issues specific to carers and the group
• How to develop and maintain ethical facilitation
• An introduction to Carers NSW resources for carer support groups, including Carer Support Groups: An information and support resource for facilitators.

This training is open to:

• Service providers and carers who currently facilitate a carer support group
• Service providers and carers who are interested in facilitating their own group

 

Locations and dates for workshops in 2020    Click on location for further information.

In-person workshops

• North Sydney   19th March 2020
• North Sydney   27th May 2020
• North Sydney   5th August 2020

 

Online workshops 

• Online     29th April, 6th May, 13th May 2020     10am-12pm
• Online     4th November, 11th November, 18th November 2020       10am-12pm

 

Click here to download the flyer

 

To register for this workshop click here. 

 

Monthly Facilitator Meetup - video link-up

The Carer Peer Connect program runs monthly video-meetings for facilitators of carer support groups. These video-meetings have allowed members to talk openly about the facilitation of their groups and discuss ways to overcome group challenges. The peer support from other carer support group facilitators connects participants from all corners of the state, from Albury and Wagga, to Dubbo and Broken Hill, and up to Tweed Heads.

Each meeting contains an educational component with a new topic each month. 

Facilitator tele-meetings provide opportunities for:

• Sharing of new Carer Peer Connect network information.
• Discussing and brainstorming ideas to overcome group challenges.
• Support group facilitator debriefing.
• Support group promotion and networking.
• Peer support from other carers support group facilitators around NSW.

 

Upcoming Dates

• 10am - 11am    Fourth Tuesday of the month.

 

Upcoming Topics (2020)

February 25th - Attracting members

March 24th - Managing diverse personalities

April 28th - Promoting a carer support group

May 26th - Dealing with conflict in the group

June 23rd - Conducting a Needs Analysis

July 28th - Facilitator burnout

August 25th - Self-care for facilitators

September 22nd - Essential characteristics of an effective carer support group

October 27th - Evaluating a groups aims and objectives

November 24th - 5 stages of group development

 

To find out more email  [email protected]

 

To register for the next Facilitator Meetup click here.

 

 

 

Facilitator Mailing List

Sign up to the mailing list to keep up-to-date with the latest information about education workshops, facilitator tele-meetings and general support group updates.

You can sign up here.