Improving counselling, mental health support and respite for Unpaid carers

Closes 19 Nov 2025

Opened 23 Oct 2025

Overview

The Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (the department) and project partner Nous Group (Nous) invite unpaid carers from across Australia to participate in the implementation of the National Carer Strategy 2024-2034 National Carer Final Strategy.

Unpaid carers are people who take care of someone, such as a family member or friend, without being paid. The person they care for might have a disability, medical condition or mental health challenges. They might be living with dementia or require some extra help because they are older.  

To inform the development of actions under the National Carer Strategy Action Plan 2024-2027 National Carer Strategy Action Plan - English, we have developed a survey to capture the voices of unpaid carers.

This survey has a focus on: 

  • How to improve counselling and mental health support
  • Exploring options to improve access to respite for unpaid carers
  • Ways to appropriately support unpaid carers from First Nations, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) and LGBTQIA+ communities, carers with disability, carers of veterans, and young carers. 


 

Unpaid Carer Support Services Research

The survey will ask you:  

  • What you think could make the biggest difference for supporting carers? 
  • What better support for carers could look like?  

 The survey may take around 20 minutes to complete.


 
 
Who can take the survey? 
 
You must be over 12 years old to do the survey. If you are between the ages of 12 and 18 years, you will need an adult, like a parent, guardian or adult who is responsible for you, to say it’s okay. They can do this by signing the Consent Form online.  
 
 
How will my information be used?  
 
This survey is anonymous. It will not ask for your name or contact details. The survey will ask some questions about you (e.g. your age, the state or territory you live in, etc.) to help us understand your answers.  
 
Your survey answers will be used to develop options for improving support for carers and include them in a report for the department.  
 
 

The survey closes 19 November 2025 (12:59pm)

Click on this link to fill out the survey

Carer Survey

 

Audiences

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
  • Carers and guardians
  • Commonwealth agencies
  • Community groups
  • Families
  • General public
  • Health professionals
  • Health staff
  • Health workforce
  • Local governments
  • Men
  • Non-government organisations
  • Parents
  • Seniors
  • State government agencies
  • Women
  • Young people

Interests

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
  • Aged Care
  • Alcohol
  • Cancer
  • Children's health
  • Chronic disease
  • Communicable diseases
  • Dementia
  • Disability community
  • Drugs and substance abuse
  • Health and Medical Research
  • Hearing
  • Home Care
  • Human health
  • Mental health
  • Policy Development
  • Residential Aged Care
  • Short-Term Restorative Care
  • Strategic Policy
  • Women's health