With over 30 years of experience, Carers SA provides unpaid carers with a range of support services including carer support planning, emergency respite, peer support and coaching, in-person counselling, tailored financial packages and breaks. The organisation supports carers of all ages with vastly different caring roles.

The organisation is part of a federated structure, the National Network of Carer Associations, and is a member of Carers Australia. As a member, Carers SA provides one of its Directors to Carers Australia’s Board. Part of Carers SA role is to be the ‘voice’ of carers and advocate strongly for their needs at State and Commonwealth levels, being a part of the National Network allows this to occur in a joined up way across Australia.

From April 2020, under the Federal Government’s new carer support model, Carers SA became the main provider of services for South Australia’s 250,000 unpaid carers. Carers SA secured both Commonwealth Government contracts, metropolitan and country, and now is responsible for operationalising the Carer Gateway in South Australia.

After recently securing State Government funding the organisations two major contracts took the organisation from a revenue of $7.3m in FY19/20 to $19.7m in FY21/22. The money from both Commonwealth and State Governments are block funded (i.e. guaranteed funding) with the state contract due to finish in June 2023 and the federal contract in June 2024.

The organisation recently approved Phase Two of its strategic plan which spans three years until June 2024, a summary of which can be found accompanying this short summary.

Carers SA is seeking feedback from carers and interested parties until 5pm 29 October 2021.