NZ Carers Alliance

Established in November 2004, the NZ Carers Alliance is a consortium of more than 40 national not for profits striving for better support and recognition for New Zealand’s 420,000+ family, whānau, and aiga carers.

At its first meeting in 2004 there was a call for a Carers’ Strategy, and in April 2008 the Alliance achieved this goal when the then Labour government launched the first ever New Zealand Carers’ Strategy and Five Year Action Plan. The current Government updated the Carers’ Strategy and launched a new five year Action Plan for carers in March 2014. We are in discussions with the Government for a third Action Plan when the current one finishes next year.

The Carers Alliance works closely with government agencies to ensure family carers have a voice in public policy and delivery of Carers’ Strategy actions.

Sometimes progress for carers is slower than we’d like it to be. We would like a better fairer Carer Support Subsidy and respite services for carers of all ages, a fair payment system for carers, and a continence system that is transparent and fair for all New Zealanders. These are some of the goals the Carers Alliance is working toward, with your input and support.

NZ Carers Alliance participants

Age Concern NZ, Allergy NZ, Alzheimers NZ, ANZMES (Associated NZ ME Society), Anxiety NZ Trust, Aotearoa Maori Whanau Carers Network, Arthritis NZ, Autism NZ, BALANCE NZ, Blind Foundation, Cancer Society of NZ, Carers NZ, CCS Disability Action, Cerebral Palsy Society of NZ, Complex Care Group, Cystic Fibrosis Association of NZ, DHB Mental Health Family Advisors, Diabetes NZ, Epilepsy NZ, Federation of Disability Information Centres, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren, HeartKids New Zealand, Hospice NZ, IHC, Integrated Neurological Rehabilitation Foundation (iNRF), Kidney Kids, Lysosomal Diseases NZ, MND New Zealand, MS Society, Muscular Dystrophy Association of NZ, Neurological Alliance, NZ Continence Association, NZ Down Syndrome Association, NZ Organisation for Rare Disorders, NZ Spinal Trust, Parent to Parent, Parents of Vision Impaired NZ Inc, Parkinsons NZ, Rescare NZ, Retina NZ Inc, SAMS, Supporting Families in Mental Illness NZ, Stroke Foundation, The Angelman Network, TOA Pacific, and Young Carers NZ.

NZ Carers Alliance Guiding Principles

National non-government organisations who are participants in the New Zealand Carers Alliance have developed, and are committed to, these Guiding Principles.

1. Caregiving issues must be a central component of healthcare, long term care and social service policymaking.
2. Carers must be protected against the financial, physical and emotional consequences of caregiving which can put at risk their own health and wellbeing.
3. Carers must have access to affordable, readily available, high quality respite care as a key component of a supportive services network.
4. Carers must be supported by family-friendly policies in the workplace in order to meet their caregiving responsibilities. These may include, but not be limited to, flexitime, job-sharing, counselling, information and referral to community services.
5. Carers must have appropriate, timely and ongoing information, learning, advice, and support in order to successfully meet their caregiving responsibilities and to be effective advocates for their families across all settings.
6. Carers and their family members must have affordable, readily available, high quality, comprehensive services that are coordinated across all care settings.
7. Carers and those they support must be assured of affordable, well qualified and sustainable health care services across all care settings.
8. Carers and their families must have access to regular comprehensive reviews of their own needs to determine what assistance they require, with the assurance that within reason these needs will be met.
9. Carers must have a separate, formal, and specific voice in determining services to meet their own needs, recognising that these are sometimes different to those of the person they support.

Please phone the National Carer Resource Centre, 0800 777 797, or email centre@carers.net.nz