Carer Gateway Services

Carer Gateway is an Australian Government initiative providing a mix of free online, telephone and in-person supports, services and advice, for family carers in Australia. Carers NT are providing these services in the Northern Territory to help reduce stress and build resilience in the caring role.

Carers can get a wide range of help – from counselling and peer support groups to respite care, home help and equipment.

Carer Gateway makes it easier for you to find help. It’s a great idea to talk with Carer Gateway staff to see what services and support are available in your area.

How can I get help?

When you call Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737, you will reach a Carer Gateway service provider in your area. A trained worker will be available to talk with you and then help you to find services and support to meet your needs.

Carer services are available through a new Australia-wide network of Carer Gateway service providers.

What support is available?

Carer Gateway provides a range of services and supports delivered both in person and online.

Counselling – if you are feeling stressed, anxious, sad or frustrated, a counsellor can talk with you either in person or over the phone in the comfort of your own home.
Connect with other carers – you might like to meet with people like you who care for someone and share stories, knowledge and experience. You can do this with people in your area or you can join the carer forum online.
Respite Care – if you get sick or hurt and you cannot look after someone, emergency respite services can help you. Service providers will find ways to look after the person you care for while you have a break. Planned respite care can also help you plan for regular breaks to rest and recharge.
Self-guided coaching – you can work through interactive online coaching sessions at your own pace. You can find a range of topics to help you in your caring role.
Skills courses – you can use these short online courses to help you to learn new skills in caring for someone and yourself.
Practical help and advice or information about tailored support packages on the Carer Gateway webpages.

You don’t have to know exactly what to ask for – you can just talk through any problems you are having, and Carer Gateway staff will try to match you with services that can help.

Who can use Carer Gateway?

All carers can access Carer Gateway services.

You are a carer if you are looking after someone with disability, a medical condition, mental illness or who is frail due to age.

You don’t need to be a new carer to use Carer Gateway services – any carer can use the services at any time in their caring journey.

What's changed?

From April 2020, carers can call one number to be linked to a wide range of services. Carer Gateway staff will help you to arrange these services.

What if I already use a service?

If you are already using a carer service, your service provider will let you know if anything changes. You can also ask about other services you might need by calling Carer Gateway on 1800 422 737.

The changes to carer services do not affect services delivered through My Aged Care or the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), or any state or territory carer services or carer payments you may be receiving.

Who are the Carer Gateway service providers?

Each region in Australia has a Carer Gateway service provider. This means that the person you talk to knows what support and services are available in the area.

The service providers are:

Australian Capital Territory: Carers ACT

New South Wales:

The Benevolent Society (region NSW1)
Wellways Australia (region NSW2)
Live Better (region NSW3)
Carers NSW (region NSW4)

Northern Territory: Carers NT

Queensland: Wellways Australia

South Australia: Carers SA

Tasmania: Care to Serve

Victoria: Merri Health Community Health Services

Western Australia: Carers WA

As a carer, you have many things you need to manage every day. You may also be working or studying at the same time as being a carer.

Explore this information to get practical tips and support to help you in your role. The Carer Gateway website is all about meeting your needs as a carer.

We have phone counselling, an online carer forum, and self-guided coaching and skills courses to give you support, skills and information. You can also download and print out a summary of some key carer information.

You may also want to visit other sites to find out about services that might help you. For example, the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) supports people with disability, and My Aged Care supports elderly people, and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs supports veterans. You may also want to visit sites about the person you care for and their condition, because those sites will often have information about how best to care for the person.