The Carers Advisory Council (the Council) provides advice to the Minister for Community Services on issues affecting carers and meets regularly throughout the year. The Department of Communities provides executive support to the Council.
The Secretariat for the Council can be contacted at carers@communities.wa.gov.au
Council members
The Minister appoints up to ten members who are either carers or have knowledge of matters relevant to carers and those they care for.
Current Council members
- Ms Carrie Clark (Chair): Former CEO of Kiind, Western Australian’s largest membership organisation of parents and carers of children with disabilities. Has extensive experience in community development and has lived experience of caring.
- Dr Kim Hudson: An academic, researcher and advocate for carers compassionate policy at Murdoch University. Has held several leadership and committee roles in the community services and disability sector and has lived experience as a carer across multiple roles and life stages.
- Ms Alison Blake: A regional member of the Carers Advisory Council with lived experience caring for family members and more than 30 years of expertise in strategy, policy, community engagement, and communications.
- Ms Amber Anthony: CEO with lived experience of disability and caring. Advocate for people with disabilities and works with organisations to shape neuro-inclusive workplaces.
- Ms Angelina Watson: Operates a non-for-profit organisation to support carer wellbeing and has experience in community governance and caring for multiple family members.
- Mrs Ann Dawson: Strategic finance executive with experience in project management, strategic management, and business analysis and development planning. Decades of experience in the healthcare sector and as a long-term carer.
- Mrs Thurka Sitparan: A healthcare leader with extensive experience in governance and advocacy to improve outcomes for vulnerable communities and diverse populations. Experience as a long-term carer.
- Dr Barbara Goodwin: A carer and founder of a digital platform that supports carers to coordinate care. Experience serving on various boards to advocate for carers and has a PhD in Law.
- Mrs Tracey Constable: A family carer with expertise in advocacy, stakeholder engagement, governance and systems change. Has experience advising organisations on improving outcomes towards inclusion and community wellbeing.
Compliance reporting
An important role that the Council undertakes is development of an annual report to the Minister on compliance of reporting organisations named in the Carers Recognition Act 2004 (the Act) with the Act and their obligations under the Carers Charter.
The reporting organisations are the Department of Health, Disability Services Commission and public hospitals. Mental Health Commission currently provides a report on a voluntary basis.
Annual Compliance Reports are tabled in parliament.
The council builds working relationships with these organisations and encourages compliance with the Act and the Carers Charter.
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