Since 2024, the Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) Disability Services, Community Capacity Building team, has partnered with community organisations to co-facilitate peer support groups for unpaid carers across the Brimbank, Wyndham and Hume Local Government Areas (LGAs).
At a glance
- 4 peer support groups established across 3 LGAs (Brimbank, Wyndham, Hume)
- 130 registered carers participated
- Inclusive reach: carers aged from their mid-20s to 80s, across diverse genders, cultures and caring roles.
- Caring roles represented: children with disability, elderly parents, partners, adult children with complex needs, and carers managing their own health needs.
- Format: in-person,flexible attendance, low-cost or no-cost.
Benefits of peer support
There are almost 300,000 primary carers in Victoria, a figure that has increased by 30% since 2018. Many carers experience economic disadvantage and social isolation; a high proportion rely on government pensions or allowances and are not engaged in paid employment
Peer support groups provide unpaid carers a trusted environment where they can build networks, share practical information and feel understood.
Carers who attended our peer support groups reported positive outcomes, including:
- Feeling less isolated and more connected.
- Stronger peer support networks.
- Increased confidence to navigate systems and services.
Recommendations
To inform future carer peer support initiatives, the report recommends:
- Designing programs thatrespond to the needs of youngercarers.
- Focusing on self-care andwellbeing to support carers inthe long-term.
- Avoid over-reliance on peergroups by supporting pathwaysinto broader community connections.
- Keeping groups inclusive,flexible, in-person and no-cost.
- Using co-design toestablishgroup agreements that promote safety, respect and shared ownership.
Get in touch
For further information or to discuss partnership opportunities, please contact the Community Capacity Building Team