Repositioning respite in consumer directed service systems

This paper was developed by Carers NSW Policy and Research team on behalf of, and with extensive input from, members of the Carer Respite Alliance (CRA), a working group formed in 2017 in response to increasing numbers of carers and other stakeholders in NSW expressing concerns about the state of the respite sector in NSW. This paper seeks to reposition the concept of carer respite within increasingly consumer-directed care service systems in NSW and provide an evidence base to support the ongoing provision and funding of supports that enable carers to take breaks from the caring role within these existing models.