Meet Penny, Carer Champion

As of Thursday 13th June, federal funding for the Carer Gateway program will end. This means our Carer Gateway Services will no longer be operational. For continued support, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Carers WA directly to receive services. Visit their website here or call 1800 422 737. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

In partnership with Carers WA and led by our Carer Champion, Penny Bickford, Rocky Bay is excited to offer tailored support to carers through Carer Gateway’s diverse services. We spoke to Penny and asked her some questions about new her role as Carers Champion, read on to see what she had to say!

What is your new role?  

The Carer Champion is a newly introduced role at Rocky Bay, dedicated to supporting and assisting the carers who care for our wonderful Rocky Bay customers. As a Champion Organisation, we can now connect our carers with Carer Gateway initiative, ensuring those who provide everyday care have the support they need. Prioritizing the wellbeing of our carers and easing the burden on families, directly impacts the quality of service that our other programs provide. 

How did this role come about?  

Rocky Bay has partnered with Carers WA to become a Champion Organisation. This enables us to directly help all carers have access to available supports, as well as offer our own in-house carer support. This exciting new initiative complements our current services and aligns with Rocky Bay’s Vision to understand the needs of our customers and develop community partnerships to further support our customers.

What initially attracted you to this role?  

I was super excited to learn that we had become a Champion Organisation with Carers WA as it’s such a vital service for our carers. I instantly knew that I wanted to be a part of it and there is huge potential to grow the program and integrate it into our everyday service provision across Rocky Bay.  I love taking on new challenges and think I can bring a little optimism and passion to the program to create a service that carers want to be a part of! 

What is your affiliation with Carers WA?   

The Australian Government made a commitment to continue improving carer services and supports through the Carer Gateway. Carers WA are the team that provides many of the support services. I work as a representative of Rocky Bay bridging the link between the Rocky Bay team and Carers WA / Carer Gateway. I will be a part of the In Person Peer Support groups at Rocky Bay with the guidance of Carers WA. 

What do you hope to learn in this role? 

There are a vast number of families doing it tough and just quietly going about their jobs day after day. I have been humbled to hear some of the stories and be able to offer supports to these families. I’ve already connected with some of the other Champion Organisations who are specialists in their field and am excited to share some of my learning with our families and carers.  

What are the main objectives of this role?   

By linking carers to a range of tailored supports and services, carers can be supported to manage their daily challenges, reduce stress, plan for the future and ultimately improve their wellbeing.  By ensuring that our carers are physically, emotionally and psychology well, directly impacts the engagement and wellbeing of our customers.  

Can you describe your day-to-day responsibilities in this new role?  

I spend my day connecting with carers, registering them with Carers WA, and conduct planning sessions to understand their individual caring situation. We are currently co-designing our own Carer In Person Peer Support groups, which will soon be available at a hub near you. These groups will provide Carers with the chance to connect with other carers in similar situations, share experiences, and receive support. I’ve already received numerous inquiries from Rocky Bay staff about supporting families, and take queries from external support providers and carers looking for support.

How does your new role fit into the overall goals and objectives of the organisation?  

These supports aim to improve carer well-being, skills and knowledge which directing aligns with our values and demonstrates many of our new Customer Experience Indicators. The collaboration with Carers WA and Carer Gateway enables us to tap into new expertise and offer new supports for our Carers and families.  It shows that we are taking a holistic approach to service provision. 

How do you envision collaborating with other team members or departments to achieve shared objectives?  

We have spent some time launching the program to multiple service departments across Rocky Bay.  By meeting with the individual Teams across all our Hubs we have already started to make a huge impact. We have offered the staff a very clear pathway for them to make referrals for the customers who they know so well and provide services to. Anyone who is caring can access support through the Carer Gateway which also includes our staff who care for children or the elderly as well, not just customers. 

What impact do you hope to have in this role, both internally within the organisation and externally with customers and their carers?  

My aim is let the carers of our customers know that someone is looking out for them too.  The NDIS is here to support our customers and enable them to grow and achieve their aspirations. Carers WA and Carer Gateway are here to support the carer to grow and achieve their aspirations. It’s the perfect compliment to our existing suite of services. 

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