Career Coaching for Carers (3C)
Supporting women carers at Â鶹Éçmadou to take control of their careers.
What is 3C?
Career Coaching for Carers (3C) supports academic women (cis and trans), including sessional staff and post-graduate students, with current or recent carer responsibilities to develop their careers and address the disadvantage many have experienced due to COVID-19. Â
The program offers small-group career coaching sessions with an expert facilitator, and provides a supportive space for reflection and connection, leading to actionable insights tailored to individual situations.
In addition, Â鶹Éçmadou HR runs an interactive information session ensuring participants are familiar with existing supports for carers at Â鶹Éçmadou and how to access them.ÌýÂ
3C is an initiative of the Women’s Wellbeing Academy is led by A/Prof Lizzie Muller and funded by a generous donation from Emeritus Professor Richard Henry AM FRSN, SAGE and Dr Rachel Oberon.
The associated research program is supported by SAGE Athena SWAN and delivered by Â鶹Éçmadou’s Social Policy Research Centre.Ìý
Who is it for?
Academic women (cis and trans) who have undertaken carer responsibilities during the last 3 years.ÌýThis focus responds to evidence that women academics were disproportionately impacted by the intensification of care loads during the pandemic.ÌýÂ
3C uses the Carer’s NSW definition “A carer is any individual who provides care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, mental illness, drug or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail due to age."
A period of care may be ongoing or temporary, of long or short duration. Caring responsibilities are often hidden and sometimes difficult to recognise even by those undertaking them. 3C encourages staff who may not previously have considered themselves as carers to take part.ÌýÂ
 The focus of 3C is on carers as defined above, including parents caring for a child with disability or long-term illness. It also recognises that women may have multiple caring relationships and parental care may be an important part of a carer’s overall experience
The report
°Õ³ó±ðÌýSupporting Carers at Â鶹Éçmadou Sydney: Findings from the 3C initiative report has recently been released. The report calls for greater support for carers within the Â鶹Éçmadou workforce as national attention to the needs of employed carers grows.Ìý  Â
The report is the result of research associated with the Career Coaching for Carers program. It reveals the challenges that many carers face with Â鶹Éçmadou – including the need for greater visibility and training for managers around what caring entails. It emphasises the lack of existing data about carers working at Â鶹Éçmadou, and the need for an organisational carer definition that aligns with national legislation, and distinguishes between parental and carer responsibilities.
Recommendations include appointing carer advocates to support carers in work planning, carer’s leave management, and career progression; ensuring university performance metrics and promotion processes positively acknowledge carer responsibilities and adjust for the impact of part-time status and carer’s leave; and establishing a carer network to raise carer visibility and build community.Ìý
The research was initiated by Associate Prof. Lizzie Muller and conducted by experts in carer research, Dr Catherine Thompson and Dr Trish Hill, from Â鶹Éçmadou’s Social Policy Research Centre, with funding from Â鶹Éçmadou’s Athena Swan Program Office.
Download and read the full report below.
‘Supporting Carers at Â鶹Éçmadou Sydney’ report
6 MB PDF
‘Supporting Carers at Â鶹Éçmadou Sydney’ report (plain text)
180 KB PDF
Appendix 1 - What 3C Delivered
157 KB PDF
Appendix 2 - Research Methodology
103 KB PDF
Appendix 3 - Career Coaching for Carers (3C) HR Information Session
141 KB PDF
