Mental Health Carer Experience Survey (CES)
About the Mental Health Carer Experience Survey (CES)
The Fourth National Mental Health Plan recognised the role of carers in mental health service provision and the need for carers and families to receive information, within the bounds of privacy and confidentiality, about the treatment and care provided to the consumer. A national project was undertaken, guided by the Mental Health Information Strategy Standing Committee, to develop a tool to support mental health services to monitor and improve carer engagement as part of an evidence-informed quality improvement program. The Australian Mental Health Outcomes and Classification Network (AMHOCN) was tasked with undertaking development work on a carer experience tool, in collaboration with an Expert Advisory Panel. This resulted in the Mental Health Carer Experience Survey. Download a copy of the project report: Development of the Mental Health Carer Experience Survey: Final Report.
Sample copy
The survey is now available for use across the sector. You can view a sample copy of the Mental Health Carer Experience Survey. However, if you would like to access and use the Mental Health Carer Experience Survey, please click on the "Apply here" button below. You will then be able to download the MH CES. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact AMHOCN by email.
How to apply for a licence
The terms and conditions of the licence agreement for use of the CES aims to promote consistency of use. If you would like to use the CES, it is a simple and quick process. Click on the "Apply here" licence application link below. We ask you to provide some basic applicant information, review and agree to the terms and conditions of the licence agreement and then click on submit. There is no expiration date for the licence to use the CES.
Guidance for using the CES
The following resources provide information about using the CES:
- Mental Health Carer Experience Survey: Guidance for Organisations.
- As the CES is about understanding the carer experience, this short video provides an opportunity to reflect on what those experiences might be from one carer's perspective.
- A practical guide for working with carers of people with a mental illness. This guide aims to assist staff across service settings in Australia in the recognition and support of carers, to enable them to continue in their role as partners in recovery.
- AMHOCN Online training module.
Online training in using the CES
AMHOCN provides online training in the CES. Go to our online learning site and follow the link to Experience Measure Training. You will need to register via the site to access the training and will receive a certificate upon completion of the training module.
Reporting of the experience of service measures
Following a review and sector consultation on the domain structure that underpins the YES survey/s, the Mental Health Information Strategy Standing Committee (MHISSC) endorsed a set of domains that are suitable for reporting across these experience surveys - YES, YES CMO, YES PHN and CES. A domain is simply a collection of items that reports on a single construct. Domains have been identified, particularly by jurisdictions, as a useful way of reporting the results of the YES survey to stakeholders. Go to Reporting domains of the experience of service measures: YES, YES CMO, YES PHN, CES to view information about the domains of the YES, YES CMO, YES PHN and CES.
States and territories are at the early stages of planning and implementing the Mental Health Carer Experience Survey. To support future national reporting, the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has created the Mental Health Carer Experience NBEDS., i.e. a National Best Endeavours Dataset. To find out more, go to Mental Health Carer Experience of Service NBEDS