Support Group Guidelines

Cancer Australia is developing a Cancer Support Group Start Up Kit of information and quality resources to help organisations form new cancer support groups.

The kit will include:

• best practice principles for the quality development and management of cancer support groups; and
• a ‘Start Up’ kit providing practical advice to help organisations to develop and foster cancer support groups.

The Start Up kit will support the development, quality management and evaluation of support groups by providing information about:

• the role of support groups/networks;
• innovative ways to support people affected by cancer (particularly people with poor health outcomes: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; people in rural and remote areas; rare cancers etc);
• types of support networks;
• governance structure;
• involving consumers;
• strategies to ensure sustainability of support networks;
• communication and interpersonal skills requirements;
• facilitator/leader training;
• support group outcomes;
• evaluation;
• self care for facilitators and other participants of support groups/networks; and
• useful internet links.

Resources developed will supplement or enhance existing resources and will help develop new support groups funded by the Cancer Support Networks Grants to ensure that these groups are run effectively and efficiently and are not duplicating already existing resources.

Consumer involvement

The project steering committee includes nominees of our National Consumer Advisory Group, Cancer Voices Australia, The Cancer Council Australia and state and territory Cancer Council nominees.