Helpful information for you
Who can benefit from Shared Lives?
If you need support, you may have learning disabilities, physical disabilities, dementia, mental health issues, alcohol/drug dependence or other conditions that make it harder for you to live alone.
Shared Lives may also benefit a young person who has left the care system and needs somewhere to live and a family environment.
This care service is open to you if you have been assessed under the Care Act (2014) with a care needs assessment and referred by your local authority.
What does Shared Lives mean?
Shared Lives is a care service that recruits and trains Shared Lives carers to support you if you are a young person or adult who cannot live independently without support.
A Shared Lives carer can provide day support, short breaks or long-term support for one or more adults.
Once a carer is matched with you, you can visit or live with the Shared lives carer in their home with their family. You and the Shared Lives carer, must be happy about who you are going to live with or visit.
If you are an adult needing support, you may:
- Be a regular visitor to the carer’s home for day support but may not live with the carer.
- Stay overnight in their home for a specific number of nights a week /month.
- Live in the carer’s home temporarily as a short break (respite for usual carer).
- Live in the carer’s home as part of a long-term placement.
Who funds Shared Lives?
Local authorities are investing in these care services.
The carer is paid for the care they provide to someone, based on that person’s local authority care assessment of what support they need.
An adult needing support will contribute towards accommodation and living costs from their housing benefit part of Universal Credit, ESA – Employment Support Allowance, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Severe Disability Premium.
An adult may be responsible to pay for the Shared Lives service, depending on financial circumstances.
What is it like to live with a Shared Lives carer?
A carer can share not just their home but also their family life with you. This happens as a Shared Lives carer builds a good relationship with you.
The benefits of this scheme include helping you to grow in confidence, become independent, socialise, make new friends, learn new skills, improve educational and employment opportunities.
How involved will I be when it comes to my support and meeting a Shared Lives carer?
Our Shared Lives team will work in partnership with you, your family and any other person who you feel needs to be involved during this process.
We will set an initial meeting to discuss your preferences, interests and the support you would like to receive. We will then look for suitable Shared Lives carers that meet your needs.
We will set up a matching meeting. This will usually take place at the carer’s home to give you the chance to see where you might live and the local area.
If this goes well, we would suggest another meeting, for you to get to know one another a bit more. The matching process can be only one or two meetings but it can also be taken slowly where a few visits are arranged as you might also be meeting other carers. We will check everyone is happy with the arrangement before you make a choice.
If I live with a Shared Lives carer, will I still be able to see my family?
Of course, you will be supported by your Shared Lives carer to keep in contact with your family and your family will be welcomed to visit you at your new home. It is worth bearing in mind that this is the carer’s home too and other people may live there so arranging these visits will need to be discussed together.