Carer’s Guide

What is the Shared Lives Scheme?

Shared Lives Schemes have been in existence for many years and are a proven success.  There are currently over 200 schemes across the country.

The schemes provide an ordinary home environment for people with care needs, offering an alternative to staying in a residential home, supported living environment or hospital.  Staying with a family or individual offers the person the opportunity to mix with other members of the household, meet family, friends and neighbours, and to join in the family’s everyday activities.

Shared Lives Placements provide the opportunity for people to lead a more varied life, and to fully participate in their local community.  They also provide the opportunity to learn and acquire new skills, which can lead to greater independence.  This can be done in a permanent arrangement or with short breaks.

What is a Shared Lives Carer?

Shared Lives Carers welcome into their family and home a person or people with a learning disability, giving them guidance, help and support as required.  This involves sharing their home on a long term or short break basis.  The person/people become part of the household, having the opportunity to share in every day family life.  Most Shared Lives Carers have one person living with them, but Shared Lives Carers can accommodate and support up to three people.

The level of support which the Shared Lives Carer provides relates directly to the scheme user’s individual needs, as assessed by their Care Manager or Social Worker.

What we’re looking for in a carer

The most important concern is to find safe, welcoming comfortable homes, offering a stable and supportive environment.  The term ‘Shared Lives Carer’ is used instead of landlord/lady because the role involves providing care and support in addition to board and lodgings.

Being a Shared Lives Carer involves supporting people to meet their emotional, social, health and, educational needs and enabling them to make friends, gain confidence and skills to become as independent as possible.

Whilst previous experience of supporting people with learning disabilities is desirable, it is not essential.  You do not need any formal qualifications to become a Shared Lives Carer, however, a willingness to do more training is essential.  The personal qualities you have to offer are most important.  So is a safe and supportive environment.

It is essential that any members of your family living in your house agree with and fully commit to the idea of being part of the Shared Lives Scheme.

Being a Shared Lives Carer can be very demanding, as well as very rewarding.  You will need to have patience and understanding and be responsive and supportive.  Shared Lives Carers get much from the role, including the satisfaction of enabling someone to reach their full potential.  Dyan a Shared Lives Carer based at Guideposts Trust’s Hertfordshire scheme would agree with this, you might be interested in what she had to say about being a Shared Lives Carer.

This job gives me satisfaction every day, working from home, encouraging independence and personal growth

We shared some great times over the last 10 years learning things about each other and ourselves along the way