What is Shared Lives

What is Shared Lives

Shared Lives is a service provided by individuals and families (Shared Lives (SL) Carers) in local communities and is distingushed by the following features:

• Placements are part of organised Shared Lives (SL) Schemes that approve and train the SL carers, receive referrals, match the needs of service users with SL carers and monitor the placements
• People using Shared Lives services have the opportunity to be part of the SL carers family and social networks
• SL carers can use their family home as a resource
• Placements provide committed and consistent relationships
• The relationship between the SL carer and the person placed with them is of mutual benefit
• SL carers can support up to three people at any one time
• SL carers do not employ people to provide care to people placed with them

SL Carers can provide:

• Long term accommodation and support
• Short breaks
• Day time support
• Rehabilitative or intermediate support
• Kinship support where the carer acts as ‘extended family’ to someone living in their own home