Would you benefit from a Shared Lives home?

Shared Lives aims to provide Individuals who have been assessed as having care and support needs with the opportunity to live as part of a family.

If you are 18 years of age and over and have been assessed as having Care and Support needs, then Shared Lives may be for you. Following your assessment, if it is thought you would benefit from the support Shared Lives can offer, your Health or Social Care Worker will contact Shared Lives. This is called a referral.

Once a referral has been received, a Shared Lives Officer will look to see if there is a Carer who can support you. This is called the ‘matching process’.

Shared Lives supports people with learning disabilities, mental health needs, older people and people with physical disability and sensory impairments, e.g. hearing or vision difficulties.

How can people benefit from living in a Shared Lives home?

• We will visit you to make sure everything is ok. You can tell us if you are happy, sad or if you are worried about something.
• We monitor the support you need and that you are enjoying your life with your Shared Lives family
• We want you to reach your goals.
• We want you to be able to choose how you live your life.
• We can identify support you may need with managing your money.
• We will ask you what you like and dislike.
• We will support your Shared Lives Carer understanding how you want your support delivered.
• You will have your own bedroom and share the rest of the family home.
• We can help you to join groups near where you live.
• We can help you make new friends and maintain relationships you already have.
• You will be supported to keep in touch with the people who are important to you.
• You can learn things like cooking, cleaning, laundry and money skills.

Shared Lives recruits Carers with a range of skills and experience, all having varied lifestyles and personalities. Carers can be people who live on their own, who live with a partner, or as part of a smaller or larger family with or without children. Careful matching is undertaken to ensure that the placement is right for you, the Carer and their family if they have one.

What to expect if you live in Shared Lives

In a Shared Lives home you will have the opportunity to:

• live in a Carer’s home as part of their family and community
• share experiences and try new things
• be encouraged to learn new skills and be as independent as possible
• live the kind of lifestyle you want to, doing the things that are important to you
• have your privacy and dignity respected
• feel a valued member of the family and this may include helping with household responsibilities
• make your own choices or be supported to have your voice heard
• maintain important relationships with your family and friends
• maintain physical and emotional well being