Long-term care and support

Shared Lives

The Shared Lives service offers long-term support and respite support.

What the service can do for you

Shared Lives supports people with eligible needs to live as independently as possible within a family environment.

The Shared Lives carer will support you to manage your daily routine, such as:

basic care needs
support with shopping
support during holidays
budgeting, finance management and tenancy support
medication management
access to education/Work opportunities (paid or unpaid)
household duties
access to social activities

People who can use the service

You can use this service if you are aged between 18 and 65 and have eligible needs as per the Care Act 2014.

How you get the service

A social care professional needs to refer you to this service. Find out how to contact Adult Social Care.

What happens once you are referred

When the service receives your referral a member of shared lives team will contact you to arrange a visit to your place of residence to validate your care needs and to agree your individual care and support plan.

They will talk through what happens after the visit and how the team match your preferences to the right carer.

This will start with a tea visit with a Shared Lives carer so that you can see the home and meet the Shared Lives carer.

The family's next steps will be to:

plan an overnight stay
gradually work towards a move-in date and placement agreement agreed by the Shared Lives scheme

Shared Lives Team also offer a respite service with Shared Lives carers who have been approved by a professional panel for respite in their own homes or by a support worker within the person's home. Respite is a valuable service, giving carers a break.

How the service is reviewed

The social work professional will carry out statutory reviews however the service will continue to work with you in reviewing the support offered.

Shared Lives officers conduct 3 monthly support and monitoring visits by their dedicated Shared Lives Officer to ensure they are compliant with the service.

The service also completes an annual review for the carers and 6-monthly reviews with the person in the service to look at outcomes and goals for the future and what is currently working well.

The purpose of the support and monitoring compliance is to ensure training, DBS and (3-yearly) safety checks within the carer's home are compliant within the regulated service.

The manager invites all Shared Lives carers to 3 meetings to share information and have open discussions around shared lives.