Who can be a Shared Lives carer

Become a paid carer and support someone with physical or learning disabilities in your home.

Shared Lives is a unique type of care for adults aged 18 or over. It supports people with physical or learning disabilities. Unlike other schemes, people move into a family home with their carer, sharing their family life.

Carers receive between £500 and £650 per week. There are many other benefits to being a carer for our Shared Lives team – the largest of its kind in the country.

We carefully match the people we support with their carer. They are then integrated into the family household. Here, carers help them grow their confidence and learn new skills.

Research shows Shared Lives is beneficial for our carers and the people they support.

The role of a Shared Lives carer

The main duties of a shared lives carer are:

• providing a safe and caring environment, including a spare bedroom

• supporting someone on a long or short-term basis

• accompanying people to appointments

• supporting someone to take a holiday or get involved with leisure activities

• helping with transport

• providing healthy, balanced meals

• advocating, which means speaking up on the person's behalf if they struggle to do so themselves

• helping people to gain voluntary work or employment

• encouraging independence and self-growth

• helping with finances

• supporting safe handling of medication

You don’t need any qualifications or experience to be a Shared Lives carer. It doesn't matter what walk of life you're from. We're looking for people who want to make a difference to someone's life.

You'll need to have a spare room available, be patient, have a flexible approach to working and be happy to share your home.

You don't need any experience of working in care. Our Shared Lives team will provide you with full training and all the support you need to be a carer.

For long term placements, short breaks or emergency care you'll need to provide:

• a comfortable, furnished bedroom for the person to have sole use of during their stay

• use of communal areas of your house such as living room, kitchen, bathroom, garden areas

• a healthy varied diet including meals, snacks and drinks

• some support with day to day living, laundry, personal care

Your home

You do not have to own your own home to be a Shared Lives Carer. You can have any style of home, as long as it meets our fire, health and safety requirements and is in good repair and decoration.

When you apply to become a carer you'll need to have lived at your current address for a specific length of time before you can make an application. You'll need to give details of your mortgage provider or landlord so that we can carry out checks as part of the application process.

We are particularly keen to hear from you if you have ground floor accommodation and if you live in a property that has already been adapted.

If you're providing short breaks you do not need any adaptations. If a person lives with you long term your Shared Lives worker will discuss and arrange any adaptations necessary.

Insurance

You'll need to arrange Domestic and Public Liability Insurance to the value of £2 million. We can advise you about how to arrange this.

People supported through Shared Lives

Adults aged 18 or over can use Shared Lives. They must have had a social care assessment that indicates they are eligible. The scheme is particularly helpful for people who:

• cannot live with their own family but want to live as part of a family

• want to stay in their own home but would like to receive support as they struggle to manage on their own

• want to take a short break

• have a family or carers who want to take a break or holiday

• have a carer who is ill or needs a rest.

How Shared Lives helps the people it supports

Shared Lives gives people the chance to live in a family environment and become part of a community.

The scheme helps people gain confidence and skills to live independently. They maintain existing friendships and develop new ones. They often get involved in clubs, activities and volunteering.

People using the scheme continue to see their own family and friends as much as they want.

Many people who use Shared Lives say they feel settled and valued for the first time in their lives.

For more information, email sharedlives@lancashire.gov.uk or call 01772 531326.

Hear from our team

In 2019 our Shared Lives Service was rated as 'Outstanding' – the highest level awarded by the Care Quality Commission.

This video shows why our service is Outstanding. You'll hear from our staff, carers and people supported through Shared Lives.

You can read the full inspection report on the Care Quality Commission website.

If you just want to find out more our friendly team will be happy to help.

Contact us by phone or email

• Telephone: 01772 531326

• Email: sharedlives@lancashire.gov.uk

If you're ready to become a carer, fill in our enquiry form.