What Shared Lives is

Shared Lives offers accommodation and support within approved family homes to people.

We make sure that the family:

• includes an approved Shared Lives Carer (Shared Lives Carers are ordinary people from the local community who are given training for this role)
• can provide the support you need
• provides you with your own room

Who Shared Lives is for

Nottingham Shared Lives Service is for adults aged 18 or over whom live in Nottingham whom need help and support in a Shared Lives arrangement. They may be:

• a person with a learning disability
• a person with a physical disability
• a person with mental health problems
• a person with other health or sensory difficulties or who is unable to live alone because of their age

The service provides people with a long-term home and support, a short break, or daytime support within a family home environment in the community.

Types of care Shared Lives provide

The service is broken down into the following categories;

Long Term Care

This means that you can live with shared lives carers that you have been matched within their home. You will have your own bedroom decorated and furnished to your liking. You will share the facilities of the house; have meals and drinks provided and be supported to take part in social and leisure activities of your choice.

Short breaks

These breaks range from overnight stays up to weeks at a time but always have an agreed end date. As mentioned above you will have your own bedroom decorated and furnished to your liking. You will share the facilities of the house; have meals and drinks provided and be supported to take part in social and leisure activities of your choice.

Emergency Care

We have shared lives carers that are able to support individuals at very short notice to help manage emergency situations. I.e. Your parent or carer may be rushed to Hospital. In these situations, we can support you for as long as required.

Day Care up to 8 Hours

We can offer daycare services that are tailored to meet your individual requirements. The service can be delivered in the shared lives homes or out in the community. With this service, you tell us what you want to do i.e. be supported to manage your personal care, visit places of interest in the community, and we match you up with a carer so you can do it.

Sessions up to 4 hours

Sessions are the same as daycare, with the only difference being that they are shorter in time ranging from 1 hour of support to 4 hours support.

How do I know if I will like the home?

We know that everyone is different. The things you want from a home and the way you want to live are special for you. So we talk to you to find out the sorts of things you are looking for. We then try to find a family home that may suit you.

We arrange for you to spend some time in your new home and with your Shared Lives Carer. It gives you time to get to know the place and the family. You can have several meetings before deciding whether you want to stay there or not.

Stephen 

Stephen has lived with a Shared Lives Carer in Carlton for about 10 years.

It's nice and quiet living here which I like. I have freedom to do what I want. I saw my Carers and decided I wanted to live with them. I was introduced to them at weekends to start with and I liked them, so later on I moved in. We get on really well. I can ask them for any help I need. If I have any problems, they help to sort them out.

Corbett 

Corbett lives in a warden-aided flat and gets daycare from a Shared Lives Carer in their home.  Corbett also goes on holidays with his Carers.

I was nervous when I first met my Carers, but soon we got on really well. I come over to their house on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. It's really nice here and I like the company. They help me with my bills and with my shopping. One of my Carers will come with me if I need to buy new clothes. He also helps with my flat, doing DIY. I know I can contact him any time I need him.

Is there a charge?

Yes, there is a charge for staying with a Shared Lives Carer in their home.

You will need to have a financial assessment to decide how much you will need to pay towards the cost of your stay. For this, we will need to know about your income and the money you have saved.

Access Shared Lives

If you are funded by either Nottingham City Council or Healthcare you can access the Shared Lives service by speaking to your allocated social worker. If you don't have an allocated social worker, contact 0300 1310 300 and select option 2.

If you are self-funded then please contact Shared Lives to find out about how you can access the service.

If a placement doesn't work out

Before a placement goes ahead, you, your carer and the Shared Lives Carer are introduced and met over time, so you can get to know each other. A placement doesn't go ahead until everyone involved is happy about the arrangement.

If at any time during a placement, things aren't working out for you, please talk to your Adult Placement Officer.  They will try to sort things out for you.

If you are still not happy, you can make a complaint.

HMRC e-learning for Shared Lives carers

Shared Lives carers are treated by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) as being self-employed and will need to register with them as being self-employed.

HMRC provides an online training course to help Shared Lives carers to do this, and to provide them with other useful information on things such as National Insurance, care relief, and tax credits.

Finding out more about Shared Lives

If you feel you would benefit from the Scheme yourself or know someone who might benefit, please contact us for an informal chat by calling us on 0115 876 5846 or contact us online.