Shared Lives

The program is aimed at a wide range of people, including:

• Adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, or mental health problems
• Older people who need extra support to live independently
• Young people leaving care who need a stable home environment
• People who require short-term support following a hospital stay or illness
• Anyone who is socially isolated and would benefit from living with a supportive family or community

The service is broken down into the following categories;

• Long Term Care - means that you will live with a family you choose (called shared carers) on a permanent basis. You will have your own room and furniture but will share some facilities. You will be provided with meals, drinks, and support to participate in social activities.
• Short breaks - Means you will visit a family for a period of time, which can be overnight stays to weeks, with an agreed end date. Your bedroom can be decorated and furnished to your liking. You will have your own room and furniture but will share some facilities. You will be provided with meals, drinks, and support to participate in social activities.
• Emergency Care - We have shared lives carers that can support individuals at concise notice to help manage emergencies. I.e. Your parent or carer may be rushed to the Hospital. In these situations, we can keep you for as long as required.
• Day Care up to 8 Hours - We can offer daycare services tailored to your 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 care, and visit places of interest in the community. We match you up with a carer so that you can do it.

At Shared Lives, we understand that everyone has unique needs and preferences. We talk to you to find out what you're looking for in a home and then try to find a family home that matches your needs.

If a placement doesn't work out

Before a placement, 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 happen until everyone involved is happy about the arrangement.

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

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 must know about your income and your saved money.

You can start this step now with the easy-to-use Online Financial Assessment Tool.

Access Shared Lives

• If either Nottingham City Council or Healthcare funds you, 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, don't hesitate to contact Shared Lives to find out how to access the service.
• Visit: Adult Social Care Hub to complete an online referral

Finding out more about Shared Lives

If you feel you would benefit from the Scheme or know someone who might benefit, don't hesitate to contact us for an informal chat by calling us on 0115 876 5846 or email sharedlives@nottinghamcity.gov.uk.

Become a Shared Lives Carer

Shared Lives carers provide a valuable and rewarding service – in itself this can be very fulfilling. However, they are also paid for any placements they support. Payment rates vary depending on the type of placement and the level of need of the person, but they start at £434.66 per week for long term placements or £76.57 per 24 hours for respite placements. Shared Lives also attracts some tax relief.

HMRC e-learning for Shared Lives carers

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

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

We need a range of carers who:

• Can offer short breaks for unpaid carers.
• Can offer short term placements for people leaving hospital.
• Are passionate about assisting others who have multiple disadvantages to support them with essential live skills and confidence.
• British Sign Language users.
• Can offer longer term arrangements.
• May have accessible properties/bathing.

What do I need to do next?

If you are over 18, have a spare bedroom in your home, and think that you could offer something to Shared Lives, we’d love to hear from you. You can visit our website for more information or get in touch with us to discuss this further, sharedlives@nottinghamcity.gov.uk