Shared Lives and Homeshare – 21-22 state of sector report

Key findings Shared Lives:

• Despite the range of challenges facing social care, the Shared Lives sector has remained stable, growing slightly from the previous year: 13% rise in Shared Lives carers, and 2% rise in those receiving care.
• Shared Lives is still rated very highly by the care regulators across the UK.
• As services have continued to reopen day support and short breaks have risen by 12% and 8% respectively but we recognise that this is an area which still needs to grow to provide the support to our long term arrangements.
• The overall size of the Shared Lives sector remains far too small for an approach to support of such high quality. Shared Lives accounts for just under 1% of total long-term social care in the UK by people supported, and just over 0.5% by workforce. Shared Lives Plus will continue to press the case and provide practical support to the sector to enable it to grow.
• Shared Lives remains a highly costeffective form of adult social care. An independent review found that Shared Lives resulted in an average saving of between £8k and £30k per annum, depending on the person’s support needs and local alternative services.

Key messages Homeshare

• In 2021 there was an increase of 5% in the number of people Homesharing with homesharers providing over 196,000 support hours to householders.
• Householders (typically older people) in Homeshare matches report the top benefits being companionship, tackling loneliness and the comfort of an overnight presence in the home.
• Homesharers report top benefits as a safe and affordable place to live as well as the feeling of giving back to the local community.
• By December 2021 there was a 41% increase from the previous year on the number of older people wanting to Homeshare.