Shared Lives featuring in Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) made with care campaign

The made with care campaign aims to encourage more people to begin a role within adult social care. Resources include, posters, social media graphics, radio, and digital TV ads – to spread the word about opportunities such as Shared Lives and showcase the amazing support that many people provide to others with a social care need.

Shared Lives Plus have worked closely with our members, Shared Lives schemes and the DHSC to further enhance the Shared Lives assets this year, representing their feedback about what would make the campaign even better for our members. As a result, several posters and social media graphics feature information specifically about becoming a Shared Lives carer, with images representing the person-centred, fun, and ordinary home and community-based lives of people in Shared Lives.

Ewan King, CEO of Shared Lives Plus says,

“As the UK membership charity for Shared Lives schemes, Shared Lives carers and Homeshare organisations, we are incredibly pleased to see relevant images and messages to Shared Lives, this year. Being a Shared Lives carer is completely different to working in a care home, domiciliary care, or day centre. Carers open up their own hearts and homes to welcome and support someone as their own family, so it’s fantastic DHSC have recognised the vital need for marketing materials which can help local Shared Lives schemes to grow. The made with care campaign is the biggest national carer recruitment campaign and it continues to be successful year upon year. Having the right resources from the DHSC to specifically support our Shared Lives scheme members to grow and diversify their service, is extremely important, and a big win for us all.

“Shared Lives is the safest and highest quality forms of adult social care as rated by the CQC, yet still only makes up around 1% of adult social care provision, so being part of this national campaign makes a huge difference to the growth and awareness raising of person-centred care services such as Shared Lives.”

DHSC have also recently recognised and highlighted shared living (both Shared Lives and Homeshare) as one of 12 innovative forms of social care/support which they want local councils to prioritise and help grow. Shared Lives Plus is excited to continue working closely with the DHSC to bring shared living opportunities to the forefront of social care in the UK.

The Shared Lives households featuring in this year’s made with care campaign are:

Margaret and Yewande – supported by Tower Hamlets Shared Lives

Tatiana and Gabriella – supported by Shared Lives Hertfordshire