Your Voices heard at our Shared Lives Plus AGM

We heard directly from representatives of our Shared Lives carer, Shared Lives scheme, and Homeshare members. Our treasurer and CEO also reflected on the year and looked forward to the future.  Additionally, there was lots of insightful feedback from our members in the chat. The picture that emerged from the session is as follows: As part of a wider sector, both Shared Lives and Homeshare continue to face challenges, from financial uncertainty to difficulties with safeguarding and respite. Both Shared Lives Plus and our members have been working hard despite this and remain passionate and committed to shared living.  

For a more detailed summary of the meeting, see below: 

The Chair of Shared Lives Plus Richard Jones, opened the meeting with a balanced review of the year for the organisation. He spoke about the growth Shared Lives Plus, and the ongoing priority to get Shared Lives recognised more widely in national care planning. Richard stressed the importance of securing sustainable funding to ensure the continued growth and improvement of services. 

Our Treasurer, Ian Coleman, reported a stable income through grants, donations, and membership fees, but funding remains unpredictable. Ian emphasised the need to diversify funding sources to ensure long-term financial stability.  

Ewan King, our CEO, shared updates from the past year. He highlighted the growth in membership, with more schemes joining, and more support becoming available for carers. Ewan also spoke about new resources, including safeguarding workshops to help carers better protect themselves and those they support. He reinforced our commitment to advocacy, especially around safeguarding and respite care. 

We were pleased to hear from David Matthews as the Your Voice representative for Homeshare, who reported that five new organisations joined the network this year, bringing the total to 19 active organisations. David also highlighted the success of Homeshare Week 2024, which raised awareness about intergenerational living. He mentioned that Homeshare has been involved in policy discussions and published its annual report, showing 59 successful matches between older homeowners and younger home sharers. David recognised the numerous challenges that the network has faced over the last year, whilst focussing on the future, and reaffirming the networks belief in the value of homesharing. 

Cathy McSweeney, our Schemes Support Officer, shared an update from Shared Lives schemes on behalf of Your Voice schemes chair Carol Lucas. This year, the forum helped create more well-rounded resources, including a safeguarding workshop based on earlier forum discussions. Cathy also addressed the need for better respite care, noting that while some schemes offer excellent options, others still face challenges. These discussions are key for sharing best practices across and improving services.  

Our members were also pleased to hear from Drusilla Lloyd, Your Voice representative for Shared Lives Carers, who reflected on her first year in the role. She highlighted the importance of making sure carers’ voices are heard, especially at board meetings. Drusilla also raised the ongoing challenge of safeguarding, where carers often feel isolated when issues arise. She called for better communication and suggested a mentorship for new carers. Despite these challenges, Drusilla praised the transparency of the Board, which is committed to listening to carers and addressing their concerns. 

As we look forward to the coming year, we remain committed to our existing members, whilst seeking ways to grow our sector, for the benefit of all. This year’s AGM was greatly enriched by the active participation of the Shared Lives carers, Shared Lives schemes and Homeshare organisations, who are our members. Our leadership team, Shared Lives Plus staff and dedicated trustees will continue to prioritise actively listening to members and responding to the issues that matter the most to you.  

If you were unable to attend the AGM, you can watch a recording of the meeting: https://sharedlivesplus.org.uk/about-us/governance-and-accounts/annual-general-meeting-minutes/