Scottish Shared Lives households profiled in national news story

In the article Helen talks about how she was looking for a way to support Paul, who she first met through her work as a sports coach. But because Shared Lives is still relatively unknown, no-one was able to point her in the right direction.

“When [Paul] was in a family situation he was a completely different young man to when he was in the homeless hostel.

[The hostel] weren’t coping with him very well and they were ready just to throw him out, so I asked if he wanted to come back with me, and he said ‘yes’.

Social work weren’t particularly happy – I was just some woman off the street that had got involved – so I asked in meetings whether there was anything more formal we could do, something like ‘adult fostering’.

But I was always told ‘no’.”

For Billy, Carol, and Jack, Shared Lives has provided much needed continuity during the transition from children’s to adult  services. As Carol puts it:

“For Jack, it’s like nothing has changed – he’s just gone from being a looked after child to being an adult who is still where he has been for the last 11 years.”

We’d like to thank Helen McArdle for highlighting just how transformative Shared Lives can be and how important it is for more people to know that it is available – whether they are looking for support, or want a career that can be truly life changing.

If you are interested in opening your heart and home like Helen, or Billy and Carol, visit startyoursharedlife.today and find out more about becoming a Shared Lives carer.