Date published: April 2, 2025
Shared Lives on BBC Breakfast
This morning, Ewan King, Chief Executive of Shared Lives Plus, appeared on BBC Breakfast to discuss the growing role of Shared Lives care in the UK.
Speaking with hosts Sally Nugent and Ben Thompson, Ewan highlighted how the Shared Lives model is changing lives and offering rewarding opportunities for carers.
The segment also featured a clip of Carol and Jim Culley, who shared their experience of supporting David, 59, who has a learning disability. David moved into their home in Staveley, Derbyshire, three years ago after the death of his parents. Supported by Derbyshire County Council’s Shared Lives scheme, David found a new family in Carol and Jim, who describe him as ‘enriching their lives’.
You can read more about David, Jim and Carol here: ‘Caring for David has enriched our own family’ – BBC News
Ewan explained how Shared Lives helps people like David live as independently as possible in a supportive, family environment. “We have about 10,000 Shared Lives carers across the UK, and they all tell us how rewarding the role is,” he said. “They get to give something back, but they also learn and develop themselves while supporting someone to become more independent.”
When asked how Shared Lives compares to other forms of adult social care, Ewan pointed out that it’s a more cost-effective model. “We’ve done rigorous cost-benefit analysis studies, and compared to supported living and residential care, Shared Lives saves a significant amount of money for local authorities.”
Ewan also discussed the process of becoming a Shared Lives carer, encouraging people from all backgrounds to get involved. “You just need the right values and mindset,” he explained, “you can be self-employed, receive a fee, and benefit from tax relief.”
However, Ewan also pointed out that despite its benefits, Shared Lives is still not as well-known as it should be, comparing it to the more widely promoted fostering system. “Fostering receives over £30 million a year in funding for promotion. We need the same level of investment in Shared Lives,” he said.
The segment aired on BBC Breakfast, the UK’s most-watched morning show with an audience of over 1 million viewers, providing a huge platform for raising awareness of Shared Lives care.
For more information on becoming a Shared Lives carer, please visit: Start Your Shared Life Today.
