Date published: May 27, 2025
Accelerating reform fund projects: Portsmouth paving the way for young people transitioning from Children’s care to Shared Lives
The Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) launched by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) during 2023-2024 has provided an unprecedented investment into the adult social care sector and an important opportunity to build good foundations, fast track innovation, and stimulate Shared Lives growth across the UK in the years to come. Shared Lives Plus are supporting 14 Integrated Care Systems (ICS) in England to deliver ARF projects to establish, grow and diversify their Shared Lives schemes.
In Portsmouth, a top priority is to develop and refine Shared Lives practices to better support care experienced young people transitioning from children’s services, utilising the ARF fund. The Shared Lives Plus consultancy team have been supporting Portsmouth to develop and refine their Shared Lives practices to better support care experience young people.
Rachel Leslie, Strategic Advisor People Leaving Care and Transitions at Shared Lives Plus said, “The ARF has opened up opportunities to develop new ways to grow Shared Lives and expand the model for key groups including Care Leavers. We’ve also been capturing good practice and learning from around the country as part of our Care Leavers programme.”
As of April 2025, the project with Portsmouth is ongoing, key achievements so far include:
- Connecting colleagues from Children’s services with the Shared Lives service
- Created an opportunity for engagement and collaboration to further develop Shared Lives for young people leaving Children’s care
“We have found working with Shared Lives Plus very rewarding, we particularly have enjoyed working with the team regarding our care leavers project. The support and guidance in reaching out to other teams, has helped us to begin to build strong relationships, and we are already seeing an increase in teams contacting us to ask for advice.”
Shared Lives Plus continue to work with ICS areas to establish, grow, and diversify Shared Lives, and provide best practice to schemes.
You can read more about this project and its current outcomes here, and find out about Shared Lives in Portsmouth.
If you’re interested in support from the Shared Lives Plus consultancy team, please contact us on consultancy@sharedlivesplus.org.uk
