Date published: July 27, 2026
Shared Lives for Young People Leaving Care programme update – July 2026
Our Shared Lives for Young People Leaving Care Programme supports care-experienced young people with a learning disability, autism or mental health challenges by matching them with approved Shared Lives carers who offer stable, supportive homes. We’re working with local authorities, the NHS, voluntary and community organisations, and housing providers to grow local Shared Lives services, improve outcomes for care leavers, and reduce social care costs.
End of year two impact report – 183 young people supported since June 2024
Our new Young People Leaving Care Programme Impact Report showcases how since its launch in June 2024, the programme has helped many young people maintain the trusted relationships that are so important during the transition to adulthood.
Over the past two years, the programme has:
• Supported 183 young people into Shared Lives arrangements
• Helped 73% remain with a trusted carer, reducing disruption as they transition into adulthood
• Grown from 12 to 40 Shared Lives schemes
• Seen 68% of young people with available data in education, employment or training
Thank you to all the schemes who provided data for this report, your contributions bring value to the whole sector and support us in our case for more investment into Shared Lives. We congratulate you on your local achievements and growth!
Discover more key findings in our full news story and download the report.
New projects and programme growth
We’re delighted to share that our Young People Leaving Care Programme has secured a National Lottery Reaching Communities grant to deliver a new project called Shared Days.
Working in partnership with PSS Shared Lives across five areas, Shared Days will explore how Shared Lives day arrangements can help strengthen existing relationships and provide peer support for care-experienced young people who are considering, new to or already part of Shared Lives.
Our Shared Futures project for young people on the edge of care, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, continues to grow across Telford, Doncaster, West Glamorgan, Wirral and the West Midlands. The first quarterly reports have now been completed, capturing early learning and showing how the project is gaining momentum in each area.
Ambassador updates
At the end of June, our ambassadors met with Yvette Stanley, National Director for Social Care at Ofsted in England, whose key message focused on the importance of enduring relationships for care-experienced young people. Following the meeting, Yvette invited the ambassadors to speak at the Ofsted Annual Conference 2027 about transitions to adulthood.
Our ambassadors have also been busy raising awareness of Shared Lives. Vicky was interviewed on Northamptonshire radio station NLive Radio after winning the Making a Difference Award at the National Learning Disabilities and Autism Awards 2026 (see main image at top of the page). Listen from 2:03:35 to hear Vicky and Chris: NLive Radio.
Gracie and the programme team have also recorded an episode of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) podcast, where she shares her experiences as a Shared Lives ambassador. The episode is due to be released in August, so keep an eye on our website and social media channels for details.
If you would like to find out more about the programme, please contact Mary Stokes, Senior Project Officer, at mary.stokes@sharedlivesplus.org.uk.
