Conference Programme

Picture by Julie Rowe who lives in a Birmingham Shared Lives arrangement

9.15 Conference opens – please ensure you can log in and access the conference platform the week before. We will send you a log in email. You may need to check your local authority firewall does not block you, or join on your phone.

9.30 Networking groups – A chance to meet other people in your network. Join one of the networking groups for either Shared Lives scheme workers or Homeshare network members.

This year, Shared Lives carers will have the opportunity to attend an hour-long networking group as one of their workshop choices.

10.00 Welcome and introduction by Alex Fox OBE, chief executive, Shared Lives Plus, followed by our keynote speakers, including:

• Gillian Keegan, Minister for Care and Mental Health
• Vita Maiorano and experts by experience, Family by Family, The Australian Centre for Social Innovation
• Mike Clarke, equality and diversity lead, MacMillan
• People with experience of Shared Lives care and Homeshare

11.15 Break

11.30 Workshop 1 (choice of 1A-1J) 

12.30 Lunch

13.30 Mindfulness – we are offering two lunchtime mindfulness sessions to provide a space to pause and reset mind, body and breath.  The sessions are suitable for everyone, including seasoned meditators and complete beginners.

14.00 Public seminar discussion – Join us for this unique webinar where Alex Fox will be bringing together a range of people to discuss resilience and rebuilding communities. Speakers include:

• Inspirational international speaker and author Cormac Russell
• World leading innovator Georgie Lee
• and Shared Lives and Homeshare Ambassadors
• Book here (if you don’t want to attend any other workshops)

15.00 Break

15.15 Shared Lives Plus Annual General Meeting, including an update on Shared Lives Plus activity

16.00 Close

9.30 Networking groups – A chance to meet other people in your network. Join one of the networking groups for either Shared Lives scheme workers or Homeshare network members.

This year, Shared Lives carers will have the opportunity to attend an hour-long networking group as one of their workshop choices.

10.00 Workshop 2 (choice of 2A-2J) 

11.00 Break (This will include two minutes silence for those who want to observe Remembrance Day)

11.15 Workshop 3 (choice of 3A-3J) 

12.15 Lunch

13.30 Mindfulness – we are offering two lunchtime mindfulness sessions to provide a space to pause and reset mind, body and breath.  The sessions are suitable for everyone, including seasoned meditators and complete beginners.

14.00 Closing plenary followed by our shared living awards ceremony celebrating outstanding Shared Lives carers/Homeshare hosts/sharers, innovative Shared Lives/Homeshare schemes, human rights ambassadors and Shared Lives/Homeshare champions from around the UK.

15.30 Close

“Much more accessible being online, I was able to attend for the first time as I didn’t need to sort respite to attend”

“It felt surprisingly group like even though everyone was separate – very successful”

“I would actually state that I enjoyed the virtual conference more than an actual conference, we did not have to worry about transport or hotels, and in fact my concentration levels were much higher. Thank you so much for all your hard work”

“Was really well organised and I was surprised how interactive it was online”

“You will have to do another virtual conference in 2021 please!”