Date published: June 28, 2023
#SharedLivesWeek2023 Transitioning from Foster care to Shared Lives
Transitioning from foster care to Shared Lives has put Brandon in control of his life.
When Brandon was reaching the end of his foster placement with her, Heather was worried about what would come next for Brandon. But both feel lucky to be part of Edinburgh Shared Lives and the positive impact it has had on both their mental health.
Brandon, who has a learning disability, has lived with Heather and her husband for 24 years, since he was 2 years old. But as he got older Heather began to worry about Brandon’s future,
“It’s a scary place to be having a young person, worrying about their safety and their future and what life is going to be like for them. We wanted to know that if anything happens to us there will be someone there for Brandon. He does want to be independent and Shared Lives encourages that.”
Heather found the transition from fostering to Shared Lives straightforward, speaking of the assessment process as “relaxed and informal” and the subsequent support from Edinburgh Shared Lives as “an amazing service”.
“A whole weight has been lifted from our shoulders as we’ve got support. It helps Brandon’s mental health and it helps our mental health as well. I think the fact that Sam, our worker from Shared Lives is there on the end of the phone and we can talk things over. It makes a huge difference.”
And there have been benefits for Brandon too, with Sam noticing the changes in Brandon since he joined Shared Lives:
“Brandon’s confidence has rocketed. He’s never in nowadays! Brandon is in control of his life, learning new skills and in a better place for when it’s time for supported accommodation. He’s now looking forward to that.”
And Brandon adds an important point for the future: “I can still come home for my dinner though!”
This week is #SharedLivesWeek2023 – search the hashtag on social media to see what all the local schemes are up to!
