Date published: March 12, 2026
Milton Keynes Shared Lives exceeds recruitment targets through Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) investment
Milton Keynes Shared Lives has exceeded its recruitment targets after receiving investment from the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF).
With ARF funding, the scheme created a fixed-term Project Communications Officer role and secured a dedicated marketing budget, providing the team with capacity and focus needed to grow. In just six months, the number of approved Shared Lives carers increased from 39 to 47 – surpassing the original growth target – and more than 100 enquiries were generated.
The investment supported a wide range of recruitment and awareness-raising activity, including local advertising, professional films, community events, and a new online enquiry process. Alongside this, the scheme worked closely with council communications and digital teams to refresh branding, improve systems, and make it easier for people to take the first step towards becoming a Shared Lives carer.
Milton Keynes Shared Lives also focused on improving referrals from social workers by running engagement events, introducing clearer digital referral processes, and providing practical guidance across teams. As a result, referrals increased and are now consistently appropriate.
The work has delivered strong value for money, with the cost per carer recruited significantly below national averages and has helped raise awareness and understanding of Shared Lives across the city.
“We’ve not only reached our goal, but shown what transformation can look like when a scheme is given the right resource, persistence and leadership.”
Read the full strategic spotlight to find out how Milton Keynes Shared Lives achieved this growth, what they learned along the way, and how the approach could be replicated in other areas.
Early analysis by Shared Lives Plus shows a strong link between ARF funding and sector growth.
Of the areas that saw increased participation in Shared Lives last year, 29 drew on ARF investment to expand their work. Together, these areas supported 317 additional people, accounting for 60% of all national growth.
This early evidence demonstrates the power of targeted national investment, and Milton Keynes Shared Lives is a key example of this.
If you’re interested in our consultancy support to help establish, grow, or diversify Shared Lives in your area, contact our strategic advice team at consultancy@sharedlivesplus.org.uk or read more about our consultancy offer: Consultancy support – Shared Lives Plus and our recent support to schemes.
