In Shared Lives, an adult or young person who needs long term support is matched with a carefully approved Shared Lives carer, by their local Shared Lives scheme which are run or commissioned by council’s adult social care services. Together, the person needing support and the Shared Lives carer share the carer’s family and community life.
Half of the 10,000 people using Shared Lives move in with their chosen Shared Lives carer to live as part of their household; half visit for day support or overnight breaks. People get safe, personal care and support, in a place which feels like home.
They make friends and become more active: 85% felt it had improved their social life and 89% felt involved with their community.
There are 10,000 Shared Lives carers in the UK. All are approved following rigorous recruitment and training by one of the UK’s 140 regulated local schemes. There are 123 in England, two in Northern Ireland, eight in Wales and 11 in Scotland.
Find out more about becoming a Shared Lives carer, growing Shared Lives in your area, or find support for someone who draws on adult social care.
The Care Quality Commission rates the sector as 96% good/outstanding and it is typically £30,000 per year lower cost per person for people with learning disabilities.
If all areas caught up with those who use Shared Lives the most, over 30,000 people would use it, improving outcomes for thousands of people, their families, and public services, and generating direct cost savings of well over £100m p.a. During a period of lockdowns, four Shared Lives schemes and Shared Lives Plus developed an online recruitment and approval approach which recruited nearly 200 Shared Lives carers in less than six months, and set up over 100 matches. Councils in the North East are currently working with ADASS to scale up Shared Lives in the region.
