Shared Lives South West

Who We Help, Why We Help & the Difference It Makes

What We Do

Shared Lives services are all about one household sharing their lives, families, home, interests, experience and skills with other people who need some help and support to live their lives to the full.  It is a unique sort of social care.  It is small scale and very personalised, and focuses on what the individual wants. People who use our services say

– they enjoy feeling part of a family
– they do lots of different things
– it’s good to have your own space
– you get lots of choice
– they like being able to be independent with support.

Here are some examples of what we can offer but if you’re looking for something that is not listed here please contact us to discuss – we may still be able to help.  To find out more about making a referral, the cost of our services or to view a selection of our current vacancies please use the links on the left-hand side of this page.

Shared Lives long-term service

For people with care and support needs who are looking for somewhere to live in a family environment.  This is similar to adult fostering and a good alternative to supported living or residential care. It can be a stepping-stone to living independently.

Shared Lives short-breaks service

For people who need occasional or regular breaks in a home-from-home setting, this could be an excellent alternative to supported living or residential care. Short breaks are fun, a chance to try something new and can offer a family carer a much needed break. Short breaks can be anything from a few hours to several days.

 

Short breaks for people with dementia

Specialist carers open their own homes to provide short breaks for people with mild to moderate dementia. This ranges from an overnight stay to a few hours/days. It could be a good alternative to residential care.

Transition services – for young people approaching adulthood

We work with families and children’s services to plan the transition into a Shared Lives placement. This service is designed for young people approaching adulthood (age 16+). It’s an excellent alternative to supported living or residential care and is similar to adult fostering. It aims to maximise peoples independence and help them achieve their goals.

Just Next Door

A stepping-stone between living with a family and living independently. This is a supported living service, with a family feel, provided by our carers who have an annexe or flat that is linked to their family home.

Parents (and their children) with support needs

We are able to offer a service to a parent with support needs and their child, enabling them to retain parental responsibility with support from our specifically trained carers in a family environment.

Home from Hospital reablement service

Our specially trained carers provide a reablement service for people leaving hospital who aren’t ready to return home- whether this is because the property is not suitable, they require day to day support to recover or there is no one at home to assist them.

This is provided in the carer’s home and is designed as a stepping-stone to returning home by helping them boost their confidence and regaining daily living skills.

The Home from Hospital stay can be funded in several ways, some people may be eligible for intermediate care funding by the health authority, some people may be eligible for support through adult social care or the service can be funded this privately. Stays can range from a few days or for as long as required.

Volunteer

Become a trustee 

As a charity we are governed by a board of trustees who oversee the strategic direction of the organisation and ensure that it acts effectively to deliver high quality services. 

Find out more here.

Join our Approval Panel

We are looking for panel members in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset to help with this rewarding role.

To find out more, visit this page.

.

Work with Us

Please click here for details of latest job opportunities

Become a Shared Lives carer

We are always looking for people with caring skills or experience, the right sort of accommodation and willingness for the whole household to share their home and family life – either on a full time basis or to offer regular short breaks. Find out more about becoming a Shared Lives carer here.

Tell people about Shared Lives

People are often not aware that Shared Lives exists. Please tell everyone about us – people who might like to be carers or who might find the service useful. Direct them here to our website!  www.sharedlivessw.org.uk. We can also provide posters, leaflets, cards and other information if you’d like to pass these on or have somewhere they could be displayed.

Invite us to speak to a group

We are very happy to come and speak to groups about Shared Lives South West, particularly groups where we might find potential Shared Lives carers or people who might think about using Shared Lives services but don’t know we exist.