Southampton City Council marks Shared Lives Week 2023
To mark Shared Lives Week, we are joining forces with Shared Lives Plus, the UK membership charity for Shared Lives schemes and carers, to promote the great work that Shared Lives Carers do and recruit more carers in the city
Celebrated as an 'innovation' by putting people at the heart of care, Shared Lives carers give back to their local community while enjoying flexible and sociable living, supporting someone from their own home. This can be on a long-term, respite or day-support basis.
Shared Lives is recognised as a cost-effective way of supporting individuals who have been assessed as needing additional help to live in the community.
The Shared Lives sector has grown in recent years. There are currently 28 paid Shared Lives carers in Southampton, supporting people with learning disabilities, mental health needs and physical disabilities. The Southampton scheme has been awarded a “Good” rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
To become a Shared Lives carer, applicants must be over 18 years of age, have the right values, show commitment, and be able to accommodate someone at home. No specific qualifications are needed, although free ongoing training will be provided, and the council’s experienced Shared Lives team are on hand to provide support.
More information can be found at Shared Lives and Shared Lives Plus.
Watch a video of Southampton Shared Lives carer Karen talking about her experiences caring for Liam and Paul.
Councillor Lorna Fielker, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Housing, Southampton City Council, said:
"Shared Lives Week provides a great opportunity to acknowledge the contributions our Shared Lives carers are making to people across Southampton, and also grow the scheme locally. We’re looking for people who are practical, sociable, patient and can offer flexible but regular support, whether that be for a couple of days, to full-time, live-in arrangements. In return, Shared Lives carers receive a fee and benefit from the many perks of being self-employed. We want more people in Southampton to be able to access this type of support and live fulfilling and meaningful lives, so please get in touch or visit our website to find out more.”
Ewan King, CEO, Shared Lives Plus, added:
"Across the UK we already have over 9,000 Shared Lives carers supporting over 10,000 people and there are so many more people who would be happy to offer their time to help those who need it. In Shared Lives, the focus is on supporting someone to be confident and thrive in their everyday life. Whether you’ve worked in a caring profession before or not, you can use your skills gained elsewhere to make a real difference to yours and someone else’s life."
