SharedLives Plus - Services

Become a Carer

Anyone can apply to become a Shared Lives carer. Many carers have had experience of working in social care, but some have had no experience at all (for instance, see publicans Alison and Mark in Case Studies). What is important is that you are enthusiastic, committed, caring, encouraging and sensitive to others' needs. Shared Lives involves sharing family and community life. For instance, Shared Lives carers and the people they support might go on holiday together, or go to each other's family parties and events. Shared Lives carers can support up to three people at any one time (in some areas the maximum is two).
 
Single people, couples or families with children can be Shared Lives carers. Depending on your local scheme, there may be opportunities to offer:
  • Help and support for a few hours a week during the day.
  • Help and support for a short time, such as a weekend, perhaps while a family carer has a break.
  • Care and support full time, where someone lives with you for a short or long period.
Whatever the form of care, you should be willing to use your family home as a resource. Shared Lives carers do not employ staff to provide care to the people placed with them, but members of your household may act as 'support carers'.
 
Shared Lives carers are self-employed and are not obliged to accept any caring opportunity. Shared Lives is built around matching people who get on well together. When a match works, Shared Lives starts to feel like family life, rather than a service. This makes Shared Lives flexible for carers, but it can also be demanding. If you support someone who lives with you for a period, there would be an agreement about how much care is expected and what other forms of support will be in place for the individual, but you would not 'clock on and off' as you would in a conventional caring role. You and any of your family who will be actively involved in caring will be asked to under a CRB police check.
 
A Shared Lives scheme should offer:
  • Induction, a clear approval process and ongoing training.
  • Day to day support from dedicated team members.
  • Contact with other Shared Lives carers.
  • Access to breaks and respite. The amount of respite and how it is funded varies from area to area.
Shared Lives carers are not paid by the hour, but you will get paid, often according to a sliding scale, according to how much care is required and the individual's level of need. The amount varies from area to area, but you will be paid to cover food, bills and providing support or care. Carers are self-employed so pay their own taxes and National Insurance contributions, but there is a special tax break for Shared Lives carers. You must also have Public Liability insurance which covers the particular situation of Shared Lives care. SharedLivesPlus members can access tailored insurance from £110 per annum. This includes £5 million Public Liability, cover for abuse (including financial abuse) and for problems arising from supporting service users with their health or medication. There are other sources of insurance, but please do check that they understand the ins and outs of Shared Lives: some carers have found that other insurance products are not valid when they come to make a claim.
 
If you would like to find out more about becoming a Shared Lives carer, contact your local scheme via your council, or contact us and we will put you in touch with them.
 
 
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