The Shared Lives Scheme is managed by Lambeth Mencap on behalf of Lambeth Social Services. The scheme currently support adults with Learning Disabilities.
A Shared Life can be:
- Somewhere to live
- Somewhere to stay for a short break
- Somewhere to go for day time support
In every Shared Life Placement someone called a Shared Lives Carer will share their home and include and support the Service User as part of their family.
There are lots of different kinds of Shared Lives Carers. Some Shared Lives Carers are couples and some are single people. Some have children. Some provide support to more than one person.
The Service User pays a contribution towards the Placement.
The Shared Lives Scheme recruits people who want to be Shared Lives Carers. They make sure they understand their role and responsibilities and have the skills to support the needs of service users who stay with them.
The Scheme introduces and matches Carers and Service Users and does checks (including a CRB) to make sure that carers are suitable for the role.
In a Shared Life the Service User can:
- Choose a Carer.
- Have a room of their own in a family home.
- Have the company of other people, but also have their own space.
- Be able to meet new people, make friends and spend time with old ones.
- Be supported to make choices and be independent.
- Have support to find a job or go to college
- Have support to find a GP and attend health appointments
- Have support to go on trips and holidays.
Who checks how good the Placement is?
• The Placement Scheme’s workers visit both Carers and Service Users regularly to make sure everything is ok.
• Once a year there is a Review with the Service User’s Care Manager.
• The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regularly inspects the Scheme to check that we are meeting national minimum standards.
• The Scheme is a member of NAAPS which is a UK charity that represents the interests of Adult Placement Schemes and promotes best practice in service delivery.
• An Independent Panel approves new Carers and reviews the work of every carer each year.
You can download our latest inspection report from the Commission for Social Care Inspection website.
