Shared lives
What is Shared Lives?
Islington Shared Lives works with adults and young people 16+ who need support due to disability, age, illness or someone who is socially isolated. Shared Lives is an alternative to traditional types of support where a person lives, or stays, with a Shared Lives carer within their local community.
We offer people the opportunity to be supported in a family environment and help them to develop meaningful friendships that enable them to live life to the full. Our Shared Lives carers can support people to achieve goals such as going to college, develop travel skills, access the community and go on holiday. We also support people to develop their independence and move on to greater things in the future.
People who need some support are carefully matched with Shared Lives carers, who are local people with shared interests, or simply someone that they get on well with.
Our Shared Lives carers are recruited from local communities, good people who want to make a difference and put something back into their local area. They are fully assessed and vetted before being able to provide support and are regularly monitored and reviewed by the Islington Shared Lives scheme.
Islington Shared Lives is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and is subject to regular inspections. This ensures that our Shared Lives carers are recruited and supported in an effective way and you can be confident of good quality support.
Who can use Shared Lives?
The service is for people aged 16 or over who have been referred to us by a social worker or a social care officer. You can use the service if:
• You want to live independently from your own family but still want to live in a family environment.
• You want to learn a new skill, access the community and need support or develop more independence.
• You are socially isolated and want someone to help you build friendships and networks within your local and wider community.
• You live with family but would like the occasional breaks or your family are going away on holiday.
• You would like to do interesting and fun activities during the day with someone who shares the same interests.
Who are Shared Lives carers?
Shared Lives carers are ordinary people from the local community who choose to become Shared Lives carers. They are fully assessed and vetted before being able to provide a service and are regularly monitored and reviewed by the Islington Shared Lives scheme.
Shared Lives carers are paid for the support they provide and they all go through an approval process to ensure they are suitable for the role. This includes a thorough assessment of their care skills, home visits to ensure they can offer a safe and appropriate environment for caring, and criminal records checks.
Islington Shared Lives is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and is subject to regular inspections. This ensures that Shared Lives carers are recruited and supported in an effective way to provide good quality and safe care and support.
How do I become a Shared Lives carer?
Are you interested in working with us? All of our Shared Lives carers are supported through an assessment process which can take around three months to complete. The process includes completion of an application form, vetting checks and references as well as DBS (criminal records check) and health checks. A large part of your assessment will be undertaken by home visits and virtual calls and you will then be presented to an independent approval panel. Don’t be put off by this, as our friendly team will be on hand throughout the process to help guide you through each step.
How to get involved
If you are interested in learning more about Shared Lives, whether it's using the service or becoming a Shared Lives carer you can call us on 0207 527 7661 or email sharedlives@islington.gov.uk
Download the information to find out more about what being a Shared Lives carer is all about.
For more information about Islington Shared Lives from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) please visit the CQC website.