Shared Lives Easy Read version
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Shared Lives provide vulnerable
adults with a home in a family setting.
We very carefully match you with a
carer. We look at your needs and make sure the
carers can meet them.
Carers are paid and have support from Shared Lives
social workers.
How we choose our carers
We choose our carers very carefully. We interview them, we write
a report and ask other people about them and we ask the police
about them. When we have asked everyone about the person, we have a
meeting to decide if they will be a good carer or not.
All our carers are trained. This means they
know all the rules and will be able to care for you well.
Referrals
Your Care Manager will fill in a
referral pack with all your information, such
as what you like to eat and what time you get up in a morning. They
will send this to the Shared Lives team.
We will arrange to meet you and talk to you, to help us find a
carer or family to suit your needs.
Matching
You will visit the carer and their family in their
home, maybe for dinner or tea. Then you will spend a
night or a weekend with them. This will all happen at a speed that
is right for you.
This can take up to three months and gives
you time to get to know each other.
Moving In
If you want to live with the carer and if everyone is happy, we
will arrange for you to move in.You can take your own things with
you and you might be able to choose the colour for your
bedroom.
When you have moved in you can still visit your family and
friends. They can also visit you in your new home.
We call your new home your placement.
You will have a placement agreement. This will
let everyone know the rules of the placement. It will explain what
is expected of you, your carer,
your care manager and Shared
Lives. This will help your placement to be successful.
When you have lived with your carer for three
months, everyone will have a meeting. This is called a
review. We will ask if you and your carer are
happy with the placement. At this meeting everyone, including you,
will decide if the placement should be long term.
Life in Shared Lives
You can still attend daytime activities or a work
placement and social activities.
Your carer will support you with meals and help you with any
personal care needs. They will help you with social activities,
holidays and with appointments like doctors or dentist.
You will have your own money to spend. This is called your
personal allowance.
You will be asked to make a payment for your care. This is
called a client contribution. How much depends on
the benefits you receive, and it covers parts of your care, your
food, laundry and utility bills.
Your care manager will help you sort
out your finances.
A Shared Lives social worker will visit your
carer every six to 12 weeks. This is to support them in caring for
you.
New placements are visited more often to help the carer to get
to know you and make sure that they are giving you a high standard
of care.
A Shared Lives family support worker will visit
you. They can come to your day activity, work placement or
even pick you up from home and take you out. You will be able to
talk in private about how you think things are
going. You can download the leaflet, Family
Support Workers: What We Do (pdf 125KB). To use this file
you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have it on your
computer, please use our advice page.
Your placement will be reviewed every year. Before the review, a
family support worker will visit you to find out
if you are still happy where you live. Whatever you say will
be kept confidential, unless you tell them
anything that is dangerous, that needs to be shared. We also ask
your family and care manager what
they think about your placement.
Your carer will keep a diary. It will include
information about you, such as if you are ill, or anything
else important. They will also keep a note of any
medication you take. All information about you
will be treated carefully and with respect.
How to complain
You have the right to make a complaint if you, your family, or
visitors to your home are not happy with the service you get from
Shared Lives. If you feel your rights have not been met, you
can download an easy read guide
about how to complain (pdf 273KB).
You and your carer will also have the right to end the placement
if it is not meeting your care needs. It usually takes 28
days to end a placement. This can be shorter, or longer if
needed.
We understand that you may feel a bit scared or worried, but
this is OK. Most people feel like this when moving to somewhere
new, and we will do our best to support you through this.
Go back to the
Shared Lives
homepage
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