People always hear about fostering before they hear about Shared Lives, both involve opening your heart and your home to someone, both are about care, support and relationships, but they are not the same.
Shared Lives carers provide people with the practical and emotional support they need to live life the way they want to. Our Shared Lives carers support people either while they live with them, or just for the day. They can also become a Shared Lives carer to continue supporting someone they foster after they turn 18.
So why do we say Shared Lives is a little bit like fostering?
In truth, it’s probably the easiest way to describe our service, you can understand how it works when we say “Shared Lives is a bit like fostering, but for adults”, people always say “Oh yeah, I get it now” they can imagine someone living in their home and being supported. Both roles are paid, but there are some very big differences.
Some of the differences between fostering and Shared Lives
There are so many differences between fostering and Shared Lives, we have put together a short list to help you understand the basics.
Fostering:
- A child or young person will come and live in your home for a short time, or it could be a long time, until they reach 18.
- It will often involve meetings with schools, social workers and courts.
- More formal training and requirements to become a foster carer, regular inspections and lots of rules to keep children safe, which is really important.
Shared Lives:
- You support an adult or young person over the age of 16 in England or 18 in Wales.
- It doesn’t always mean they live with you; a supported person can live with someone; or they can stay for a short break or even visit for a day, that could be one days a week, it can fit easily around your life and other commitments.
- The role involves sharing your normal everyday life, cooking together, hobbies and routines.
- The role is more about supporting the person to become more independent, not ‘looking after them’ and it can feel more like extended family rather than a placement.
- You won’t have to do personal care unless you want to, and personal care is not always what you think it is, sometimes it could be helping someone put their socks on or help to put toothpaste on a toothbrush.
- Training and the requirements to become a Shared Lives carer are still important, but not as in depth as fostering.
- Arrangements are often long term and stable, people could stay for many years.
- You can build long term relationships, watch someone grow in confidence
- Companionship and friendship, it can be like a family.
Who could you support as a Shared Lives carer?
- People who are aged 18 and just leaving children’s care
- People who have been in hospital and need a hand getting back on their feet again
- New mums who need a bit of support in the early days
- People who have learning disabilities
- People who have a mental health condition
- People who have physical or sensory disabilities
- People who are recovering from an addiction
- Anyone else who needs or wants some support to live life to the fullest
What type of person could be a Shared Lives carer?
- Someone who is caring and compassionate, who wants to help others to make a positive difference in their life.
- People who enjoy routine and everyday life.
- Good communication, carers need to be able to communicate well and build positive relationships with the people they support.
- Someone who wants a long-term role.
- People who prefer to work with adults than children.
- Anyone who believes adults should be supported to have choice and control of their own lives.