What is a Shared Lives Carer? 

Being a Shared Lives carer is unique and rewarding. It’s about opening up your home to support anyone aged 18 or above to live with independence in a family and community of their choosing. It’s also about having flexible working to create a better life balance. 

A Shared Lives carer is a person who, under the terms of a Shared Lives carer agreement provides or intends to provide support in their home. Approved carers can have the flexibility to choose what support they offer to individuals who require support under Shared Lives. This can support can range from infrequent overnights, planned short stays or live-in support.  

The Approval Process 

All Shared Lives carers are assessed by our trained Shared Lives team and approval is sought by our panel, which includes experts by experience, representatives from social care, former Shared Lives carers and managers of other Shared Lives schemes. All approved carers are trained before they are able to start working with the person or anybody else who requires support. During this time, knowledge is gained about the carers, their families and of the skills and experience they have to enable them to support someone. 

For foster carers who are seeking to become Shared Lives carers for the person they have been supporting, we ensure all training requirements are met before they are submitted to panel for approval. 

It is a statutory requirement for all Shared Lives carers to have an enhanced DBS check, a household check is also completed to identify any risk factors.  

Shared Lives arrangements always involve the following processes: 

• Monitoring and safeguarding by the Shared Lives scheme: the registered manager of the scheme remains ultimately responsible for the quality and safety of care and support in every Shared Lives arrangement 
• Self-employment: Shared Lives carers are self-employed and can access the Shared Lives tax break. Shared Lives carers do not work to a fixed schedule but are paid in line with the expectations set out in a Shared Lives arrangement agreement 
• Shared Lives carers are under no obligation to agree to any care and support arrangement offered, however, when carers agree to an arrangement, they must work in accordance with Bethphage Shared Lives policies and procedures.  
• Matching: Shared Lives arrangements are facilitated using a matching process. The process involves all parties getting to know each other at their own pace, before making any commitment to sharing home and family (and/or community) life 
• Shared Lives carers do not employ staff to help them provide care