Shared Lives
Carer
Are you looking for an opportunity to make
a real difference to someone's life?
Have you ever thought about being a Shared
Lives Carer?
What is a Shared
Lives Carer?
Being a Shared Lives Carer is a unique
experience and the type of support you offer can be flexible to
meet your own personal circumstances. The role can fit around
other work commitments and family responsibilities and be
provided right from your own home.
The care provided by you could include
having someone live with you spend the week or weekend with you
or meeting up with someone once or twice a week. You would
support someone to enhance their living skills help develop new
skills support someone with their hobbies such as fell walking
crafts sports shopping or to enjoy activities like going to the
cinema concerts the pub and holidays or even supporting them with
a work placement or volunteering job. The type of support you
have to offer can be discussed with our team and we encourage
people from all backgrounds with different skills and
interests.
You could support anyone over the age of 18
with additional needs such as learning disabilities mental health
dementia or physical disabilities. This is all done with the
supervision and guidance of a Shared Lives scheme worker.
How to become a
Shared Lives Carer
Anyone over the age of 18 can become a
Shared Lives Carer and our carers come from a variety of
backgrounds. They can be people who are working or not people
from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds couples with or without
children at home single people grandparents and single parents so
finding childcare would not be an issue.
You can work from home choose your own
hours and you don't need to have substantial experience working
in care as full training will be given and ongoing support is
readily available from the Shared Lives Team.
Everyone applying to the scheme will be
carefully assessed. This will include a full DBS check home
health and safety check and personal health checks. All
information is kept confidential.
During the assessment you will build a
relationship with your scheme worker who will then represent you
at a panel for approval. This can take 2-3 months.
Who are we
looking for?
We welcome people from all walks of life to
support our service and become a Shared Lives carer. Each carer
develops a personal profile which is used to match them with an
individual requiring support based on common interests location
and support needs.
For long term and respite support a spare
bedroom is essential.
As a Shared Lives carer, you are
self-employed and receive tax benefits. Long term carers benefit
from 28 nights paid respite.
You will have the opportunity to become a
shared lives plus member which can support you with advice about
the legal and tax arrangements - you'll also receive many
discounts and access to a whole community of Shared Lives carers
for advice if you join.
Access to training courses as well as peer
group meetings arranged by your scheme worker.
You will be a part of a service regulated
by the CQC and have a dedicated scheme worker to talk through
anything you're not sure about and celebrate your successes.
Allowance and
discretionary payments information
An allowance of up to £687 per week for
long term arrangements
An allowance of up to £779 per week / £111
per night for respite arrangements
up to £12.70 per hour day support
All payments made for support provided are
Tax Free
How to register
your interest or find out more
To find out more about this Service and to
have an informal chat with one of our team please call:
03300565697
Location: Cumberland
Or email the team on: shared.lives@cumberland.gov.uk
Website: www.cumberland.gov.uk/sharedlives