Shared Lives: Revolutionising Care Through Human Connections

What if the future of adult social care lies not in institutions, but in our own homes and hearts? Discover how Shared Lives is transforming lives across the UK.

In an era where social care faces mounting challenges, an innovative and heartwarming solution has been quietly transforming lives across the UK. Shared Lives, a nationwide scheme that matches adults who need support with carefully approved carers, offers a refreshing alternative to traditional care models. This person-centred approach not only provides a nurturing family environment for those who need it most but also creates lasting bonds that enrich communities and change lives.

What is Shared Lives?

At its core, Shared Lives is beautifully simple. It connects adults who require care and support with approved carers who open their homes and hearts. These carers share their family and community life, offering a level of personalised care that goes far beyond traditional support services.

The scheme caters to a diverse range of needs, supporting adults with learning disabilities, mental health issues, physical disabilities, and age-related conditions such as dementia. What sets Shared Lives apart is its flexibility — arrangements can be long-term, where an individual moves in with a carer, or can involve regular daytime visits or short breaks.

The Human Touch in Care

The success of Shared Lives lies in its human-centric approach. Unlike institutional care settings, Shared Lives creates an environment where genuine relationships can flourish. Carers are not just service providers; they become extended family members, offering emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging.

Take Lee’s story, for instance. After a turbulent childhood marked by frequent moves between foster homes, Lee found stability with Shared Lives carer Maz and her family. “I was scared. I was frightened of being rejected. But it’s been amazing,” Lee shared. The transformation in Lee’s life went beyond just having a stable home. With Maz’s family, he travelled the world, visiting places like Orlando, Spain, Turkey, and Canada — experiences that broadened his horizons and boosted his confidence.

A Win-Win Situation

The beauty of Shared Lives is that it’s mutually beneficial. For those receiving care, it offers a chance to live in a real home environment, develop life skills, and become part of a community. For carers, it provides an opportunity to make a profound difference in someone’s life while enjoying a fulfilling career.

Craig, a Shared Lives carer in Liverpool, exemplifies this. After finding his finance career unfulfilling, Craig followed in his mother’s footsteps to become a Shared Lives carer. “I had seen how happy my mum was in her job, and I wanted that amazing work-life balance that she had had,” Craig explained. Now, not only does he support Mark in his own home, but he also works for the local Shared Lives scheme, supporting other carers across Liverpool.

Breaking Down Barriers

One of the most significant impacts of Shared Lives is its ability to break down societal barriers and foster inclusion. People supported through the scheme often report feeling truly part of their communities for the first time. They engage in local activities, make friends, and in many cases, gain the confidence to pursue education or employment.

Mollie’s story is a reflection of this. At 20 years old, Mollie moved in with her carer Mae through a Shared Lives scheme. “I’d been in crisis throughout my life and then I reached breaking point. I couldn’t manage basic life skills,” Mollie explained. Since moving in with Mae, Mollie has flourished. She now has a job at a supermarket, is learning to drive, and has developed crucial life skills like cooking and managing finances. Most importantly, Mollie’s mental health has improved significantly, and she feels proud of herself.

A Cost-Effective Solution

While the human impact of Shared Lives is its most compelling aspect, it’s worth noting that the scheme also presents a cost-effective alternative to traditional care models. For people with learning disabilities, Shared Lives typically costs £30,000 less per year per person compared to other care options. This efficiency, coupled with the scheme’s outstanding track record — 96% of Shared Lives carers and schemes are rated ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission — makes it an attractive option for local authorities and the NHS.

The Healthcare Connection

Shared Lives’ potential extends beyond social care into healthcare. The scheme has shown promise in supporting people with intermediate or long-term health needs, excelling in complex situations where medical and non-medical needs intersect. It can facilitate ‘reablement’, delay or prevent hospital admissions, and even support people transitioning out of Assessment and Treatment Units.

James Sanderson, Director of Personalised Care at NHS England, recognises this potential: “Shared Lives is a real-world example of the kind of highly cost-effective community and people-centred healthcare approaches which I believe will play a much bigger part in the NHS of the future”.

Becoming a Shared Lives Carer

For those inspired by the Shared Lives ethos, becoming a carer can be a rewarding journey. Carers come from all walks of life, united by their desire to make a difference. The process involves thorough vetting, training, and ongoing support to ensure the highest standards of care.

Jane and John, who provide both long-term and respite care, describe their role: “We see our job as Shared Lives carers as creating a structure and enabling people to gain the tools to deal with uncertainty.” They’ve supported young people through major life transitions, including preparing for university during the challenging times of lockdown.

The Future of Shared Lives

Despite its proven success, Shared Lives remains underutilised in many areas. If all regions caught up with those using Shared Lives most extensively, over 30,000 people could benefit from the scheme, potentially generating direct cost savings of well over £100 million per annum.

The COVID-19 pandemic, while challenging, has also spurred innovation within the Shared Lives community. Four Shared Lives schemes and Shared Lives Plus developed an online recruitment and approval approach, which recruited nearly 200 Shared Lives carers in less than six months and set up over 100 matches during lockdown periods.

A Call to Action

As we look to the future of social care in the UK, Shared Lives stands out as a beacon of hope — a model that combines compassion, cost-effectiveness, and community integration. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the most powerful solutions are also the most human.

For those in need of support, Shared Lives offers a chance to live life to the fullest in a nurturing family environment. For potential carers, it presents an opportunity to make a profound difference while enjoying a rewarding career. And for policymakers and healthcare providers, it provides a proven, cost-effective model that delivers outstanding outcomes.

The stories of Lee, Mollie, and countless others demonstrate the transformative power of Shared Lives. As we continue to tackle the challenges facing our social care system, perhaps it’s time we looked more closely at this innovative scheme that turns strangers into family and houses into homes.

In the words of one Shared Lives participant, “It’s not just about having a roof over your head. It’s about having people who care about you, who want to see you succeed. It’s about feeling like you belong.” And isn’t that, after all, what we all need?

To learn more about Shared Lives, whether you’re interested in receiving support or becoming a carer, reach out to your local council or visit the Shared Lives Plus website. Together, we can build a future where everyone has the opportunity to live a life filled with love, support, and belonging.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12

Bob Lynn / 31-Jan-2025