CARING individuals who could share their homes and lives with adults that need extra support in the community are being sought by Warwickshire County Council.
Shared Lives is a brand new pilot scheme for Warwickshire that involves the county council working in partnership with Coventry City Council to offer adults with additional needs a flexible form of supported living.
Shared Lives centres on carers sharing their home, family and community life with adults that need support giving people entering into a care arrangement the chance to be part of a family and the wider community.
Warwickshire County Council wants to recruit five new carers in the county to provide opportunities for approximately ten adults who are eligible for services, which could include individuals with a learning disability, autism, mental health, long term conditions and early onset dementia.
Full training and support is given to carers through the national Shared Lives scheme, which approves and monitors all carer arrangements, receives referrals and matches the needs of people seeking support from the service with the carers themselves.
People living in Shared Lives arrangements often enjoy more fulfilling lives, with recent research showing that over 90 per cent made new friends as a result, half of customers going on holiday for the first time, and over a quarter of customers joining a club not exclusively for disabled people for the first time in their lives.
Councillor Jose Compton, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care, said: “I’m delighted that we are launching this scheme in Warwickshire following the success of Shared Lives in Coventry, where a number of adults with additional needs have successfully been offered places in home and family environments.
“Shared Lives is already helping thousands of people with learning disabilities, mental health issues and older people to live more fulfilling and independent lives across the country and I hope that we can find suitable carers to provide this service in Warwickshire.”
If you are interested in becoming a Shared Lives carer in Warwickshire, call 024 7678 5339 or visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/sharedlives
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