Shared Lives Scheme

I want to be a Shared Lives Carer

You can refer yourself to the Shared Lives team:

Complete the Shared Lives carer application form

You can also email us at sharedlives@herefordshire.gov.uk

Or call us on 01432 260798.

The approval process

Once you have completed your application form, a member of the team will be in touch to discuss and agree next steps.

The application process includes:

Home review

We'll check your home to make sure that:

• There's enough space for another person
• You have a spare bedroom
• The property is suitable and of a safe standard

This is to make sure that we continue to meet the quality of standards required by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Checks and references

To help us assess if you are suitable for this role, we'll need to:

• Ask for references from your current or most recent employer and two other character references
• Request you complete a medical checklist and if we need more information, permission to contact your GP
• Receive confirmation from your mortgage lender or landlord that they agree to the use of their property for Shared Lives
• Carry out a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. Visit the GOV.UK website for more information on DBS checks

Assessment

We will spend several sessions assessing your suitability for Shared Lives. This includes:

• What it's like to be a Shared Lives carer (we might also invite you to meet other Shared Lives carers)
• Your experiences, relationships and care-giving skills
• Your family, lifestyle and anything you do in the community
• Your completion of the online training provided and funded for you
• Your attendance at first aid and medication training days which will also be funded for you

(In order to maintain approval, some of this training needs to be repeated every 2 to 3 years)

Once we have completed our assessment, we'll share it with you so that you are fully aware of what it contains before we send it to our Shared Lives panel. You'll also be able to comment and add any other details that you feel are important to your application.

Shared Lives panel

Herefordshire Shared Lives scheme works with a group of West Midlands Regional Shared Lives schemes to convene Shared Lives panels. Assessments done in Herefordshire are reviewed by a Shared Lives panel in a different area which ensures independent, fair and objective scrutiny of the work we do with you.

Each panel consists of a group of experienced people who consider new Shared Lives carer applications. They will review and make recommendations to the registered Shared Lives Manager, who will then decide the outcome of the application. If your application is approved, the Shared Lives team will use the knowledge and understanding they have gained of you through the assessment process to consider referrals that may be a potential match for you to meet. This can take time.

The matching process

It's important that you find the right person to support. When we find someone who may be a match for you, we'll set up the opportunity for you to meet and spend time together before anything is confirmed.

This helps to make sure that both you and the person who needs a Shared Lives carer are happy before any arrangement is made.

When you have been successfully matched with someone, through mutual agreement, you will start sharing your home. We will check in with you regularly at first and review in 12 weeks to make sure things are going well for both you and the person you are supporting. If there are difficulties we'll try to work through them together but if it's really not working, the arrangement will be ended and we'll work towards another match for you.