Celebrating Shared lives weeks

News - 19 October 2015

​Shared Lives carers across North Somerset are coming together to highlight the fourth annual Shared Lives Week (Saturday 17-Sunday 25 October), a UK-wide event to celebrate and promote the innovative and growing Shared Lives model of care.
GP taking his patients blood pressure

Shared Lives carers open their home, family and community life to an adult (or 16/17 year old) who needs care or support to help them live well.

Local schemes individually match trained and approved Shared Lives carers with people who need their support. This approach is now one of the fastest growing forms of social care, with an additional 1,300 people last year choosing Shared Lives as a unique way to feel independent, but not alone.

Throughout Shared Lives week people will be tweeting #AllAboutTheMatch, showing the matches that Shared Lives has helped bring together for them. For many it isn’t just a match with a Shared Lives carer – but also a match with new friends, communities or boyfriend, girlfriend or partner.

There is a Shared Lives scheme in almost every area of the UK, with over 12,000 people being supported in Shared Lives arrangements by 9,000 Shared Lives carers on either a long or a short term basis. In North Somerset 60 people are supported by 32 Shared Lives carers.

North Somerset Council’s Shared Lives lead, Jenny Evans, said that Shared Lives carers provide support to adults with a learning disability and people with mental health difficulties. “Carers support the individual to live a full and meaningful life within their own family home.  This could be on a full-time, short break or daily basis. Carers are paid, trained and receive ongoing training and support and we are looking to recruit more Shared Lives carers.”

Shared Lives co-ordinators are holding an information event on Wednesday 21 October, 9.30am to 12.30pm at Tesco in Clevedon.

Contact Jenny Evans on 01934 427 600 or jenny.evans@n-somerest.gov.uk for more information.

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