A local care service is getting a boost with support
from the Department of Health in the South West.
Shared Lives services provide support to adults with a learning
disability, mental health issues, or physical and sensory
impairments as well as elderly people, in the family homes of
willing care providers. These Shared Lives carers are
supported by a local scheme which checks out the carers, matches
service users into the families and provides ongoing support and
monitoring. In North Somerset, a great Shared Lives scheme
has been run by us since October 2010, but often people have
not heard of it and have no idea what it could offer.
At the moment the scheme aims to support adults with a learning
disability by providing friendship and activities to develop their
physical, spiritual and emotional wellbeing, as well as offering
respite breaks for their families. The scheme hopes to expand to
other groups in the near future. It also offers opportunities for
people to take part in things they enjoy, meet new people from
outside the family circle and have new experiences.
Working with Shared Lives South West, an independent scheme in
Devon, the Department of Health is supporting the expansion of
Shared Lives schemes across the South West. By raising awareness
and increasing capacity it is hoped that more people will have
greater choice and opportunity to live in this way. One of the key
success factors of the schemes is the commitment of the people
working in Shared Lives and their enthusiasm for the ethos of the
scheme.
The support from the Department of Health is helping the North
Somerset Shared Lives service by funding a campaign to raise the
profile of the scheme and what it has to offer. This should mean
that the schemes in the area will be able to recruit more carers
and expand the scheme in the future.
Jenny Evans, manager of the North Somerset Shared Lives schemes
said: "We are really pleased to be part of this Department of
Health project. We are very aware that many people don’t know
that Shared Lives exists or how it could help them. We really
hope this awareness campaign and the additional project work goes
some way to getting more people involved in our scheme as Shared
Lives carers or as people using our service.
"We are actively seeking carers in North Somerset for both long
term and the short breaks service."
Jenny added: "'Shared Lives services can deliver high-quality
care at relatively low cost. They have the potential to deliver
savings to local authorities, while still making sure that those
people who use the service benefit from it and get what they need
out of it."
Anyone who would like more information about Shared Lives in
North Somerset can call 01934 427 600 or check out the website at
www.LD4U.org.uk
