Work for Connecting Lives

Connecting Lives provides a range of services that helps people to live more independently. 

The Shared Lives service provides support for people in the carer’s home in a range of placements:

• day support - for a few hours a day but not overnight
• short breaks - support from one night to a few weeks
• long term - living long term with a carer

The Outreach service provides support for people in their own home and community in a range of placements:

• support Work 
• sitting service – enables their family carer to have a break

Benefits of working for Connecting Lives

Flexibility

If you work for Connecting Lives, you can have complete flexibility. Our carers and Support Workers are self-employed, which means you can choose to work at times that suit you.

Compatibility

We will match you with a person with similar interests who is compatible with your personality.

Where you work

If you want to provide a Shared Lives placement, you can work from your own home.

If you don’t want to work from home, our outreach placements mean you can support people in their own home, their community or when they are on holiday in a holiday accommodation.

Tax breaks

Connecting Lives carers get generous tax-breaks for Shared Lives placements. The tax break is on the first £18,140 you earn and an extra £450 per week tax-free for every additional person you support. You can support up to three people at one time.

Regular support

You will get regular support and monitoring of placements by a Connecting Lives Coordinator.

Free training

You will get free training and have the option to study for the Care Certificate.

We are developing a new Connecting Lives service called Just Next Door. The Just Next Door service is a 'family-feel' support provided by people who don't want to be full-time carers and have an annexe or flat linked to their home. It is a supported living service that acts as a stepping stone between living with a family and living independently.

If you have a suitable annexe or flat attached to your home and would consider using for the Just Next Door service, please get in touch with us for a discussion.

You don't need any specific qualifications to be a Connecting Lives carer or support worker. When you are preparing for the role you will get training to help you identify and build on skills you already have, and develop any new skills you might need. 

There are some core skills and qualities you will need to have.

The four core skills you need are:

• English skills
• number skills
• digital skills
• employability skills, such as teamwork and problem solving

There are six qualities you need. You need to be:

• caring
• compassionate
• competent
• a good communicator
• courageous
• committed

To apply for a role as a Connecting Lives carer or support worker, get in touch with us and we'll send you an application form. You can call 01934 888 638, email connectinglives@n-somerset.gov.uk or use our online contact form.