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Shared Lives
Shared Lives offer short breaks and full time placements in the home of approved Shared Lives carers in the community.
Short breaks can be anything from an overnight stay to a weekend or a couple of weeks, depending on the needs of the person and their permanent carers.
Full time placements occur when the person moves in on a permanent basis with a Shared Lives carer or family.
Who is Shared Lives for?
The Shared Lives service is for adults who have a learning disability, older people, people with dementia, sight or hearing loss and mental ill health. A person who would like to access the Shared Lives service would need to be assessed to make sure the service meets their needs.
Who provides Shared Lives?
Shared Lives is part of the department of Adult Social Care Services. It is registered with the Care Quality Commission.
How do I apply for Shared Lives?
You need to be referred by a member of the local area Social Work team or by a Community Team for People with Learning Disabilities or the Community Mental Health Team. This is because you will need a Care Act Assessment from a Social Worker.
Please contact the Independence Advice Hub on 01274 435400 to ask for more information and for a referral.
What sort of people would I be staying with?
All Shared Lives carers are fully checked and screened before joining the Scheme. They have an in-depth assessment from a scheme Social Worker and then have regular reviews and support visits. They have to attend training and will be DBS checked.
The Shared Lives worker will meet you and find out what sort of things you like doing and then try to match you up with someone who has similar interests and the right skills to support you.
Is there a charge?
Yes. This will be explained in more detail once we have received the referral as it depends on the sort of service you want to use and on the contribution policy.
You will also need to take some money with you each time you go to stay with your Shared Lives carer in case you want to buy anything if you go out.
How do I decide if I want to go ahead?
Once the Scheme receives the referral assessment, a worker will come to meet you and find out a bit more about your hobbies and interests and what you want from a Shared Lives carer. We will then introduce you to someone we think you will get on with.
If that doesn’t work out, we can look for someone else.
Shared Lives Bradford has been rated Good in the 2016 Care Quality Commission Inspection.
Bradford Shared Lives scheme supports people to enjoy their lives. This YouTube video gives a bit more of an idea about how Shared Lives can work.