Choosing your Shared Lives carer

All our Shared Lives carers are trained to make sure they have the correct skills needed to support you.

We do lots of background checks on potential carers (including DBS - disclosure and barring service and checks with their doctors) to make sure they are safe, honest and reliable.

All Shared Lives carers are supported by a shared lives worker or manager. These are the people who give information and advice to your carers and make sure your arrangement is going to work for all involved.

What Shared Lives carers can help you with

Your Shared Lives carer can help you with things such as:

• Making sure you have choice and control
• Help deveolp you daily living skill, for example, to make a cup of tea, or cook a meal etc.
• Help with personal care needs or taking your medication
• Help with managing your money
• Support and encourage 'get togethers' with family and friends
• General advice or support
• Help you to access the community and develop friendships

Anything you need help and support with will be written in your individual plan. This is where we write down the information about your arrangement including the ways in which your carers, and others, will be supporting you in your Shared Lives arrangement.

Your individual plan will then be shared with your carer, so they are aware.

We will make suggestions as to which Shared Lives carers could be a good match for you and you will be introduced to carers to get to know each other.

When you have decided which Shared Lives carer is right for you, we will support you to write a individual plan.

We will also support you to write an arrangement agreement. This is where all the points, agreed by those involved with your arrangement, are written down.

Your Shared Lives link worker or manager will tell you more about your individual plan and arrangement agreement.

When you begin to stay or live with your shared lives carer, a Shared Lives worker will visit regularly to make sure things are going well.

The Shared Lives scheme makes sure that review meetings are held regularly to talk about whether you or your carers want to change anything about your Shared Lives arrangement. These are known as placement reviews.

Carers will be given an fee according to how much care is required and your level of need.

You will need to pay some of your benefits towards the cost of your Shared Lives scheme. The money you pay will help towards the cost of the food, household bills, support you receive and for any other things that you may need.

The money you have left is yours to spend on the things you wish to buy. If you find it difficult to manage your money, your Shared Lives carer can support you.

South Tyneside Council also contribute towards the cost of your arrangement.

Your Shared Lives carer may ask everyone sharing the house to follow a few household rules. For example:

• no smoking in the house
• helping to clear up after meals
• not playing loud music (especially late at night)

If you do not agree with the rules in place at your household, it may not be the right arrangement for you.

There may also be other rules in place to make sure that you stay safe. These will be talked over with you and written into your individual plan.

While you are staying with your Shared Lives career, you will be able to carry on with any daytime or evening activities that you enjoy.

You can also visit your family or friends, or they can visit you, whenever it is mutually convenient. Your carer can help arrange the visit.

Your bedroom and belongings

If you are staying with a carer for a short break or living with them long-term, you will have your own bedroom.

Your bedroom will be fully furnished but you can bring with you any belongings that fit your new room. For example, a TV, music player, and personal items.

If there is something that you are unhappy about you should, if you can, tell your Shared Lives carer so that you can sort out the problem together.

If there is something you do not want to talk to your carers about directly, you can talk to:

• A family member or a close friend
• An advocate (if you have one)
• Your social worker or care manager
• A member of staff at a day centre (if you attend one)
• Your Shared Lives manager or shared lives link worker

If you would like to move on from your Shared Lives arrangement, you will need to tell your link worker, Shared Lives manager, or care manager (if you have one), who will then help you to make alternative arrangements from your current placement.

We can try to find you a new Shared Lives arrangement if this is your preference.