Inside Salisbury: Could you share your home?
Wiltshire Council calling for Shared Lives Carers
by Annette J Beveridge
A CARER has shared her experiences of supporting people in her home as part of Wiltshire Council’s Shared Lives scheme.
Shared Lives and Shared Days Carers work from home and provide valuable support and care for those who live with them as part of their family. Placements may be needed for short-term care or long-term care. Equally, it may be about supporting someone for a few hours in the day.
Kathy West said: “I love being a Shared Lives Carer. I love sharing my life with the young people that live here. We do lots of things together and they are part of the family. I’m passionate about helping them reach their goals and I love to see their progression and their growth.
“Carers get lots of ongoing training and support. Support is available 24/7 and the training is very flexible, it’s a mixture of face-to-face and online so you can do it when you’ve got time.”
Shared Lives supports adults with wide-ranging abilities and support needs. Some are fairly independent and only need guidance, reminders or explanation, others need assistance with most day-to-day needs.
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Corporate Director of Care and Wellbeing, Emma Legg, said “We currently need more Shared Lives and Shared Days Carers to support vulnerable adults in Wiltshire. Being a Shared Lives Carer is really flexible. Carers can choose the level of care they would like to provide.
“If that includes personal care, full training will be given, but if they did not want to provide personal care that would be absolutely fine, as carers and the people they support are matched carefully to ensure it is an enjoyable, fulfilling and valuable experience for all.”
To be a part of the scheme, it is important to know that individuals do not need specific qualifications but need a wide range of skills and life experiences. Whether single or in a couple, with or without children living at home, and providing the individual is aged 18 or over with a spare bedroom, they can apply.
A carer can support up to three people, with working hours that fit around their family life and other work they do.
To find out more and arrange a chat with one of the team with no obligation visit www.wiltshire.gov.uk/shared-lives
Watch Kathy talk about why she likes being a Shared Lives Carer www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-O88Rpwyrs
