Shared Lives Scheme (formerly the Adult Placement Scheme)

• What is the Shared Lives Scheme?
• What do you mean by help and support?
• An Adult Placement Carers experience 
• Could you become a carer?
• Do you need experience of caring to become a carer?
• Do you get paid for being a carer?
• Are any checks carried out?

What is the Shared Lives Scheme?

This is a scheme set up to train and support people from the local community to become carers for adults.

They provide help and support to: 

• Adults with disabilities
• Adults with learning disabilities
• Adults with health problems
• Adults with mental health issues
• Older people

It is similar to fostering.  The scheme is part of Tameside Adult Services.

What do you mean by help and support?

People who use the scheme need support to take part in activities that most of us take for granted.  These may include:

Day Support:

Going to the shops
Visiting a museum or theatre
Spending a day in the countryside

Some people may just want companionship and to spend time at the home of the carer.

Respite (short term) care

Carers can offer overnight stays in their own home.  This can be from as little as one night to several months.

Long term care

A person can live with the carer, becoming part of their family sharing their lives and their home.

An Adult Placement Carer's experience:

Mary and Len's story:

"We're just one big happy family".  That is the view of carers Mary and Len who carry out the special job of supporting two adults Neil and Alice.

Mary and Len have created a "new" family through the Scheme.  It works in a similar way to fostering but provides support through carers like Mary and Len to older people, people with learning or physical disabilities or adults with health needs.

Neil actually lives with Mary and Len full time.  He has Parkinson's disease and prior to coming to live with Mary and Len was having periods of hospital stays.  He also felt isolated and due to harassment by vandals had become anxious.  Neil says he "hasn't looked back since" and "hasn't felt as happy in a long time".

Alice lives at home with her son, but she has health problems that affect her mobility.  She is effectively unable to go out independently.  She spends the day at Mary and Len's home once a week.  She enjoys the company and considers the Adult Placement Carers and Neil as friends.  Alice said "Nothing is too much trouble for Mary and Len and staying with them is better than staying in a guest house".

Mary and Len have been with the Scheme for about 7 years.  Altogether they have helped 37 people from the scheme.

Following retirement Len and Mary felt that they waned to help the community and applied to be carers.  Although their main expertise is with older people they have also supported younger adults with physical and learning disabilities.

Could you become a carer?

If you have at least 1 day a week free or just weekends you could become a carer.

Do you need experience of caring to become a carer?

You do not need experience though experience of helping or caring for people is useful. You will be provided with a full induction-training programme leading to approval as a carer.

Do you get paid for being a carer?

If you are approved as a carer you are given generous expenses.  It doesn't matter if you are in paid employment or on benefits (excluding Incapacity Benefit).

Is there an age limit for being a carer?

There is no age limit for any adult becoming an approved carer on the scheme.

Are any checks carried out?

In line with Safeguarding Adults and The Care Quality Commission  legislation we require certain checks to be carried out i.e. Criminal Records Bureau  (Police check), GP reference, Probation, Employer, Social Care and Health check and 2 personal references.

Contact Information
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0161 342 5151
0161 342 5265