Join Our Team & Change Lives
We are recruiting existing, experienced and new Hosts.
We offer:
- Safety and Stability
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Generous Allowance
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Excellent Training
- 24/7 Support
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Experienced Team
If you would like to learn more call: 01622 760600
Becoming A Shared Lives Carer
- Reached 18 years of age and wish to remain with ‘their family’
- Have not been in foster care but require long term adult care
- Have been fostered by others and require continued care
We are actively recruiting families and individuals who wish to offer an adult placement.
Shared Lives Carers need not have been Foster Carers previously.
Call: 01622 760600 or complete the form on this page for more info.
You will receive 24/7 support from our team of experienced Social Workers.
Who is the service for?
The service does not preclude older adults who may have impaired ability to live independently.
Description of Futures for Shared Lives service
Futures for Shared Lives actively works both with established, approved Foster Carers who wish to either continue providing a home and support for those young people who have reached 18 years of age and wish to remain with ‘their family’ or offer placements to those who have not been in foster care or indeed have been fostered by others; we also actively recruit those families and individuals who wish to offer an adult placement to those who have not been previously fostered but now are assessed as in need of an adult placement, likewise Hosts need not have been Foster Carers previously.
With regard to the former type of continued placement, we fundamentally believe that most young people, in particular, those with impaired ability, who has lived in a foster home continue to build on their skills, socialisation, educational, emotional and physical health needs post 18 years and benefit considerably from continuing to live in a family environment. They can plan for possible independent living or in some form of supported living at their own pace with the aim of achieving an eventual successful and safe, and long-lasting future transition.
For some adults who may have attempted to live independently or who have found that more assistance is required the opportunity to live with an adult or family may provide a better option for them if group home arrangements are not required or suitable; for these people, the Futures for Shared Lives service can offer that alternative accommodation.
Futures for Shared Lives also offer a flexible respite service, working alongside service users’ birth family members or other Shared Lives Carers. This is a tailored, well-matched service that will follow existing care plans, education and work plans.
Futures for Shared Lives will recruit and assess families or individuals who wish to offer this service using a qualified, experienced social worker using thorough and robust procedures following the guidelines of the national association Shared Lives Plus. All applicants will be approved by a designated Shared Lives Panel. Please see our policy regarding the Panel process and membership.
Following the Approval of a Shared Lives Carer and subsequent matching and placing of an adult service user, supervision and support will be offered by a member of the team as a minimum every 8 weeks. Informal telephone contact and support, including an out of hours service, is also available. Please see our policy regarding supervision and support.
Learning and development will be provided for approved Shared Lives Carers via individual monitoring sessions, workshop training events, seminars, and support groups. More specialist training can be sourced if it would be helpful for the host or service user.
The financial arrangements will be determined by a banding assessment of the adult requiring a placement. This will include a weekly fee and a more flexible respite fee based on per night occupation.
Futures for Shared Lives Approval Process for Shared Lives Carer families/individuals
The recruitment and Approval of Futures for Shared Lives Carers are subject to policy, procedure and regulation and is set out in detail in the policy addendum to this report.
The criteria listed below are intended to provide helpful information to those considering application including suitability, and the process and formula for assessment and approval of those applying to offer adult placements which will include the following:
- Status; applications will be welcomed from individual adults, couples who have lived together for a minimum of two years and are in stable, enduring relationships. Those who have children still at home or those whose children are now adults, those who have not parented or friends or family members who live together.
- You may work outside the home but you are expected to be available (depending on the level of service agreed) if the person placed with you requires care or oversight. Careful matching will ensure the suitability of placements with the Host individual/family with the proviso that needs may change. We do ask that applicants are contactable and have a phone number that the service provider and the adult placed can use if in need of contact.
- We will undertake an Enhanced Disclosure check from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) for all adults living in the home aged 18 years and over. We will repeat these checks every three years. Previous criminal behaviour will not necessarily preclude a successful application, however, the following offences will mean automatic barring from application:
- Any offences against children or vulnerable adults.
- Driving disqualification in the last five years.
- Any offence involving harm to another in the last 10 years.
- There is no defined age restriction for application, however good general health and mobility is a requirement and a medical on the application will be obtained; thereafter three-yearly medicals will be required. Applications will not be supported for those who have been diagnosed with a recent psychiatric condition, have had drug or alcohol misuse or addictions, or had a serious health concern within the last year, or those who are in receipt of employment or support benefit themselves. Those who smoke will be strictly expected to smoke outside of the home.
- You must have a suitable vacant bedroom; the assessor will take into account the size and safety of the bedroom and home. Adults placed will be expected to share the general living accommodation, such as sitting room, kitchen, bathroom and garden, have access to their own or shared television, have internet and phone access. We will not accept applications from those who run hotel, B&B or student accommodation. If the applicant is living in rented accommodation we will ask for the house owners written agreement to ensure that applicants are not in breach of any agreement.
- Applications from those receiving a wage, including a low income, state benefits (not incapacity benefit) or pension are welcome. You are asked to complete a financial declaration to confirm that you are financially secure. It is the applicants own responsibility to check that any benefits they are receiving are not in breach when receiving a shared lives salary.
- We will require, in addition to the statuary check of DBS and medical, two character references (not from family members) from those who have known the applicant for a minimum of two years and one employer reference where possible. Please see the Fact Sheet addendum regarding Tax and National Insurance for Shared Lives Hosts; please do check for any changes, updates to this policy.
- We will also check proof of identity; eg passport, driving licence and/or birth certificate. Full employment history, including any gaps in employment; if the applicant has worked with children/and or vulnerable adults previously we will ask for verification as to why this work ended. We will also ask for documentary evidence of any relevant qualification, and of eligibility to live/reside in the UK.
In summary, all Futures for Shared Lives Carer families/individuals are recruited and assessed by qualified and experienced Shared Lives employees using the agreed assessment format of the national association Shared Lives Plus.
Preparation training will be mandatory during the assessment process and will offer training and advice on Adult Safeguarding, Policies and Procedures and guidance to the Adult Mental Capacity Act 2005.
Completed assessments, including all checks and references, including a medical assessment by the applicants, own GP, are presented to an Independent Shared Lives Panel who are responsible for quality assurance and ratifying the assessment. They will confirm that preparation training has been completed and all appropriate checks and references are in place to enable a decision on Approval or recommend any additional work to be undertaken, or to decline Approval with a clear rationale as to why.
Applicants will be informed on the day of Panel sitting of any decision and will also be informed in writing, including the terms of Approval within 7 working days. If the decision is not to Approve the applicant/s they will be informed in writing and have 28 days to make written representations requesting that the Panel review the decision providing any additional information which may be helpful.
Following Approval, an agreement will be drawn up in accordance with standard procedures, general terms and conditions (bearing in mind that individual placement agreements will also be required on placement). This fundamental agreement will set out the key requirements and responsibilities of the Shared Lives Carers, also the requirements and responsibilities of Futures for Shared Lives agency.
Learn More About Shared Lives
We believe any transition into adult services should be a smooth and seamless service wherever possible. We offer both training and financial support to families or individuals who offer an adult placement within their own homes.
If you would like to learn more or think you could offer a home to a young person or adult in need, we'd love to hear from you.
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