Could you be a Shared Lives Carer?
Are you willing to share your home and share your life to support an adult with a learning disability within the local Sandwell community? You must be willing to give an adult the support and care they need, and to include them in your everyday life. You will be expected to help with personal care, like washing and dressing, help with finances, and medication.
As a Shared Lives Carer, you will be self-employed and be paid while someone is placed with you. You can support up to three people at any one time but you cannot employ any staff.
The other requirement is that you live in Sandwell and pay your council tax to Sandwell Council.
Watch our short film about Sandwell Shared Lives to find out more about the scheme and meet some of our real-life Shared Lives Carers and the individuals that they support.
You can read one of our Shared Lives Respite Carer point of view about their role as a Sandwell Shared Lives carer. 
What qualities do we look for in a Carer?
You should have the following qualities:
- Be passionate about supporting people to live independently
- Have empathy
- Be patient and caring
- Be friendly
- Be willing to be an advocate
- Have good communication skils
- Have an understanding of learning disabilities and autism
You must have some experience of caring for adults, too. This could be paid or voluntary work, or caring for a relative. You don't need formal qualifications. However, there is an approval process to go through.
The approval process consists of the assessment carried out by the scheme worker/s, which details your knowledge, skills and abilities. This will also include obtaining references and carrying out a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check. The assessment and approval process usually takes up to 12 weeks before being presented to an independent panel for approval.
For any respite, following approval, there will be a careful ‘matching process’ whereby the scheme worker will match you with a person who requires this service. This involves ‘getting to know you’ meetings before any care is provided. Carers will be paid an agreed fee once respite/day support has been provided.
What are the benefits of being a Shared Lives Carer?
- It's a rewarding career path
- You have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference to a person’s life
- You'll have access to online training, which can be bespoke to the person you are caring for
- Good Work-life balance
- Opportunity to working from home
- Flexibility – respite/day support carers can tailor the role to their own availability within the service
- You'll receive regular and ongoing support from Sandwell Shared Lives team and nationally through Shared Lives Plus
- Tax-break eligibility.