Roles and responsibilities

Shared Lives carers come from many different backgrounds. Some have worked in health or social care and have professional qualifications. Others bring valuable life experience. You do not need to have worked in care before, as long as you are willing to learn.

As a Shared Lives carer, you help people live happy, independent lives.

By welcoming someone into your home and sharing everyday life with them, you create a safe and friendly place where they feel included and valued. You support them to make their own choices about their life, including how they decorate their room and spend their time.

If you have a spare room, you could become a Shared Lives carer.

As a Shared Lives carer, you will:

• provide a safe, healthy home
• balance the needs of everyone in your household
• respect people's privacy and keep their information confidential
• build positive relationships with the people you support and those who are important to them
• help people become as independent as possible in their daily lives
• follow the rules and guidance set by the Shared Lives scheme and the Care Quality Commission (CQC), including meeting regularly with your Shared Lives worker
• complete the training and learning needed for the role

This is not a full list of the responsibilities of a Shared Lives carer.

If you provide long-term accommodation, it is important to make time for yourself and your family as well as supporting the person living with you. Short breaks help with this. During a short break, the person you support stays with another approved Shared Lives carer for a short time. This gives everyone a chance to recharge while making sure the person continues to receive safe and supportive care.

You can find out more about the different types of support available.