Shared Lives Scheme (Adult Placement)
What 's available?
Shared Lives offers individuals the chance to receive the care and support they need in a different setting from the family home, or the supported accommodation, in which they usually live.
Placements are arranged in the homes of carers who have been assessed, trained and approved for this purpose. Placements can be short term, lasting anything from one night to several weeks, enabling their carers to have a break. Or they can be more long term, providing the opportunity for the person receiving support to live as part of the family.
The Shared Lives Scheme helps people who have a learning disability, those with autism and other vulnerable adults. We also run a respite service for people with dementia.
Download our Shared Lives Scheme leaflet
(pdf, 558KB).
Who can get a placement?
People over the age of 18 who live in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
How can I apply for the Shared Lives Scheme
To be eligible you will need to be assessed by a Social Worker. The Council offers services to people who are assessed as having substantial or critical needs. The Shared Lives Scheme also works with people who are self funders.
Find out how to become a Shared Lives Carer
If you are interested in the Shared Lives Scheme and feel that you meet the scheme’s criteria, simply contact us and we will discuss your individual support needs:
Shared Lives Scheme
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
Care Provision
Civic Centre
2nd Floor
44 York Street
Twickenham
TW1 3BZ
Telephone: 020 8487 5396
Email: sharedlives@richmond.gov.uk
What if I prefer to organise my own support?
Many people have someone they know who can offer support, such as a family member, friend, neighbour or local charity volunteer. Our priority is to support people who have no other option or need additional help.
What support can I get?
We’ll need to discuss with you what support you might need - we call this an assessment.
We may offer you short term assistance called Reablement to regain your independence or confidence. This service lasts for up to 6 weeks and is free.
After Reablement, we’ll discuss any ongoing needs you might have through a Self Directed Support (SDS) Assessment, where we’ll estimate the cost of your support and let you know whether we can make a financial contribution.
Can I get help with the cost?
You may have to contribute towards the cost of your support, depending on your level of savings, income and expenses.
We’ll help you to fill out a financial assessment form to see if you qualify for help. To get a rough idea of costs and how much you’ll pay, you can carry out a quick, confidential, financial self assessment online.
If we can make a contribution, we call this a Personal Budget. You can look after the money yourself and use it to arrange your own support, or you can ask the Council to hold the money and help you to find the support you need.
What if I don’t qualify for financial support?
If you don't qualify for financial help from us, you could arrange to employ someone directly, a Personal Assistant, to support you. Hestia, a local organisation, can help you to find someone.
The Money Advice Service, set up by government, provides free, unbiased and independent advice, including useful information on employing your own personal assistant.
You could also contact a private home care agency. Remember to take care to choose an agency that’s registered and inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). Call 03000 616161 or email enquiries@cqc.org.uk. We maintain a list of home care agencies(pdf, 295KB) in the borough.
Please contact me about this service
If you’re still unsure you can contact the Adult Social Care Access Team