The benefits of Shared Lives
Benefits for carers
Our carers often tell us that being a Shared Lives carer is one of the most rewarding things they have ever done, so if you have the energy and space in your home and your life, we’d love to hear from you.
The people we support always get a choice of placement and are shown our carer's profiles when matching.
We are registered and regulated by the Care Quality Commission – currently rated as good.
Other reasons to become a Shared Lives carer include:
- free mandatory training and further opportunities for skills development and qualifications
- a friendly and highly experienced team supported by Kent County Council, who ensure a high level of commitment and service
- the job satisfaction of supporting an eligible person to make real changes and development in their lives
- the work life balance offered by working from home.
Payments
You will be self-employed and will be paid depending on the support needs of the person you are supporting. There are no guarantees of placements and you will not be paid when you have no placements.
- Long term: £339.93 to £566.55 per placement per week.
- Short breaks: £48.56 to £80.93 per placement per night.
- Day support: £28.75 to £63.56 per session (one session is up to 5 hours).
Significant tax breaks are also available to Shared Lives carers, the same as foster carers.
Benefits to users of the service
Users of the Shared Lives service benefit from support that makes a real difference in their lives. Shared Lives can provide people with:
- new life experiences, whether it's birthdays and weddings or going on a holiday for the first time
- a live-in family environment, developing relationships that could last a lifetime
- a family network, introducing them to an extensive group of people in the wider community
- getting involved with their local community, gaining employment or developing a new social activity
- a more personalised service for users than traditional forms of care
- consistent and continuous support, getting to know the person well, enabling carers to be able to pick up on the small things that are sometimes overlooked.