Who you'd support

Someone who visits or lives with a shared lives carer in Barnsley may:

• have a learning or physical disability
• be an older resident in need of support
• have a mental health problem
• be transitioning from children’s services to adult social care at age 16
• need support to manage their health needs

The support you provide could be:

• long-term - where someone moves in and lives with you
• short breaks and respite care - including overnight stays and weekend visits
• day support - where you support someone for a few hours at a time

One of the best things about being a shared lives carer is you get to choose who you support. As part of our matching process, we carefully pair up carers and the people we support, making sure everyone has their say and is comfortable with each other.

We'll advise and guide you through the process and support you to access the training you need to feel confident and comfortable in your role.

A shared lives household can support up to three people at any one time.

Benefits of being a shared lives carer

Being a shared lives carer is extremely rewarding for both you and the person you support. You'll help them learn new skills and grow in confidence in a safe, supportive environment. 

Once you’re an established shared lives carer you can expect a stable income. You'll be self-employed and receive a fee for the support you provide instead of being paid a wage or a salary. We pay your fee based on the type of support you provide.

We know that being self-employed may be a new challenge for our carers, but it brings many benefits. This includes the flexibility of providing support from your own home and creating a way of life that suits you and the person you support.

We can support you to register as self-employed with HM Revenue and Customs. This can be done online after you’ve been approved as a shared lives carer.

Shared lives tax break

Qualifying care relief is a form of tax relief that’s available to shared lives carers. With qualifying care relief, you don’t have to make any Class 4 National Insurance contributions or pay any Income Tax on your shared lives income if you earn less in a year than the qualifying amount.

Do I need any specific qualifications to be a shared lives carer?

You don’t need any specific qualifications to become a shared lives carer. Being one of our carers is more about your passion to support others and include someone in your home and community life.

When you’re preparing to become a shared lives carer, you'll get training to help you and your family identify and build upon the skills you already have. We'll also help you build any new skills you might need to feel confident and comfortable in your new role.

Can I be a shared lives carer if I have pets?

Yes. We believe pets are a key part of the family, helping the people we support to grow in confidence, and many of our shared lives carers have pets of their own.

What kind of support would I provide as a shared lives carer?

The support you provide will be different for each person but could include:

• supporting someone with practical tasks like washing, cooking or shopping. You can also help them develop skills that could help them live independently in the future.
• personal care, such as washing and dressing, or reminding them to take their medication
• helping people make connections, whether that’s staying in touch with loved ones, making new friends or getting involved in their community
• supporting people to get the most out of education, training, volunteering or employment. This may involve teaching them about how to manage their money and use it safely.

What support is available for shared lives carers?

Your allocated officer is your first line of support. They'll provide you with advice, guidance, and can also help you arrange ongoing training to help you in your role.

Through our shared lives team you’ll be able to access a wide range of services and activities that can help you or the person you support. We'll also connect you with professionals working across health and care, helping you see the network of support we have in action.

If you’re looking to meet other carers in Barnsley, we have our shared lives carer support group, which is a great way to celebrate your successes and get support when you need it.

You could also become a member of Shared Lives Plus, a national network which has been supporting shared lives carers for over 40 years.

Will I have a say in who I care for?

Being able to choose who you care for is one of the best things about shared lives and is unlike any other caring role. Our matching process helps us make sure everyone involved with shared lives is confident and comfortable with who they are going to support, visit or live with.

As part of our assessment process, you’ll talk to your allocated officer about the kind of people you’d like to support. This includes their age range and needs, the number of people you will care for and any other considerations.

Day in the life of Sonia and Paul

Sonia and Paul have been shared lives carers since September 2017. They provide long-term support for Linda and Lisa, two ladies who have learning disabilities and additional care needs.

While Linda and Lisa live with them, Sonia and Paul also provide support to other people within shared lives.

How we became shared lives carers

We cared for a family member full-time before their circumstances changed. We already knew some shared lives carers, and having seen what the role involved we thought that being part of shared lives was something we'd be interested in.

A typical weekday from morning to bedtime

Sonia wakes Linda up and supports her to have a shower as she needs a little extra help with her back and her feet. Once she's out of the shower Linda gets herself ready, with Sonia there to provide a little extra help with blow-drying her hair.

Sonia then goes to wake up Lisa, knocking on her door with a welcoming "Morning Flossy". After a morning hug, they pick out Lisa's outfit for the day and start getting ready. Thanks to the support of her carers, Lisa can now complete most of her morning routine independently. Sonia is there to help Lisa with the things she can’t do without a little extra support, like brushing her teeth.

As Sonia leaves Lisa to finish getting ready, she reminds her to bring her washing down when she’s ready. They sort out Lisa's washing together before Lisa has her breakfast.

One thing that really excites Lisa is her participation in 'Dream Big' - a local drama group. Lisa took part in the Christmas 2024 production of Jack and the Beanstalk. Speaking about this recently, Lisa spoke about Diane, one of the other shared lives carers who is part of the show, and her beautiful dress. She also talked about how good Graham is at playing the giant and how Stevie's playing the bad guy, and they all have to say boo.

Lisa often says to her carers "You’re good carers you two, Sonia and Paul" which is lovely to hear and helps us to feel valued. On a typical morning, once we're all ready for the day, we take Lisa and Linda to the Bridge Day Centre. Paul is the designated family driver, and he usually collects Lisa and Linda from the Bridge to bring them home. 

We all have dinner together and chat about our day during our meal. We like this family time over dinner and as part of our routine, Linda and Lisa help us to lay the table and wash up afterwards, further building their life skills.

After dinner, Lisa and Linda may require our support with any number of everyday things, such as speaking with their friends or weekly planning. This provides us with further opportunities to help and support them and further enriches their lives.

Occasionally, Paul may have to attend to family matters, and this always offers an opportunity for Sonia, Lisa and Linda to have some girls time together. This may include pamper time, watching TV together or listening to their favourite songs.

Lisa and Linda typically have a supper of fresh fruit and yoghurt at their request before going to bed feeling happy and part of our family.

The moment we’ll always remember

We both had COVID in November 2020. Sadly, this resulted in Sonia being admitted to hospital for eight days. Paul called the shared lives team to let them know and within three hours, the two people we were supporting at the time were safely moved into a different placement. This ensured they continued to receive the appropriate support to meet their needs.

Sonia was so unwell, but this gave her the peace of mind that Paul was able to recover and the people we support were safe.

One thing we wish we'd known when we started out

When we started our journey as shared lives carers, we didn’t think we wanted a long-term placement. We initially provided respite and sessional support, helping a mix of people for an afternoon, an evening or a weekend.

Now we have people living with us long-term, the people we support feel more like family. We also have more time for each other, with a better work-life balance. We’re glad we've made the switch to now help people long-term.

What we love about what we do

We both love seeing the achievements of the people we support and how far they have come as part of our family. For example, Linda is so mobile now because she's using her walker rather than her wheelchair. She has got so much stronger, her confidence has grown and is so proud of her progress.

When we look at Lisa, we can't help but think about how she was and how she is now. Lots of people tell us the positive difference they see in Lisa and how she manages her manners. We're a family, even our extended family to our son, our Jack, or our prince if you're asking Lisa.