CVT Shared Lives held their second Independent Panel on March 21st, and three further sets of adult carers have successfully been approved.

The new Shared Lives Carers will open their home and family life, to offer Live-In (long term), Short Breaks (respite) and Day Opportunity support to adults in Dudley who may be vulnerable or have a disability. 

The Shared Lives scheme is sometimes described as ‘foster care for adults’, however the team enable the person to make their own choices in life, take control and maximise their independence. 

The newly developing scheme, based in Stourbridge, will work with Social Care and Health teams across the region to increase the range of support from the more traditional Learning Disability model, to include all areas of need including; supporting people with mental ill health, early-on-set dementia, hospital discharges, older people, physical disabilities, people on the Autistic Spectrum and those with other complex support needs. Registered Manager, Kate Morgan, said:

“The approval process to become a Shared Lives Carer includes a bespoke induction training package and relevant checks and references. The process can take between 3-6 months, and this time allows the scheme worker to assess the persons commitment, skills and values, which is then quality assured by our Independent Panel”. 

Newly approved Shared Lives Carers Hannah and Sam Denham added: “The process is detailed and thorough, but it has to be to make sure we are the right people for the job.

“Sam and I are so excited to begin our venture as Shared Lives Carers, and we know the role will allow us develop our skills and learn new things, while supporting someone as part of the family”. 

If you would like to find out more about becoming a Shared Lives Carer, you can visit cvt.org.uk/sharedlives or call Kate Morgan on 01384 597264 for an informal chat.