Shared Lives Plus Awards 2022

We were delighted to present awards to these exceptional individuals and teams for their achievements over the past year: Watch their surprise award films on YouTube - search Shared Lives Plus Awards 2022 and read their stories on our website.

Human rights award for free expression

Awarded to a person who lives with or visits a Shared Lives carer, for standing up for who they are and what’s right for them.

Winner

James Harris (Avalon Group Botton village)

Highly commended

Joshua Wilkins (West Sussex)

Christina Baker (Islington)

Outstanding Shared Lives carer of the year

Awarded to a Shared Lives carer who has gone that extra mile to create better outcomes for the people they support.

Winner

Kuldip Dhadda (Surrey Choices)

Read Kuldip's story on page 6

Highly commended

Clint Attard (South East Wales Shared Lives)

Shared Lives carer Lifetime achievement awards

Awarded to carers who have dedicated their life to growing Shared Lives in their local community and building strong and positive relationships with those they support.

Linda and Jeff Manley (Bradford Shared Lives)

Shared Lives Champions

Awarded to those who go above and beyond to promote Shared Lives both locally and nationally.

Winner

Lee Dowling (left) and Chris Citrine (right) (PSS Shared Lives Merseyside)

Award for scheme innovation

Awarded to a Shared Lives scheme or Homeshare programme that has taken an innovative approach to developing and expanding its service.

Winner

South East Wales Shared Lives Scheme

Homeshare UK Champion

Awarded to someone who has promoted Homeshare locally, regionally or nationally, to raise awareness of it as an sociable, affordable housing option for older and young people.

Winner

Gill Barratt (Homeshare Living householder)

Kuldip Dhadda

“If we could take Kuldip’s DNA and clone her, we would”

Kuldip Dhadda was awarded our Outstanding Carer of the year award. How is it she became a Shared Lives carer, and why was she nominated for the award?

Kuldip moved to the UK back in 1980 aged 19, where she stayed with her in laws. Years later she moved to Godalming in Surrey in 1994, where for a period she worked in the airport. Eventually she found herself involved in fostering. These experiences seemed to confirm her desire to work helping others, and in 2014 she became a Shared Lives carer. Kuldip is best known for giving anyone a chance.

“Normally I’m not that interested in what the scheme have to say (about the person) because people change. You know sometimes you’ve got this label you’ve got that label, he’s done this when he was ten, twelve, fourteen, fifteen. But then he was with different people. So I just don’t take much notice of that.” Kuldip says.

“The difficulties many people have is a two-way thing.”

Kuldip takes great interest in the lives of the people she supports, something she believes is key in gaining their respect. She also involves them in her life. Kuldip lives with her grandchildren, and one of the men she cared for, built a very close relationship with them.

“When he was around in the evening he’d say ‘Kuldip you stay in the car’, I’m going to go and get the kids, not only get the kids from the school, he’d speak to the teachers and teaching assistants to see how they’re doing. And he wanted to do that himself, you know he was that much entrusted.”

This attitude has cultivated some lifelong friendships with the people she has supported. This same man she supported is now married and has his own children. On his children’s first day of school he sent Kuldip a picture of them in their uniform. Kuldip was delighted to see the life he was now leading.

Donna Willson, Surrey Choices scheme manager says Kuldip typically supports people with a range of challenges in their lives:

"If we could take Kuldip’s DNA and clone her, we would. She disregards people’s backgrounds, and whilst this attitude may have brought her some tough arrangements, it has also led to her changing the lives of many people."

Congratulations Kuldip! Your generosity compassion and respect are outstanding - and a reflection of so many Shared Lives carers across the UK.

Watch Kuldip’s award video on our YouTube channel – search: Outstanding carer 2022