Sharing Magazine Vol 37

Vol 37

May 2022

Sharing Magazine for the shared living network

Shared Lives Week 2022

Page 6

Celebrating the best of Shared Lives June 13th-17th

Qualifying Care Relief Page 12

What it is and how it works in Shared Lives

Our cover stars Holly and Geoffrey are a real Shared Lives love story. Find out more on page 20.

Do you know someone supported by, or working in, Shared Lives who has excelled over the past year? Has the person who lives with, or visits you done something that deserves special recognition? Why not show your appreciation for them by nominating them for a Shared Lives Award, see page 5 for details.

Jayne Wilson, Director of development and acting CEO, Shared Lives Plus

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

Welcome to the summer 2022 edition of Sharing, where we are celebrating all things Shared Lives, past, present, and future.

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

In June, we’re celebrating 30 years since we were set up. We spoke to our President Sue Newton MBE, who brought together a diverse network of organisations and caring people to create something very special which lasts today. We also talk with some of you who’ve been there from the very start, taking a trip down memory lane, and casting our thoughts ahead to what Shared Lives could look like in 2052 (p2).

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

As a membership organisation, the future of Shared Lives Plus will be shaped by people like you, and we are pleased that so many of you are taking part in the Your Voice member forums (p8). These forums are designed to make sure that Shared Lives carers voices are heard within the organisation at every level, including board level, with a carer member elected as forum chair.

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Key facts:

We want to make sure the role of forum chair is accessible to anyone who has an interest in it, and we are committed to providing a high level of support. If you would like to know more you can arrange an informal chat with Lynette Barlow, our finance director, by emailing lynette@sharedlivesplus.org.uk.

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

This issue, we’ve got a profile of Lana Harber, who combines her role as a Shared Lives carer with her job as a senior social worker (p19). And we catch-up with Holly and Geoffrey - the stars of Stacey Dooley’s Fresh Starts podcast. Theirs is such an inspiring story of love and acceptance, and a wonderful example of what is possible with Shared Lives (p20).

Speaking of inspiring, we were so impressed by the wonderful photos submitted for last year’s Shared Lives Week photo exhibition, that we’ve decided to have another exhibition this year. Shared Lives Week is just around the corner (June 13-17), and you can find out more about the exhibition and the other events planned for Shared Lives Week 2022 on pages 6-7

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

With the uncertainty and strain of cost of living rises, war, and social care under pressure, we hope this issue of Sharing brings you a little bit of hope through members’ stories, and support from the legal and policy information which underpins your role.

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

Thank you, for everything you do to support people to live fulfilling and independent lives.

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

Shared Lives Plus turns 30

Our President’s reflections Sue Newton MBE

The organisation we know as Shared Lives Plus is 30 this year, but the story of Shared Lives in the UK starts almost 15 years earlier than that. During the 1970s people were looking for better ways to look after people, moving away from the old forms of institutional care. I had just graduated from Liverpool University as a social worker and was working with PSS in Liverpool at the time, and we got funding from the council to develop support for older people, just £2,000 a year for 3 years.

We needed to come up with a creative solution so I spoke to as many people as I could, people working in social care, older people, and a professor of social care at the university. PSS encouraged me to try something different and take risks. The idea of people going to live with a carer wasn’t new, it was already happening in small pockets around the country, but there was nothing joining these carers together, and nothing like that in Liverpool.

Liverpool was a great place to try something new like this because it’s a big port, and people are used to accepting people from different walks of life. I went out and talked to people about our idea, to find people in the community who would take people into their homes, and I found some incredible carers that way.

As things began to grow, I realised we needed to bring together what was happening in different parts of the country, we didn’t even have a

name for what we were all doing at the time. The British Association of Social Workers (BASW) set up a special interest group for people doing what we were doing, and we settled on calling it Adult Placement. Before long I was doing research into how to start a charity and applying to the DHSS for funding to get us started. On June 30th, 1992, the National Association of Adult Placement Schemes (NAAPS) was born. You need organisations like BASW and government to see ideas and bring people together. We couldn’t have done it without their backing which really helped us to grow.

We started with 14 schemes dotted across the country, 40 adult placement social workers, and around 3,000 carers. We created our own best practice, working out how to do things, how to handle things like income tax. Then the government stepped in, and everyone was quite excited. Initially they didn’t know how to regulate us; were we social care? Housing? They weren’t sure. What they did know was that whatever we were, it was working. They saw people who had previously been in institutions and long stay communities living happily in family homes.

I retired from PSS in 2003 and was made President of Shared Lives Plus, as NAAPS became, and kept strong links with the wider social care community. One of the biggest changes I’ve seen in adult social care is the way services use modern technology - which is something I’m starting to struggle with a bit at 83 years old. It makes life go so quickly, so it can be hard to slow down. But the interaction between Shared Lives carers and the people they support, the love and connection, is still therethe fundamental idea of opening your home and heart to someone else, hasn’t changed. It is a priceless gift; long may it prosper.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Maureen and Gerald Long and family

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Keeping it in the family. Maureen and Gerald Long were Lancashire’s first Shared Lives carers. Though they may have retired, their good work continues - daughters Margi and Pauline, and grandchildren Peter and Ashleigh are all Shared Lives carers now.

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

Margi says "we've had three generations of caring and sharing - and our experiences have been nothing but positive and happy".

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

"In the early days Shared Lives arrangements were treated as a ‘for life’ placement, with often no thought of progression to more independent living, and little focus on development of the people supported.

Key facts:

Things are much more person centered now which is much better, as is the mix of care available with short breaks and day support as well as long term arrangements.

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

Marie Reilly

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Marie qualified as a social worker in 1975. She has been involved with Shared Lives/ adult placement in Islington since it started in 1984, when she helped set up the borough's first arrangement, and recruit their first Shared Lives carer, Cathy McDonagh – who retired last year and won our 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award.

In the next 30 years I’d like to see Shared Lives being offered to a wider range of people, with more younger carers and more connections with family carers. Maybe by 2052 we could rethink how accommodation works in Shared Lives too. Housing is very expensive in London. What if housing could be provided as part of the Shared Lives service?"

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

The Cones Hotline

Fever Pitch book

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

by Nick Hornby

Absolutely Fabulous TV show

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

Mandi Pryer works for Aspire Shared Lives in Salford

Lisa

Ennis and

her husband Michael

are Shared Lives carers with East Sussex Shared Lives

Mandi qualified as a social worker in 1986, starting in supported tenancy, and moving into adult placement in 1988.

“I started purely managing respite, but our local authority quickly brought various elements together. My team working with people with a learning disability, another team working with older people, and the embryonic idea of long-term placement.

There was no documentation specific to Shared Lives to start with, we had to adapt forms and processes from fostering, because that was the closest available option. If you wanted to get more information about adult placements, you had to physically go to another scheme and talk to another social worker, this would often be someone from a children’s respite care scheme.

And in those early days, we kept falling foul of the fact that the principle of Shared Lives didn’t exist within any legal framework. That’s the major thing that NAAPS and later Shared Lives Plus have carried forward - the work around registration & tax has been invaluable. The creation of the library of documents that we can all use has also made a huge difference. These days, Shared Lives Plus are solving problems for us before we know we even have them, which is marvelous.

In 30 years’, time, I think we’re going to see more multi-generational Shared Lives households, with the adult children of Shared Lives carers taking over the caring role from their parents. And I’d like to see more resources to support people who need palliative care, so their Shared Lives home can truly be their last home - if that’s what they want of course."

"I became a carer for Hastings and Rother in 1987 when our first supported person came to live with us. He was joined by another gentleman in 1989 and both of these wonderful gentleman still live with us today.

My mum was a Family Placement Carer in London, and she was the one who recommended NAAPS to me. But our local scheme weren’t members at the time, so I think I became an associate member through her scheme in Camden.

Our local scheme closed down for a few years and we all had to become small registered homes. This was a particularly difficult time as insurance companies didn’t really understand us. Public liability insurance was astronomical, and getting a mortgage was almost impossible.

When our scheme re-formed around 1997 we all became Adult Placement Carers, which meant full membership of NAAPS with public liability insurance included. This and the tax allowances that NAAPS/Shared Lives Plus fought to get us made a huge difference to our financial situation.

For me though, the thing I was most grateful for in those early days was the support network. I really enjoyed hearing what other carers were doing and how schemes up and down the country were forming and growing."

Lisa with her mum Gaye, her children, and Ian who she still supports in Shared Lives today

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

Shared Lives Awards 2022

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Do you know someone who fits the bill:

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Outstanding Shared Lives carer of the year

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

The human rights award for free expression (for people supported in Shared Lives)

Shared Lives champions (in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland)

The award for scheme innovation

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Your nomination must be supported by three other people:

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

A Shared Lives carer

A scheme worker

Key facts:

Someone who lives with or visits a Shared Lives carer

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

The Shared Lives Awards are presented at the annual conference in October (see page 16 for more detail)

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

How to nominate:

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

Nominations open officially onMonday 13th June

You can get your nominations in early by going tosharedlivesplus.org.uk/awards-2022

Nominations close at5pm Friday 15th July

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

So many of you have given so much in recent months, and the Shared Lives Awards are just one small way to say big thank you on behalf of everybody who has made a massive difference this year.

Shared Lives Week: June 13-17th

This Shared Lives Week we are celebrating the best of Shared Lives and highlighting the incredible work that Shared Lives carers like you do day-in and day-out. There will be events up and down the country, and online – and if you want to host an event yourself, we’re here to lend a hand.

Shining a spotlight on short breaks in Shared Lives

Our Shared Lives Week campaign for 2022 will focus on the vital role of short breaks care, and the importance of short breaks to people supported by and working in Shared Lives. We will be raising awareness of the opportunities available through short breaks and launching a nationwide campaign to recruit more short breaks Shared Lives carers.

Are you a short breaks carer?

Would you like us to share your story during Shared Lives Week? If so, drop us a line: press@sharedlivesplus.org.uk.

The Big Share

Word of mouth is still the single best way of introducing someone new to Shared Lives, so this Shared Lives Week why not hold a Big Share tea party, or picnic, and invite your friends, neighbours, and maybe your local councillor. If you fancy flirting with a tiny bit of fame, you could even invite a reporter from the local newspaper or radio station - we can help you reach out to the media in your area.

Whoever you decide to invite to your event, remember to have fun, be safe, and take lots of pictures – we love seeing Shared Lives households getting together and enjoying themselves.

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Shared Lives Week events near you

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Our event calendar goes live at the start of June. From here you can find out what’s going on in your area, or tell us about an event you’re organising.

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

Search keywords: 'Shared Lives Week events calendar'

Shared Lives Week Photo Exhibition

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Get up to £500 to make your event extra exciting!

Shared Lives carers can apply for a local event grant of up to £500 to turn your Shared Lives Week event into something special. If your event is eligible, you could spend this money on things like food and drink, decorations, or party games. Grant application forms are available in the members area of the website.

Search keywords: 'local event grants'

Shared Lives carers sent us some wonderful photos last year for our Shared Lives Week photo exhibition, so we’ve decided to do it again.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

This year, the theme of the exhibition is ‘change and growth’, to tie in with our annual conference. You can interpret the theme however you like, whether you want to:

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

Share an achievement you are particularly proud of Send us some before and after pictures of something that has changed in your life

Or just show us how much your hair has grown

Key facts:

We’d love to see your best ‘change and growth’ photos from over the last year.

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

To enter, you can submit your photos via our website, send them to us by email, or share on social media – always remembering to tell us a little bit about who you are, what the photos are of, and who took them.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

We’ll upload them to a special album on Facebook and you can vote for your favourites during Shared Lives Week.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

More details on how to enter are on the website.

Search keywords:

'change and growth photo exhibition'

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

In April, we held the second of our new Your Voice member forums, where we listened to feedback from Shared Lives carer members and gave updates on what Shared Lives Plus is working on. There were discussions around the increase in the cost of living and Qualifying Care Relief, and you can read more about what we are doing in these areas on pages 10-11.

Forum attendees split into smaller breakout groups to discuss the question “what does a good Shared Lives scheme look like?” To aid this discussion the groups looked at our “Shared Lives Charter” which Shared Lives carers worked with us to develop, and which sets out what a good scheme does. We wanted to know what Shared Lives carers liked about the charter, what they didn’t like, and what they thought was missing from it. We also discussed the extent to which they felt the charter reflected their experiences of working with their schemes.

In general, the feedback was that the charter was a good match for what Shared Lives carers felt schemes should do. However, there were also carer members who felt there were still some instances where schemes were not living up to the standards set in the charter.

One common point raised was that Shared Lives carers felt that they were being lumped in with other social care staff too often, particularly around learning and development. It’s a long-standing issue that Shared Lives carers do generic training that isn’t tailored to Shared Lives, but rather reflects care in a residential setting. Several people noted that training often doesn’t take Shared Lives carers’ working patterns and time constraints into consideration. They also felt that there was a need for more work around safeguarding, so it better meets the needs of people living and working in Shared Lives. We are in the process of creating some Shared Lives specific online training courses, which we hope to make available to schemes in the coming months.

Communication was mentioned in all breakout groups as a key element of a good scheme. Shared Lives carers value schemes that are open in their communication, and that support and facilitate communication between carers. We are keen to support opportunities for carers to share their experience and ideas through our online forum, carer led groups, or by chatting with our Carer Champions.

Search keywords: 'Your Voice carer forum', 'carer led groups'

Opportunity to chair the Your Voice forum for a period of a year, with a chance of re-election for a further two years.

Election process and timetable

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

The role: This role has two aspects, chairing the forum and acting as a trustee for the charity. This is a voluntary role, but all expenses are re-imbursed.

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

Stage 1 - Nominate yourself: You can nominate yourself by filling in a short form on the website. Nominations open after the July Your Voice forum meeting and close on August 31st

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

Chairing meetings: The chair will manage the meetings, so they run smoothly and to time; ensuring all carer voices are heard and everyone has an opportunity to give their opinion. They will need to be a good listener with good organisational skills.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Shared Lives Plus staff will provide support for the new chair, including providing external training in how to chair meetings. Richard Jones, who chairs the Shared Lives Plus Board of Trustees will also co-chair the Your Voice forum for the first year, for additional support and guidance.

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

The forum meets once a quarter, for two hours - but the chair will need to be available for some planning time before each forum and some de-briefing afterwards. They may also be needed between forum meetings to liaise with carers, answer questions, give and receive feedback, and work with the Shared Lives Plus team to set the agenda and topics for future meetings.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Acting as trustee. The chair of the forum will also sit on the Shared Lives Plus Board of Trustees to ensure the carer voice is heard across the organisation, including at Board level.

Trustees are required to attend four Shared Lives Plus board meetings a year, and there is an expectation that trustees will provide some support to the wider organisation, especially the Senior Team – based on their experience and knowledge. More information about trustee eligibility and responsibilities is available on the website.

Stage 2 - Meet with the board: Candidates will be invited to a short session with the Board of Trustees in September, to find out more about that element of the role.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

Stage 3 - Hustings: Candidates will be asked to write a personal statement and invited to speak at the Your Voice meeting in November, to help members make an informed choice about who they want to elect.

Key facts:

Stage 4 - Voting: Carer members will vote for their preferred candidates in November with the results announced in early December

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

Stage 5 - New chair takes up position: We hope that the new chair will feel ready to co-chair their first meeting at the January 2023 Your Voice forum, although the option to shadow Richard for this first meeting is available.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

All forum and board meetings currently take place online, and we expect this to be the case from now on.

Search keywords:

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

'becoming a trustee', 'Your Voice chair elections'

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

Cost of living increases

Across the country we are seeing the impact of the high cost of living. Pay and benefits for people living and working in Shared Lives aren’t keeping up with the rate of inflation, and we know that this is putting a huge strain on Shared Lives households.

Shared Lives Plus have been talking to schemes about this worrying issue, and many of them are looking at how they can help to ensure all Shared Lives carers receive fair and reasonable payment for food and utilities.

The average weekly food and utilities contribution made to Shared Lives carers across the UK, from the person they support, is £68 per week - but the individual amounts vary considerably from scheme to scheme, from £25 to £90.

However, a scheme’s ability to increase the contributions from someone supported in Shared Lives depends on a number of factors, some of which are beyond the scheme's control. This includes the level of benefits an individual receives, which can be lower than amount that DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) says should cover the cost of food and utilities.

From April 2022 DWP has determined the weekly cost of three meals a day plus utilities for one person of working age to be £55.30 - an increase of just under £2 per week since last year. This can be split into an amount for fuel and an amount for food.

The amount for fuel covers

The amount for food depends on how many meals per day a person is paying for. Three

* The government has acknowledged that these figures are based on the rate of inflation in October 2021, not the rate of inflation in April 2022.

We have raised this issue with DHSC (Department of Health and Social Care) and stressed how important it is that DWP understand the Shared Lives model, and how it differs on an individual basis from other forms of social care. We hope DHSC will continue to work with us and facilitate discussions with DWP.

Cost of living increases

Campaigning on Qualifying Care Relief

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Shared Lives Plus will continue to work on this as it is a significant ongoing issue for many Shared Lives carers. We have created a document that schemes can use to start conversations with commissioners and contract managers, and we will be joining forces with the Low Income Tax Reform Group as part of a wider campaign.

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

Over 100 Shared Lives carers took part in our recent survey about Qualifying Care Relief (QCR) which was organised in response to a request from some members for Shared Lives Plus to campaign for an increase to the amount of relief.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

You might remember from our bulletins that Shared Lives Plus have been talking to the Low Income Tax Reform Group about the possibility of a joint campaign. They were open to these conversations, but having recently campaigned to government on a pension issue for foster carers they would urge caution.

Key facts:

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

Their recent foster carer campaign was around tax relief arrangements, the Low Income Tax Reform Group recommended levelling up to move away from a two-tier system and to ensure all foster carers benefited from relief at source rather than a net pay arrangement. The Treasury listened but issued a call for evidence and suggested other possible solutions, one of which was to level down, moving everybody onto a net pay arrangement.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

Ultimately this levelling down didn’t happen, but the process highlighted that when considering any change to QCR, the government would likely look at a range of possible options, including those to reduce or remove it.

The results from our survey showed that a high proportion of Shared Lives carers who receive QCR objected strongly to any campaigning on this issue, as they did not want to run the risk of DWP reducing their existing tax relief.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

We have listened to this feedback and Shared Lives Plus won’t campaign for an increase in QCR, but will instead focus our resources on campaigns with more chance of success and greater support from our members.

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!

Householder - London

Qualifying Care Relief

Qualifying Care Relief (QCR) is what is known as a ‘beneficial tax arrangement’, available to people who provide Shared Lives care. QCR makes it easier to work out your profits, as well as making financial record keeping simpler.

With QCR, if your Shared Lives income in a tax year (known as your ‘total receipts’) is less than the qualifying amount, your profits from your Shared Lives work would be zero for

What counts as total receipts?

Your payments for care must come from your Shared Lives scheme, even if the person you support is self-funding. If the person you support pays you directly for care, you can not make use of QCR for any of your Shared Lives income. The only exception to this rule is for people who pay for some of their own care as part of local Fairer Charging arrangements.

Some schemes include a pro rata payment to Shared Lives carers to cover respite/short breaks, with the expectation that the Shared Lives carer will use that money to pay another carer for respite/short breaks care. These payments would not be eligible for Qualifying Care Relief for either the main or respite carer, and you would need to account for them separately when completing your self-assessment tax return.

that year – meaning you wouldn’t have to pay any Income Tax or Class 4 National Insurance contributions on your Shared Lives income.

QCR is available to Shared lives carers who are paid to provide care through a registered Shared Lives scheme, whether they provide long term care, short breaks, day support - or a combination of these Shared Lives arrangements.

Your total receipts are made up of payments for:

Care Rent Board and lodgings

Any additional expenses, e.g. for petrol or mileage

In addition, in our guidance (‘The employment status of Shared Lives carers’), we highlight the risk that when an individual, or another Shared Lives carer, directly pays a Shared Lives carer for support, the arrangement may constitute an employer/employee relationship. This would not be consistent with the Shared Lives model. Both HMRC and Shared Lives Plus agree that the payment for care should always be made in its entirety by the Shared Lives scheme.

Shared Lives schemes which currently allow payments directly from individuals to Shared Lives carers for care, or from carers to carer, should stop doing this and ensure all payments are made via the Shared Lives scheme. Any charges to the person in Shared Lives for care, by the scheme or the council, are separate and should be collected by the scheme or the council.

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

How much is the qualifying amount?

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Example 1 – full financial year:

Susan Jones is a Shared Lives carer for Tony and Mike who have lived with her for the full financial year. Susan’s qualifying amount would be:

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

fixed amount: £10,000

The qualifying amount is made up of:

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

A fixed amount for each household of up to £10,000 a year

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

£250.00 per person supported, per week, for up to 3 people

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

Example 2 – partial financial

year:

If Tony and Mike had only been living with Susan for 6 months, her figures for QCR would look like this:

fixed amount: £5,000 (50% of the full fixed amount) +

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

weekly amount: £26,000 (£250 x 2 x 52)

= qualifying amount: £36,000

Susan’s ‘total receipts’ from Shared Lives income in this financial year are £33,800.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Since Susan’s total receipts (£33,800) are less than her qualifying amount (£36,000), she would not be liable for any NIC Class 4 contributions, or to pay any tax on her Shared Lives income.

Key facts:

weekly amount: £13,000 (£250 x 2 x 26) =

qualifying amount: £18,000

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

Susan’s ‘total receipts’ from Shared Lives income in this financial year are £16,900.

Susan’s total receipts (£16,900) are still less than her qualifying amount (£18,000), so she would still not be liable for any NIC Class 4 contributions, or to pay any tax on her Shared Lives income.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

If you would like advice on Qualifying Care Relief or any other tax matters, you can call the ARAG (Law Express) Tax Helpline on 0330 303 1876.

Search keywords:

'Qualifying Care Relief' ,

'Shared Lives and self-employment'

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

Ask your carer support team

Question:

The person I support has a Motability car, can I use it as our general family car, if I use it for their needs as well? Can they get a bigger car to fit the whole household? And who should pay for petrol?

Answer:

The Motability scheme helps people who receive a higher rate mobility allowance be more independent by leasing a car, scooter, powered wheelchair, or Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.

The person with the lease doesn’t have to be able to drive the car themselves, nor do they have to be in the car for every journey, however the car must only be used for their benefit and should not be used as a general family car.

Examples:

Yes

No

- Driving the person you support to the local sports centre

- Driving yourself or someone else to the gym without the person you support

and servicing, and insurance for up to three named drivers. However, this coverage only applies when the car is being driven for the benefit of the person you support.

Since the person you support is the person who benefits from the car, it’s reasonable to expect them to pay for the petrol in the vehicle. However, if you, your family members, or other supported people, are sharing the benefit from the car during some journeys, petrol costs for those journeys could also be shared between members of the household.

For example, it’s reasonable to expect the person you support to pay for the petrol if you are driving them to an appointment, but for a household outing to the theatre, it would be reasonable to expect the rest of the household to contribute towards the fuel costs.

Yes

- Going to the supermarket to do the weekly shop, even if you are on your own

No

- Going clothes shopping for yourself without the person you support

Motability leases cover the cost of breakdown cover, maintenance

The person you support may choose to lease a car that costs more than their mobility allowance, and any additional payment would normally be their financial responsibility. However, if they need to lease a more expensive vehicle to accommodate other members of your household, you could be expected to pay any difference in cost involved.

Search keywords: 'Motability', 'insurance', 'mileage'

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

Question:

I hear a lot about the Shared Lives Plus guidance documents. Where are they and why doesn’t my scheme follow them exactly?

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

Answer:

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

The Shared Lives Plus guidance is a suite of nearly 300 documents, written to support Shared Lives schemes. Access to the guidance is a membership benefit and the documents can be found in the Members Only area of the website.

To complement the guidance, we also have a comprehensive range of Shared Lives specific learning materials.

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

The guidance focuses on essential scheme activity such as selection, training, approval panels and matching. It is not an exhaustive or static document, and there are sections that sometimes need adapting for local circumstances, policies, or procedures. Where relevant we highlight differences in regulations and standards across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, and we keep the guidance under review so we can update or provide new guidance as required.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Importantly, none of the guidance documents are policies. As a membership body and independent charity, we do not have (and would not want) the power to enforce policies on our members. However, we do want to guide, inform, and support schemes by providing access to a consistently high-quality standard of practice, while continuing to meet all regulatory requirements throughout the UK.

Shared Lives schemes are run by local authorities, health trusts, or independent organisations (profit making or non-profit making) and are regulated by the relevant social care inspectorate in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland. Each Shared Lives scheme has a manager with overall responsibility for the quality and safety of care and support of all Shared Lives arrangements within their scheme. This scheme manager has legal accountability for the final decision on approval (and continuing approval) of Shared Lives carers.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

Key facts:

The guidance and learning materials provide a framework for schemes if they choose to use them. The guidance is supported by regulators in all four nations, but it is not a legal requirement for schemes to use it.

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

We encourage and support all Shared Lives schemes to use our guidance as the best practice model to ensure they cover all aspects of running a good scheme. Schemes are free to choose to adopt or adapt Shared Lives Plus guidance, or to show their compliance with regulations and standards, and best practice in a different way.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

While the guidance is predominantly written for schemes, so they can provide quality information and support to their carers, there are sections of the guidance which are directly relevant for Shared Lives carers. These documents are available to carer members as the ‘carer handbook’.

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

Search keywords: 'guidance', 'carer handbook', 'regulation of Shared Lives'

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

Shared Lives Plus annual conference

Wednesday 12th and Thursday 13th October 2022

Join us for the only national learning event for people involved in Shared Lives and Homeshare.

We will learn from each other and expert facilitators, hear from national leaders, and celebrate Shared Lives and Homeshare. This year’s theme is 'Change and Growth'.

Where: Online

Relevant for:

Shared Lives carers, Shared Lives scheme workers, Homeshare network members, and people developing or commissioning Shared Lives and Homeshare

What’s on:

In addition to keynote speakers, we will have a varied selection of workshops on offer (please let us know if there anything you would like to see covered in a workshop)

Shared Lives Plus carer member ticket offer:

Holding the conference online means we can keep costs down, and pass on some of those savings to our members.

Tickets for Shared Lives Plus carer members are just £5.00 for the whole two-day conference.

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

How was last year’s conference? It was great!

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

"It was great to see all the different approaches and to network with other people."

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

"It was a very positive and uplifting conference that really did show off the best of Shared Lives."

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

"Very well organised, great content. Thank you enjoyed both days especially the meditations."

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

"The two days were fab, learnt some valuable information. The Ambassadors were great, loved it!"

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

"Was great that some many people were able to attend virtually, it enabled my whole team to attend rather than just one or two of us attending. Some very interesting topics covered overall was an enjoyable and useful conference."

Key facts:

Conference programme

Wednesday 12th October 2022

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

Thursday 13th October 2022

AM Networking, Keynote speeches, Q&A session

Networking, Workshops

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

PM Mindfulness, Workshops, AGM Mindfulness, Shared Lives Award Ceremony

Full details of tickets and booking are available on the website.

Search keywords: 'conference 2022'

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

It’s been a busy time in my household. I've recently started supporting someone new in Shared Lives, which is exciting, and I’m really looking forward to helping him to live his best life. Also, one of my dogs has had three adorable puppies, who are just about to head to their new homes - which is fortunate for me, as they are eating and chewing everything in sight.

I’m glad that we’re finally getting some nice weather, not least because I have been given the once in a lifetime opportunity to represent Shared Lives Plus at a Royal Garden Party in May. I’m looking forward to meeting up with the other carers who are going and supporting them throughout the day. I'm sure there will be lots of photos taken and a big write up in the next issue of Sharing.

I know things in our little world are tough with the increase in prices and energy costs and Helen and I have spoken to many carers who are worried about how they are going to manage. Shared Lives Plus are working with schemes and commissioners to improve our working conditions and terms and as your champions we speak up for you with a positive approach when dealing with all parties concerned. If you are worried about your finances, or anything else, we’re here to help – please get in touch.

As always, Steve and I have been busy supporting our fellow Shared Lives carers, with regular calls and communication. It’s been great to see a real uptick in the number of carers applying for the Blue Light Card membershipwho doesn’t love a discount?!

Unfortunately, like many other households, we were struck by Covid-19 recently, which meant I was absent from work for a while, and our Easter plans were cancelled. But, as I sit and write this, the sun is shining and I’m looking ahead to better days. I am very much looking forward to meeting some of our carers during Shared Lives Week in June. It is exciting to know that finally after two years, we will hopefully all be able to meet in person.

For support or advice, call the Shared Lives Plus carer helpline on 0151 227 3499

Helen Piscioneri

Steve Collis

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

When did you first hear about Shared Lives?

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

I heard about Shared Lives from a few colleagues when I first started working in social work, but I didn’t really know what it was, and I think many of us don’t. We understand fostering, but I hadn’t really understood what the Shared Lives scheme was about. Then, when I was approached about a locum role in the scheme, I did a bit of research and found out more about it.

What is it like being a social worker and a Shared Lives carer?

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

I’ve got my carer hat on in this role, but obviously I’m still a social worker too, and you’ll always have that hat, underneath the other hat. It does bring benefits, because as a social worker I’m used to working within these systems, so I’ve got a lot of knowledge about what’s available and  how to access things.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Thankfully, because I've got a good rapport with my own social worker in Shared Lives, and with the rest of the team, if anything happens which sets off certain social worker alarm bells for me, I can give them a call and say “Hi, I'm thinking this, what about that?” or, ”this has happened, can we run through it?” And then the social work baton gets passed on so I can get back to the carer role.

When did you first consider becoming a Shared Lives carer?

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

In some ways I’ve been a bit like a Shared Lives carer for quite a long time, because I’ve been supporting my godson for about 12 years now. He doesn’t live with me, but he’s very much part of the family unit. Then when I was working with the scheme in Medway we were talking about finding a carer for a possible referral and I thought, “well I’d like to do it”, and it all went from there.

Key facts:

That first referral didn’t end up happening, which is sometimes how things go, but shortly after I was approached to support someone else. I initially went to panel as a short breaks carer, since the young lady was originally only going to be with me for a few weeks. But that was back at the start of the pandemic, so she ended up staying with me for about nine months in the end.

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

That was a very unusual time, and it was quite difficult to navigate. I actually ended up taking a year off from being a social worker, so I could be there for my godson and the person I was supporting in Shared Lives, so I could keep us all safe.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

The householder and homesharer

Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service

homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

Carer profile: Lana Harber

Photo: Lana with K who she supports, and her godson B

Lana Harber is a Shared Lives carer with Medway scheme in Kent, and a senior social worker, working in palliative care.

Stacey Dooley meets Holly and Geoffrey

Sharing magazine catches up with Holly and Geoffrey, who were featured on Stacey Dooley’s Fresh starts podcast earlier this year.

Stacey met the couple as they were preparing to move into their own specially renovated space within their Shared Lives carers Marlene and John's house, after being separated at the beginning of the pandemic.

Holly described how difficult it was being apart from Geoffrey since they were already engaged with plans to move in together. “When Covid started it was really, really, tough because basically me and Geoffrey were alone a lot of the time. And I found it really hard. I struggled a little bit, because I get very anxious if I’m on my own for so long.”

Marlene explained how the flexibility of the Shared Lives model worked to their advantage: "Geoffrey came to us in the first lockdown. We didn't realize it was going to go on quite as long as it did, but we felt from the mental health point of view keeping them separate for such a long time would not be good. So, I spoke to his carer, and we decided that the best thing was for him to come here. He was going to come here eventually once we got downstairs done, but it just made it a bit quicker. And it was a good job we did because it would have been too long for them to be apart. It would have been horrible for them."

As far as Holly and Geoffrey were concerned, they'd missed out on too much time already.

They’d first met at school but had since lost touch - until they were reunited at a Shared Lives disco four years ago. There was an instant connection as they danced with each other, there was just one snag - Geoffrey was going with out with somebody else at the time.

As Holly put it "seeing Geoffrey made me feel great inside because I've always had feelings for him ever since I met him. And when I heard that he had a partner I was devastated. But a week later when I heard they split up I was delighted. I asked him out and he said he'll think about it - and then half an hour later he said yes to me."

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

One year after the disco reunion it was Holly's turn to say yes, when Geoffrey took her out for a meal, got down on one knee and showed her the sapphire engagement ring he hoped she would accept.

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

Geoffrey said it was one of the best days of his life, for sure. “I got down on one knee in the restaurant. And the good thing with her ring is it's actually her birthstone as well."

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Intimate relationships can be a sensitive subject within Shared Lives. But for Marlene and John, the question of whether Holly and Geoffrey should have their independence and privacy was never in doubt. “Everybody else does, and they're no different to anybody else. These two are so kind and so thoughtful. Why shouldn't they, of all people, why shouldn’t they?”

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

Geoffrey told Stacey how people used to tell him that he wouldn't be able to have this kind of romantic relationship. But that his mum used to say that the people who thought that were ‘a bit of a bore’.

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

The new living arrangements are a stepping stone to even more independence. As well as living together in Marlene and John's house, Holly and Geoffrey will be newly responsible for all their own cooking and cleaning.

As Geoffrey says. "Independence to me is being able to do things on your own and learning new skills. Which is important for later on in life when it's just me and Holly".

Holly agrees. “One day we're going to be all on our own and that will give us a huge amount of independence and I think that's important.

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

Having more privacy is lovely, and having that feels more like freedom. And that's really nice because when I was younger, I was worried about being alone. But now my independence is growing and my confidence is getting there. It's not nice to be lonely, but I feel a lot luckier than I've ever been.”

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

So how have things been since they were interviewed by Stacey Dooley?

Holly and Geoffrey have a busy weekly routine these days which includes going to workshops, volunteering, and visiting family. As for having their own private space Holly says "it's lovely. We've got a lovely settee, and some tables. We've got band posters on our walls and shelves full of our things."

Key facts:

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

Thursdays are their day for just being together and doing jobs around the house - "when I'm tidying, I like to listen to a bit of Status Quo or Green Day" says Holly.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

Most of their friends and family have now listened to the podcast and the couple say they have had nothing but good wishes and support, with everyone being very happy for them.

The householder and homesharer

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”

Householder - London

Useful phone numbers

Who are householders? Who are homesharers?

Membership enquiries:

Shared Lives Plus Office 0151 227 3499 info@sharedlivesplus .org.uk

UK Tax Return Service:

NB There is a charge for this service

Often older people or people who need informal support to continue living in their own home.

Shared Lives Plus carer helpline:  0151 227 3499

Intellect Business Services: Jane Barrett 0121 794 2289 currently £160 inc. VAT.

They may have support needs or may have become isolated or anxious about living alone.

A message will be taken and one of the carer support team will call you back

A person that enjoys passing on their skills and experience to enrich the lives of those that Homeshare with them.

BWM Accountants: Sue Stephens 0151 236 1494 currently £175 + VAT

For legal expenses enquiries 0330 303 1876

Typically, younger people – creating an intergenerational match.

To make a claim on your legal expenses cover: ARAG 0117 917 1698

Professional students looking for an alternative to halls or student housing.

Insurance:

Towergate main line 0113 236 8603

Key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work.

Mortgage advice:

Mortgage Brain: Katie/Marcus 0800 987 1700

Benefit advice:

Jackson Lees 0151 541 0240

Legal advice:  General telephone legal advice on any legal matter, including de-approval

Make a match to enable an older person to live longer at home

Each Homeshare match is bespoke and agreed on a case-by-case basis. Your local Homeshare provider can make a unique match between the person you’ve got in mind, and a homesharer who has the right interests and skills to support them.

Jackson Lees 0151 541 0240 where you will be put through to the relevant department

Once a match is made, you will have peace of mind that the person you’re supporting has the best support possible for them as an individual.

Find out more

A person that is happy to give their time to support the needs of older people.

Public liability queries: Craig Pinches 07515 629473

For Household/Travel/ Motor Insurance:

Christine Howard 0113 236 8603

Christine.Howard@ towergate.co.uk

Key facts:

No personal care is involved, only practical support and companionship is provided.

All Homeshare participants are vetted, and matches are based on interests, lifestyle and hobbies. The Homeshare is supported and carefully monitored by a local Homeshare organisation.

To find out more about anything in this issue, search on sharedlivesplus.org.uk using the suggested search keywords

Search keywords: Sharing 37

www.sharedlivesplus.org.uk

info@sharedlivesplus.org.uk

Homesharing is not a rental service, so a homesharer doesn’t pay rent.

Householder - London

Reg Charity number (England and Wales) 1095562 Company number 4511426 Reg Charity No (Scotland) SC042743

The householder and homesharer both pay a fee to their local Homeshare organisation to cover the costs of their ongoing service and monitoring support. The homesharer will contribute to the householder towards utility bills.

“ It’s given me a new perspective on life and even though I hate to admit it I do need a bit of extra help round the house – I’m not getting any younger!”