Shared Care for Adults (Homeshare)

Shared Care offers short term care to adults who are unable to live on their own (without a full-time carer) and the people who care for them. The care can vary in length from a few hours up to a maximum of two weeks at a time and is provided by people approved by Community Services - Adults to be shared carers.

Shared carers are supported by a social worker who aims to make sure all arrangements run smoothly.

How shared care could work for you

If your assessed needs include shared care, you will be linked with a shared carer who can offer planned, flexible support either by:

• welcoming the person with a learning disability into their home for a day, an occasional week-end or a longer stay or
• going out with them on day trips, visits and leisure activities or
• sitting with the person in their own home to enable the main carer(s) to go out

What it might it cost?

If you receive overnight stays you will be charged for the shared care provided. There is a financial assessment to work out how much you will have to pay for any activities arranged during the care break. The shared carer receives a small payment for providing the care which varies according to the amount of time involved.

Who are shared carers?

Shared carers can be people from a variety of backgrounds who have an interest in supporting people who have a learning disability.

Shared Carers might be single, married, or living with a partner: with or without children.

Community Services recruits and supports Shared Carers by -

• carefully assessing their suitability, making police and health checks and taking up personal references
• providing training on a variety of topics including disability awareness and health and safety issues
• keeping in regular contact by telephone calls, home visits and through newsletters

More about Shared Care

If you think you need the support shared care can offer contact Community Services, using the details above. A social worker will arrange to visit you to talk about your situation and make an assessment of your needs. Your carers' needs will also be taken into account.

If shared care can meet your assessed needs and the eligibility criteria, you will be introduced to a suitable Shared Carer, subject to availability.

You will then be given the opportunity to get to know each other at a pace that suits all those involved.

The social worker will arrange regular reviews of the Shared Care to make sure the service meets your needs.

Service Providers and Partners

The initial contact for people in Hackney wanting to use shared care services are Community Services Access team. The shared care project is provided through our Homeshare Daycare Scheme to people over 65.

• Anika Patrice Project
• Bikur Cholim D'Satmar
• Chizuk
• City and Hackney Mind
• Hackney Carers Centre (short breaks)
• Hackney Chinese Community Services
• Hackney Sickle Cell Association
• Hackney Independent Living Team (HILT)
• International Somali Community Trust (ISCOM)
• Jewish Care
• KUSH
• North London Chevat Bikur Cholim (Carers Grant)
• TLC Specialist Care Services (carers' grant)
• Turkish Cypriot Community Centre (carers' grant)
• Yad Voezer (carers' grant)

Referrals and accessing the service

We provide shared care services through the Community Services Access team.

Online form: Shared care for adults enquiry form

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Page updated: 24 Jul 2008