Hampshire Shared Lives Scheme Policy and Procedure 8
Shared Lives Guidance
Family, Friends, Culture and Community
People in Shared Lives arrangements have the opportunity to live an ordinary life in their
community. This includes being able to maintain and develop personal and family
relationships, pursue their own cultural and religious customs and be active members of
their local community in ways that they wish.
How will this happen?
Before starting any Shared Lives arrangements Shared Lives Carers receive general
information and training about people’s rights and how to support people in their daily lives.
Shared Lives Carers will also be given information about the person’s particular needs and
wishes and a copy of their Service User Plan. This will tell them about existing relevant
friendships and relationships , whether any support is required to maintain or develop them
and, if so, how this should be provided. For example this could be support with:




Making or receiving phone calls
Remembering or making arrangements for meeting up with someone
Remembering birthdays and/or shopping for cards or presents
Attending social and/or cultural and/or religious events
Friends and relatives will normally be welcome to telephone and/or visit and a Shared Lives
Carer will respect choices and privacy in relation to these contacts but, as happens with
most families, everyone will also be expected to act reasonably and with consideration for
other people in the household. (There may be information about house rules and individual
responsibilities in the Placement Agreement and/or the individual Service User Guide.)
If there are particular people whom the person does not wish to see or have contact with,
then the Shared Lives Carer will support informed choices.
In Shared Lives a person will be able to continue to live life in keeping with their own
cultural and religious customs. The following areas will be covered when we are
considering these particular needs and preferences in order to match with Shared Lives
Carers who can support appropriately:









June 2014
Communication
Food and drink, including preparation and other dietary or fasting needs
Personal care
Clothing
Daily routines
Opportunities for worship
Important rituals and festivals
Contacts within the communities
Whether support is needed from someone of the same sex (regardless of
personal care or not)
Hampshire Shared Lives Scheme Policy and Procedure 8
Cultural and religious customs will be respected and responded to by:



Making sure we understand the issues, including having access to guidance from
family or other members of the same or similar cultural or faith community when
necessary
Making sure that Shared Lives Carers are properly informed about these
Including information about customs and beliefs and preferences in the Service
User Plan, and about how the Shared Lives Carers will support these.
The service will recognise a person’s right to lead the kind of life they want. This includes
having the same opportunities to join in local, social and community activities as anyone
else in the community, to take part in valued and fulfilling activities (including paid
employment) and to develop new skills and/or continue with education or training.
Shared Lives Carers will also be given information about any particular needs and wishes
and a copy of the Service User Plan. This will tell them about any existing relevant
interests, activities and relationships, as well as any hopes and wishes for the future. If
support is required to maintain or develop any of these, the service User Plan will explain
how this is to be achieved. For example Carers might provide support with:










June 2014
Including the person in activities and events that they take part in themselves
Finding out about people or groups in the community that have similar interests
Making contact with those people or groups
Trying new activities
Remembering or making arrangements for meeting up with people or groups
Attending educational and/or social and/or cultural and/or religious events
Being politically active and voting
Getting or keeping a job
Enabling the development of new skills and/or practising them at home or
elsewhere
Pursuing a person’s rights with people or organisations that harass or
discriminate.