Shared Lives report highlights regional expansion work

The latest report on the work to expand the Shared Lives model of adult social care has just been published.  This has been produced by Shared Lives Plus in conjunction with the Health & Social Care Board.  The Health & Social Care Board is currently leading on a regional expansion project with the 5 Health & Social Care Trusts to grow the model within existing learning disability services but also develop new services for older people and other groups.  This has been made possible through transformation funding allocated by the Department of Health in 2018 as part of the drive to reform adult social care.  Shared Lives provides care for vulnerable adults in the homes of approved family carers in the community as an alternative to more institutional care models.  It offers day, shorts breaks and longer term care arrangements which also help vulnerable adults to build new connections in the community, combat social isolation and maintain their independence.  This unique model is still small scale in Northern Ireland and the challenge is to grow services to offer a broader range of vulnerable adults (including older people) more community based care options.  Shared Lives schemes (also known as adult placement locally) are regulated by RQIA in Northern Ireland.  The care model is also rated as one of the highest performing types of adult social care by regulators across the UK.