Shared Lives has always been about more than the tasks of meeting someone’s support needs. It’s about people belonging, relationships and community, taking place in ordinary homes, where carers and people who need support share their lives together. At its best, Shared Lives doesn’t just support someone to live well; it helps them feel they belong – to a household, a neighbourhood and a wider community
These connections and sense of belonging is what makes Shared Lives so powerful. And it’s why reflecting the diversity of the communities that Shared Lives schemes serve is central to the model’s future.
I often meet families who are looking for support that feels human. Not rushed. Not transactional. And not unfamiliar. They want care that respects their routines, values, culture and identity – care that fits naturally into everyday life. Shared Lives was created to offer exactly that.
Care that reflects people’s lives
For many people drawing on care and support – particularly older people, people living with dementia, and people from different cultural or faith backgrounds – familiarity matters. Sharing language, food, traditions or religious practices can make support feel safer and more reassuring. It helps build trust and confidence, especially at times of change.
Shared Lives is rooted in long-term relationships and is therefore well placed to offer this kind of support. When people are carefully matched with carers who understand what matters to them, support can feel personal, respectful and genuinely life-enhancing.
Laura and her husband became Shared Lives carers with Bury Shared Lives, managed by Persona, so they could continue supporting E, a young woman with Down syndrome whom they had previously fostered. Sharing the same Orthodox Jewish faith has helped E maintain her religious practices, routines and sense of identity as she moved into adulthood.
As Laura explains: “We can support her with her religion as well as her day-to-day needs.”
Reflecting on Shared Lives more broadly, she adds: “There needs to be a large pool of carers so arrangements can be well matched. With a good match, you help someone live a life that values what’s important to them and to you. It’s incredibly satisfying to watch someone grow and achieve, knowing you’re making a real difference. The rewards are endless.”
In Slough, Unazia and her family support Mohiz, a young Pakistani Muslim man who joined them through Ategi Shared Lives after foster care. Their shared cultural and religious background has helped create a familiar, supportive environment where Mohiz has flourished.
“What began as a supportive arrangement has become a deep, family-like bond,” says Unazia. “When Mohiz first joined us, he spoke only a few words and was shy. Now he’s confident, talkative, and independent.”
She describes how everyday family life has supported his development: “My husband and kids are very attached to him. They involve him in everyday activities and encourage him to learn new things.” Mohiz is now thriving at college, building friendships and excelling in English and maths.
These stories highlight what Shared Lives does so well – building support around real lives, relationships and communities.
Supporting schemes to build on success
Across the UK, Shared Lives schemes are already doing proactive work to reach different communities and welcome carers from a wide range of backgrounds. Many are recruiting scheme workers to build relationships with local faith groups, community leaders and voluntary organisations, and thinking creatively about how they share the story of Shared Lives.
With funding from the Hallmark Foundation, Shared Lives Plus has brought together this learning into a new good practice guide on recruiting Shared Lives carers from minoritised ethnic, cultural and religious communities. The aim is simple: to support schemes to build on what’s already working and share practical ideas with each other.
The guidance is grounded in real experiences from Shared Lives schemes across England and focuses on practical actions, including:
• recruitment through faith groups, local leaders and community networks
• using inclusive language and relatable imagery in marketing materials
• supporting carers through culturally competent staff and flexible training
• recruiting carers to support people and their families living with dementia, drawing on learning from the Live More with Shared Lives programme in Greater Manchester and elsewhere
It’s designed as a practical resource – something schemes can dip into and adapt to their local context. The guide also contains important lessons for people working in other social care settings.
Strengthening the model – looking ahead with confidence
Shared Lives continues to grow and evolve, supported by national and local partners who recognise its value as a relationship-based, community-rooted model of care. As our communities change, so too does the opportunity for Shared Lives to reach more people and support more families.
Reflecting diversity isn’t about changing what Shared Lives is. It’s about strengthening what already makes it special – personal relationships, choice, trust and belonging.
By supporting more people from different backgrounds to become Shared Lives carers, we can ensure that more individuals and families see Shared Lives as something that is relevant, welcoming and right for them.
A shared opportunity
Shared Lives has always been built on partnership – between carers, people drawing on support, families, schemes and communities. It’s a shared opportunity, and the new guidance is an invitation to share learning, celebrate what’s working, and continue growing together.
Because when Shared Lives reflects the communities it serves, everyone benefits. People receive support that feels right for them. Carers feel valued and supported. And Shared Lives continues to offer care that feels like home.
Recruiting Shared Lives carers from minoritised ethnic, cultural and religious communities
Shared Lives Plus has published a new good practice guide, funded by the Hallmark Foundation, bringing together practical learning from Shared Lives schemes across England. The guide shares real examples, case studies and evidence-based approaches to help schemes recruit and support carers from a wide range of backgrounds.
The guide is free to read and download at:
www.sharedlivesplus.org.uk/our-work/resources/recruiting-diverse-shared-lives-carers
