Are you looking for a life-changing job you can do in your own home?
Brighton & Hove City Council’s ‘Shared Lives’ scheme is looking for more carers.
The scheme links up adults who need social care support with carers who provide support and accommodation in their own home.
Some carers do it on a full-time, others on a short-breaks or sessional basis.
Brighton’s Churchill Square Shopping Centre is supporting the Shared Lives scheme. The centre is helping to mark the national Shared Lives Week by playing host to an information stall on Wednesday 21 June from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
Members of the Shared Lives team will on hand to talk to you about the scheme and what it can offer you, and answer your questions.
Our video features Shared Lives carer Elly Sargeant and Roy, who has a disability and lives in Elly's home.
All kinds of people can be Shared Lives carers: couples or singles, with or without children, home owners or tenants.
The main things you need are a spare room and a desire to help people with extra needs to be as independent as possible in a homely environment.
An approved carer can support up to three adults at a time.
Full training and support are provided. You are paid based on the needs of each person you support. Being a Shared Lives carer can be a rewarding alternative to a ‘normal’ 9-5 job.
If you’d like to know more about the council’s Shared Lives scheme, please:
- call (01273) 295555 for a friendly chat
- email info.sharedlives@brighton-hove.gov.uk or
- visit www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/sharedlives
Elly Sargeant said: “I wanted a job that I could do living at home, not going to an office every day. When you’ve got children that’s nice.
“I think Roy gets a lot out of it. We have a lot of fun. He likes to dance, he likes to garden. He enjoys the food here, and we encourage him to be as independent as possible.
“I get a lot out of it. It’s the most rewarding thing ever. It’s not like a job – it’s just like having another member of the family who joins in with stuff.”
“If you’re thinking of becoming a Shared Lives carer, I’d say go for it! It’s wonderful. It’s a way of life.”
Roy said: “I have a very good time here. I do the garden and sometimes help out with housework.
“I read my books in the evening and watch TV and have a beer some nights. So it’s a very nice place to live.”