The Banya Shared Lives Scheme is an adult placement service launched in 2010. Our founders saw a vital need to provide continued care and support to young people with additional needs who were reaching the end of their fostering journey with Banya Fostering Agency.
“We believe that all individuals should have the same rights and opportunities and it is our aim to provide a service that meets the unique needs and circumstances of our service users.”
What Is Shared Lives?
Shared Lives is a community and family-based model. It gives adults with learning or physical disabilities, mental health difficulties, or other sensory needs the opportunity to live with a family in their home. The family supports them to live an enjoyable life as independently as possible.
Placements start from the age of 18 upwards, and individuals can stay with their Shared Lives families for the rest of their lives. It delivers safe, highly personalised care in a homely environment as an alternative to modern institutions or day centres.
Who Uses Shared Lives?
- Care Leavers: Young people leaving foster care who are not quite ready for independent living. Shared Lives carers support them to develop life skills at their own pace.
- Adults Rebuilding Lives: Individuals needing a safe, supportive space to rebuild their lives after domestic abuse or modern slavery.
- Parent and Child Placements: A parent requiring care who prefers to be placed alongside their own child.
- Transitional Care: People leaving hospital after treatment or getting older and needing a helping hand with daily tasks.
What Do Shared Lives Carers Do?
- Help individuals realise their full potential and make choices about their own lives.
- Provide practical help with meals, financial budgeting, and reminders about personal hygiene or medication.
- Support with accessing employment, managing a social life, navigating social media, and building friendships.
- Provide routine, confidence, and help accessing local services so they can be an active part of the community.
Types Of Shared Lives Placements
Shared Lives is offered in the form of differing levels of support. All provide people with the chance to stay in the community, being looked after in a more normal environment rather than in institutions and day centres.
Day Support
Shared Lives service user goes to the Carer’s home for support and activities which include going out and participating in community activities.
Short Breaks / Respite
A Carer shares their home with a Shared Lives individual for a few days or weeks. This can help to give the main carer a break or it may be to provide a holiday to the person needing support.
Longer-Term Care Arrangements
A person needing support lives with a carer or a family and this becomes their family home. This can also be a route to independent living.
Are you caring, flexible, and looking to make a massive difference in someone’s life from your own home? Carers come from all walks of life and varying age groups. No formal qualifications are needed; you just need good interpersonal skills, a spare room, and the time to provide support.
As a Shared Lives carer, you will work as self-employed and could earn from £400 to £650 per week, depending on the needs of the adult you look after.
Shared Lives Application & Matching Process
Becoming an approved carer usually takes between 3 to 6 months.
- Initial Enquiry: When you get in touch, a dedicated Shared Lives worker will guide you through the process over the phone.
- Home Assessment: We will visit your home for a series of assessment meetings with a Shared Lives Coordinator to check your suitability.
- References & Checks: This includes an application form, personal references, and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
- Matching: Your coordinator works closely with you to find a perfect match based on the support needs of the individual and your family profile. Culture matches are always prioritised where essential.
- Panel Approval: A final report is passed to an independent panel for the official approval decision.
Shared Lives Support & Training
- Paid Training: We provide both face-to-face and online mandatory training (including Safeguarding, First Aid, and Medication administration), plus specialist training around autism, mental health, and dementia. Carers are paid for training sessions.
- Ongoing Guidance: Your support worker will visit regularly to ensure everything is going well and conduct an annual review. You will also have 24/7 access to an out-of-hours staff member for emergencies.
- A Real Community: We hold regular social events with fully paid-for activities and refreshments, giving you and the person you support a chance to socialise with other carers and the wider Banya team.
Get In Touch
Could you provide this essential service?
Our team is ready to chat with you over the phone or email.
Call us today on 0800 989 0135, or request a call back online to start your journey.