Our Lives Are Better When Shared
Shared Lives
Shared Lives offers an alternative and flexible type of accommodation, care and support for adults. Our Carers are individuals or couples living in the local community and are fully trained by us. People who live in a Shared Lives setting actively share in the lives and activities of host families.
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Shared Lives
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Shared Lives
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Shared Lives
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Our Stories
Meet some exceptional members of Shared Lives below.
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James’ Stories
New Directions is my full-time life – everything I do, the people I meet, the friends I have made and most importantly the independence and confidence I have now are all because of New Directions.
I live in Shared Lives, just like my good friend Thomas whose story is also told in here.
For me, Thomas and all the other people here Shared Lives is more than just a service, and I know because I have used lots of others.
The teams here make a difference, I am not the same person I was before I came here. I love going to the New Centre Stage Performing Arts Group and enjoy the drama and being entertaining for everyone. But I wasn’t like that before.
Earlier this year, I helped to put together a presentation to the National Care Forum and even got to go to the conference and to talk in front of the whole audience about our ideas. I couldn’t have done that before.
I will soon be leading the safeguarding training for people within New Directions as well as other people with complex health issues in other places, helping them to stay safe online. This is not something I would have been able to create, let alone deliver to other people, before without the support and confidence I gained being around the team.
Of all the things that I now can do thanks to all the people that have supported across the New Directions teams, one thing stands out, and that’s my voice. Not how I speak, but what I say. I am listened to by everyone at New Directions, from my Shared Lives Carer right through to Mark who runs New Directions.
I am called an Expert by Experience, but really I just give them a piece of my mind and they listen, and they act.
I hope you really listen to the messages in this Review and understand the difference the team makes, whatever the service, on me and others like me. We are all Experts by Experience, and our voice counts.
Thomas’ Stories
I just want everyone to know how independent I am now. That’s what living in Shared Lives has given me. I go swimming, go to the gym, play football, do drama productions and lots of other things. I am part of my community – and I can make my own cup of tea. I can do my washing, and put it away, but that isn’t as much fun.
So about me. I am 39 years old and have been living in Shared Lives with my carer Joe for eight years now. I used to live with my dad and brothers in the family home before, but there was lots of disagreements that could get out of hand. I am a very happy, sociable person who loves to have a laugh and a joke and loves bantering with people, I never get angry and when others do it makes me very sad and unhappy – I don’t like to be sad and unhappy!
I have trouble seeing and hearing, and have a condition called Bardet-Biedl syndrome which means I have a lot of health issues I need to deal with and I really need to work hard to stay healthy and fit.
When I do go out, I have a white stick to help me get around. This was something else Shared Lives helped me with. Joe, my carer doesn’t have to hold on to me and guide me around outside anymore and in my house I can find my way round.
I love my house and my carer Joe, he is always there for me and I love to have our little chats about different things, and especially love how we can have a laugh together we spend a lot of time laughing and joking around – I told you I do love to have a laugh and joke.
Shared Lives really helps me with this. My Shared Lives carer Joe supports me to all my medical appointments and encourages me to speak up for myself and helps me understand what is being said by the doctors. Joe has really helped me understand my condition and what I need to do to stay healthy and safe.
These things have changed my life and I am much more independent and am happy to go places and do things I don’t think I ever would have done before like swimming and going the gym, which I love. I go two times a week and have made so many friends we have a laugh and a joke when we are chilling in the sauna.
As I said, I have to work really hard to stay healthy and fit, I am a big guy but I used to be bigger.
I never really understood what healthy eating was. Joe got to know what I liked and what was good for me and since living in Shared Lives I have lost over 4 stones, my clothes fit better I have actually dropped several sizes.
I really enjoyed picking my new clothes in smaller sizes this was a great achievement for me. I loved buying my LFC tops I am a huge Liverpool football club supporter! I think without this help my health problems could have been a lot worse.
The technology Shared Lives has given me has also helped me to keep in touch with my family and friends. I love to talk to people on my mobile phone or FaceTime on my iPad.
I can do this by myself I just need a little help from Joe’s daughter Sophie to set up my assisted technology and then I’m off phoning people all by myself!
I have an Echo that I talk to and ask to put on songs I like to sing to, I love singing at the top of my voice, letting all the neighbours hear my lovely singing voice – me and the neighbours have a good laugh about my singing.
If there was one thing that showed how independent I am now it would be the NCF (National Care Forum) conference this year.
With my friends James and Glenn we created a presentation for the conference all about our experience in Shared Lives, what it means for us and what it has done for us.
Without the confidence and independence I now have, together with the technology I now use, I don’t think I ever would have been able to work with my friends to create a presentation that made such an impression.
One last thing I want to tell you is I am the happiest I have ever been and me and Joe are the A Team!
Glenn’s Stories
Glenn came to Shared Lives after the unfortunate loss of his father. He is a very creative person who loves writing and gardening. Glenn told us about how writing on his iPad helps him organise his thoughts and feelings. He also talked to us about how online safety safeguarding training helped him feel more confident when using the internet.
Payment, Support, and Training for Shared Lives Carers
Information for prospective Shared Lives carers
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01704 829514
karen.bennet@ndirections.org
Shared Lives is a CQC registered service and has a ‘GOOD’ rating.