Shared Lives - Our Scheme

We are a team of 4: Bob, our scheme manager, and three scheme workers, Charlotte, Laura, and Pippa. We are open 9 till 4, Monday to Friday. Our main office is in Barrow-in-Furness, however we have other sites throughout the county, where we meet with Carers and Service users for reviews, peer support groups and training.

Team picture

We are always recruiting Shared Lives Carers across Cumbria. We currently have a high need for respite carers. The role is very flexible, and you can work around your existing family life and commitments. You can offer as much or as little as you are able to. You will need to register as a self-employed person for tax and national insurance with HMRC and must arrange for your own Public Liability Insurance. You can contact us by phone for an informal chat, drop us an email, or message us on Facebook messenger to find out more details. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for any upcoming recruitment events or drop-in sessions.

Recruitment 1 Recruitment 2

As an inclusive scheme Shared Lives Cumbria regularly attends and organises various local community events. Previous successful events we've arranged are Halloween Gardens, Xmas Tree Fair and the Jingle Mingle. This year we have celebrated Queen Elizabeth's platinum jubilee with our own Shared Lives Garden Party in Ulverston. We also hold competitions, showcase events, and share people's success stories across our Shared Lives Facebook page.

Halloween Gardens 1 Halloween Xmas Tree Fair 1 Xmas Tree Fair 2 Xmas Tree Fair 3 Jingle Mingle

Ella (Service User)

"Having a shared lives carer is like having a second family. My carer is my "grandma" that is what I call her, and I can be part of her family. I spend time with her family and enjoy looking after younger kids, it gives me some responsibility. I go swimming with them and stay with them in the shallow end and make sure they are ok. I also get to go to the allotment and see the hens. I don't have a pet at home, but my carer has a pet dog who I love! I love having my shared lives carer and my second family."

Having dinner

Angelina (Service User)

"I couldn't be happier; I enjoy my time with Alex, and we get on really well and laugh a lot. I had my birthday and went to the cinema with Alex which I loved, and we didn't stop laughing. I haven't felt depressed since meeting Alex. I have moved house and Alex really helped me and helped me to see I have been hoarding, and that's not good for my mental health so we are going through everything and giving things to charity because they need the things more than I do. I feel really good about this. We have been on the train and Alex has taken me to different places, we are going to tackle going on public transport in the summer when it's a bit nicer."

Smiling

Peter (Shared Lives Carer) supporting Rhys

Watching your match develop with confidence, as his future moved forward… The reward for his progress is enjoyed by us both.

Peter supporting Rhys

Jackson

"I went around Mike and Brec's today, by the way. I enjoyed this Sunday, I watched football with Mike and Eddy the dog and then we had a good Sunday roast by Brec and it was one on my highlights of the day. I had a good day. I got to have dinner with Cat, Mike and Brec it was really good because it reminded me of when my brother was at the table, happy memories with my family. But the thing I like was the company at the table, I felt right at home."

Outside portrait