A family who have benefited from an adult social care initiative for adults requiring extra support, has thanked the service for their support over the past two years.
Deb and Matt Beverstock, first became foster carers in 2009 to Ben, who has a learning disability, and in 2021 they became his adult carers through the Shared Lives scheme.
Shared Lives, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary during October, is a form of social care in which people, who need support to live their lives to the full, such as those with learning disabilities, are matched with compatible Shared Lives carers and families who will support them in their family and community life. Carers are paid a fixed allowance rather than an hourly rate and have access to benefits including tax discounts.
The initiative, is run by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, after previously been successfully rolled out in other areas of the country.
In many cases, the person moves in and becomes a permanent part of the carer’s household, although Shared Lives is also used as regular short breaks for unpaid family carers.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated this type of supportive adult social care as the safest and most cost-effective in the UK. Across the country, 11,880 people use Shared Lives.
Deb Beverstock has spoken about her family’s journey as foster carers and becoming Shared Lives carers, saying,
“Ben first came to us from the age of six as a foster child and has stayed with us up until the age of 18, when we heard about Shared Lives and looked at exploring this.
We supported Ben through a very unsettling time during the pandemic, and he has now transitioned from college to day support opportunities.
“The Shared Lives team has been incredibly supportive of us, and myself and my husband plus Ben have organised visits every 12 weeks to do necessary checks but they also have 24 hour support if we need anything.”
Councillor Duncan Walker, cabinet member for adult services said:
“Stories like Deb, Matt and Ben’s really bring to life what makes Shared Lives so special. They have really enhanced Ben’s life and given him the opportunity to branch and meet new people and improve his life skills.
“Shared Lives is a bespoke, person-centric service that offers plenty of support to both carers and individuals.
Shared Lives have a dedicated carer support team for all carer members with resources such as training, information, advice and one-to-one support.
There are also opportunities for carers and families to meet and speak to others who are a part of the scheme, through Shared Lives carers groups within local areas and national carer events.
For more information, please contact the Shared Lives team on: 01782 235000 or sharedlives@stoke.gov.uk
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