Friends and relationships are IMPORTANT to all of us.

• YOU have a right to friends and relationships
• Your Shared Lives' carer will help you to see your friends.
• If you want to see your family your Shared Lives' carer will help you to see the people you want to.
• Your Shared Lives' carer will share their family life with you.
• Your friends and family can come and visit you.
• Just follow the house rules.

Your Shared Lives' carer can help you to:

• Find out about people and groups you might like
• Meet new people
• Try new things
• Look for a job

You should be treated like an adult.

Your Shared Lives' carer should help you have the life you want.

They will respect your choices, and treat you like an adult.

You will have privacy if you need it.

Keeping Safe

Your Shared Lives' carer needs to know you are safe.

Sometimes, there are problems and risks with relationships.

Your Shared Lives' carer will need to know that:

• you understand the risks
• you understand what is happening
• you are happy

If your Shared Lives' carer thinks you are being bullied or abused, they will talk to the Shared Lives worker, and follow the Safeguarding rules.

They will talk to you to make sure you understand.

It is illegal for a carer or a Shared Lives' carer to have sex with someone they care for who has a learning disability.

The Shared Lives' carer will help you with your friends and relationships.

They will talk to you in a way that you understand.

The assessment will help us to understand things like:

• How you like to communicate
• What activities you like doing
• If you need help to travel
• The people in your life that are important to you
• What makes you happy
• What makes you unhappy

Sometimes your assessment of needs might be done by a social worker. If you have not had an assessment of needs we will help you to get one done.

You will have the chance to speak to someone about your assessment in case your needs have changed.

If you want, you can ask someone who knows you well to help with your assessment of needs.

When we know what your needs are, we will try to find Shared Lives' carers who can help you with your needs.

We will give you information about the Shared Lives' carer or Shared Lives' carers so that you can decide if you think living with them will be right for you.

We call this matching.

When a match has been made we will help you write a Service User Plan. The plan will say how you want to be supported and the help you will get from your Shared Lives' carers.

We will check your Service User Plan at least once a year to find out if the plan is still right for you, or if anything needs to change.

Matching is about making sure you get the Shared Lives' carer or Shared Lives' carers that are right for you

Matching is:

• Finding a Shared Lives' carer that you will get on well with
• Finding a Shared Lives' carer who can help you with the things you need
• Finding a house that suits your needs
• All of the Shared Lives' carers are properly trained

To make sure we find the right Shared Lives' carer(s) for you, we will think carefully about things like:

• The day to day help you need
• What skills the Shared Lives' carer has
• What hobbies and interests you and the Shared Lives' carer have
• Where the Shared Lives' carer's home is

If we find any Shared Lives' carers who we think would be a good match for you, we will give you information about them.

We will also give the Shared Lives' carers information about you to help make sure the match is right.

What happens next?

You will get the chance to meet up with the Shared Lives' carers. You can bring someone who knows you well along with you, or you can send someone to go to the meeting for you if you don't want to go.

• Meet the Shared Lives' carer(s) and the family or other people who live with them
• See the house and the neighbourhood
• See the bedroom (if you will be staying there)
• Have a meal there
• Stay overnight (if you plan to have short breaks or live there)
• Ask any questions
• Speak in private to other people who already use Shared Lives

If you decide to go ahead with the match you will have a trial period. This means you will have an agreed length of time to try out the Shared Lives' carer/s home

Next

You decide if you want the person to be your Shared Lives' carer. You don't have to decide straight away. The Shared Lives' carer (s) also decide if they think you would make a good match together. You should take your time. It is an important decision

What happens if I don't think the Shared Lives' carer(s) would be right for me?

It is OK if you don't think the match is right for you. We will try to find you someone else. You will be in control. We will help you to make the decision that is right for you.

What if it is an emergency and I need to find a place to stay and carers to support me right now?

Your Shared Lives worker will talk to you about this and come up with a plan.

Some things are paid for by you

• Snacks
• Cigarettes
• Clothes
• Clubs, groups and activities you want to go to.
• Holidays away from Shared Lives (you pay for the carer as well). You shouldn't pay for bills and food at home while you are away on holiday.
• Small bits of furniture and anything extra fancy

Some things you both pay for

• Drinks and meals out
• Family holidays
• The bills at home (gas, electric, water etc)

Who pays for things like wheelchairs, and medical equipment?

• Sometimes you can get money from the council or the NHS
• Sometimes you pay for them

Any questions

• Talk to your Shared Lives' carer
• Talk to your Shared Lives worker
• Make an agreement with your Shared Lives' carer about who will pay for what.