Living Well at Home UKClear, practical guidance for later life
Care and support

By Does Your Duck Quack

Shared Lives schemes: living with support

Shared Lives matches an adult with an approved carer in a family home. Learn how matching, support, safeguarding and costs work across the UK.

Checked: 8 October 2026 · Next review: 8 April 2027 · Applies to: UK, with nation notes
How this guide was prepared

Purpose: how to guidance · Level: detailed

Checked by: Does Your Duck Quack. Sources are linked below; seek professional advice for individual circumstances.

The short answer

What to do first

Shared Lives matches an adult with an approved carer in a family home. Learn how matching, support, safeguarding and costs work across the UK.

Start here: Shared Lives schemes recruit, assess and support carers, then work with the person and referrer to identify a suitable match. The arrangement may be for accommodation, daytime support, short breaks or another agreed purpose. Ask the scheme what it offers locally, what needs it can meet, whether there is a suitable household and how it handles a mismatch. A referral may come from a council, social worker, health professional or the person themselves. The pathway differs by area, so ask who will coordinate the assessment and what information they need.

Visual guides

See the decision at a glance

Could Shared Lives suit?
  1. Live in a homeA person may live with an approved carer as part of a household and receive agreed support.
  2. Day supportSome schemes arrange time with a carer during the day without a move.
  3. Short breaksA local scheme may offer planned short stays or support during a transition.
Before agreeing a match
  1. 1. Meet and discussTalk about routines, preferences, communication and what support is wanted.
  2. 2. Agree boundariesWrite down privacy, visitors, money, medicines and emergency arrangements.
  3. 3. Confirm oversightAsk who regulates the scheme in your nation and how concerns are handled.
  4. 4. Plan reviewsName a contact and agree how the person can change the arrangement.

Scope of this guide

This guide helps you understand the options and questions to ask. It is not personal medical, legal or financial advice. Check the official sources for your nation and seek qualified help for high-stakes decisions.

Who this guide is for

Adults who want a family-home setting with planned support, and relatives helping them explore a Shared Lives match.

Shared Lives is a way for an adult who needs support to live or spend time in an approved carer’s home, as part of ordinary family and community life. It can offer a longer-term home, daytime support, short breaks or help during a transition, depending on the local scheme. It is different from a care home and from a worker visiting a person’s own home. The person should be involved in deciding whether the arrangement feels right, and can ask questions before agreeing.

Practical steps

1. Ask what kind of support the scheme can arrange

Shared Lives schemes recruit, assess and support carers, then work with the person and referrer to identify a suitable match. The arrangement may be for accommodation, daytime support, short breaks or another agreed purpose. Ask the scheme what it offers locally, what needs it can meet, whether there is a suitable household and how it handles a mismatch. A referral may come from a council, social worker, health professional or the person themselves. The pathway differs by area, so ask who will coordinate the assessment and what information they need.

2. Understand the matching process

A good match considers the person’s preferences, communication, routines, interests, culture, relationships, health needs and desired level of independence. The person should have opportunities to meet the carer and household, ask questions and express concerns privately. Family can contribute with permission, but the person’s views remain central. Ask how the scheme will support a gradual introduction, what happens if either side decides the match is not right, and who is available for advice once the arrangement begins.

3. Agree the support plan and boundaries

Before the arrangement starts, agree a written plan covering daily support, privacy, visitors, meals, medication support, appointments, money, emergencies and contact with family. Clarify which tasks the carer has agreed and is trained to provide, and which require a health professional or another service. Ask how the person can make choices, spend time alone, maintain relationships and raise a concern. The carer’s home is also their private home, so both sides need clear expectations about shared spaces and household routines.

4. Check oversight and safeguarding

Shared Lives carers are approved and supported through a scheme, and schemes are regulated or inspected under the relevant national system. In England the regulator is CQC; Scotland’s care services are overseen by the Care Inspectorate; Wales uses Care Inspectorate Wales; and Northern Ireland uses RQIA. Ask the scheme how it assesses and reviews carers, trains them, checks safety, handles complaints and responds to safeguarding concerns. If the scheme cannot answer a question, request the written policy and the name of the person responsible for follow-up.

5. Discuss costs, funding and what happens next

Costs depend on the type of arrangement, the person’s assessed needs and local charging rules. Ask for a written breakdown of accommodation, support, personal spending and any contribution expected from the person. If the council arranges support, request a needs assessment and financial assessment; do not assume that a family member must pay. Health needs may involve a separate NHS assessment. Clarify how benefits, rent or housing support may be affected before moving, and ask for independent benefits advice if the arrangement changes a current award.

6. Review the arrangement as needs change

Agree a named contact and a date for the first review before the person moves or begins regular visits. A review should ask the person whether they feel safe, respected and at home, and whether the support still matches their goals. Changes in health, relationships or the carer household may mean the plan needs updating. Ask how to request extra help, take a break, change the arrangement or return to another living option. Keep the person involved in those conversations and make sure they know how to contact the scheme directly.

Questions and checks

Common questions

What is a Shared Lives scheme?

It is a regulated or inspected community support arrangement in which an approved carer shares their home or daily life with an adult who needs support. The person may live there, attend during the day or have a short break, depending on the local scheme. It is not automatically a care home or a visiting-care service. Ask what type of arrangement is available and how the scheme matches people.

Can I choose or meet a Shared Lives carer first?

A matching process should give the person a chance to learn about the carer and household and, where possible, meet before deciding. The person’s routines, communication, interests and support needs should be considered. Ask for introductions to happen at a pace that feels comfortable, and ask who to contact if the person is unsure or wants to discuss concerns without the carer present.

Who pays for Shared Lives?

Funding depends on the type of arrangement and local assessment. A council may assess care and support needs and carry out a financial assessment; NHS funding may apply to some health needs. Ask for a written explanation of what the person is expected to contribute and what is included. Benefits and housing support can also be affected by a move, so get an individual benefits check before changing arrangements.

Who checks Shared Lives carers?

The local scheme recruits, assesses and supports carers, and the scheme itself is subject to national regulation or inspection. England uses CQC, Scotland the Care Inspectorate, Wales Care Inspectorate Wales and Northern Ireland RQIA. Ask how the scheme checks safety, reviews the match, handles complaints and responds to safeguarding concerns. The regulator’s role differs from the scheme’s day-to-day support role.

Before you act

Write down the outcome you want, the names and dates involved, and the evidence or documents you already have. Ask for important decisions, costs and next steps in writing. If information is unclear, ask which nation’s rules are being used and when the decision will be reviewed.

If there is a delay or disagreement

Keep a short factual record of calls, letters and missed actions. Ask for the responsible person, the written reasons, the complaints or review route and any deadline. Immediate health or safety risks should be escalated separately rather than waiting for a routine complaint.

Differences across the UK

Shared Lives operates across the UK, but scheme availability, referral pathways, charging and regulation differ locally and by nation. England uses CQC; Scotland uses the Care Inspectorate; Wales uses Care Inspectorate Wales; Northern Ireland uses RQIA. Ask the local council or scheme how adult social care assessment and funding work where the person lives.

Primary sources

The publisher checked this guide against the 7 official sources below. This is an editorial source check, not approval by a clinician, lawyer or benefits adviser.

Editorial note: By Does Your Duck Quack.