Step 1: Contact us

You can email sharedlives@camden.gov.uk or phone 020 7974 5273 for an initial conversation with our Shared Lives team.

Step 2: Home visit

Our Shared Lives team will visit you for an initial home visit. We will talk to you about the service, and discuss if it would suit both you and your household. We will give you an information pack and application form.

Step 3: The assessment

Our Shared Lives team will visit you several times to talk more about your life, home, family and community, why you want to become a carer, and the skills and experience you can offer someone. We will carry out checks on you and anyone in your household who will be a support carer. We will also ask for references from people who know you well.

Step 4: The Shared Lives Camden panel

Once the assessment is finished, your application will be presented to the Shared Lives Camden panel. The panel will be made up primarily of people independent of the service, and will decide whether or not to recommend that you should be approved as a carer. The final decision will be made by the Camden Shared Lives team. The whole application process usually takes around three to six months. We will work with you to process your application as quickly as possible, and we will keep you updated every step of the way.

Step 5: Matching and support

After you are approved as a Shared Lives Camden carer, we will match you with someone who needs support based on both your personalities, lifestyles and backgrounds. If someone comes to live with you long term, there will be a trial period to make sure you are both happy with the arrangement. You will receive ongoing training and support from our Shared Lives team.

Shared Lives Camden Shared Lives Camden is currently available to adults with learning disabilities. The service is registered with the Care Quality Commission.

If you or a family member would be interested in the service, email sharedlives@camden.gov.uk, phone 020 7974 5273, or speak to your social worker or support worker.

Our Shared Lives panel members, together with the independent chair, make sure that we are recruiting high-quality carers to the Shared Lives Scheme.

The main objective of the panel is to consider if the carer being presented would offer a safe, welcoming and nurturing environment for a person with support needs.

The Shared Lives Camden panel are also responsible for decommissioning carers if their performance is not meeting the required standard or if the carer no longer wishes to continue their caring role.

The voluntary panel members are a diverse group who are passionate about ensuring everyone in Camden is able to live healthy and independent lives.

Each panel member receives training to ensure that they have a good understanding of the service and the requirements of a Shared Lives carer.

Panel meetings are being held remotely until further notice due to COVID-19.

If you would like to find out more, email sharedlives@camden.gov.uk or phone 020 7974 5273. Our Shared Lives team will get back to you for an initial conversation.