A report providing the Committee with an update on the expansion of the Shared Lives Scheme to support older people (65+), including a marketing plan and vision.

The Director of Adult Social Care and Health Services submitted a report providing the Committee with an update on the expansion of the Shared Lives Scheme to support older people (65+), including a marketing plan and vision.  The report was presented by Amelia Johnson, National Management Trainee.  A copy of the Equality Impact Assessment was attached to the report at Appendix 1 and a copy of an advertisement that had appeared on the back of 19 Reading buses throughout March 2019 was attached to the report at Appendix 2.

The report explained that Shared Lives was a national scheme that had been created as an alternative to care homes or short but frequent care visits.  The scheme matched someone who needed care with an approved Shared Lives carer.  The carer was paid to open up their home, shared their family and community life, and gave care and support to the person with care needs.  In Reading the Scheme currently primarily supported those with Learning Disabilities, but was being expanded to support Older People also, either through full-time, part-time, or respite placements.  The report explained that the reason for expanding the scheme was to support older people, primarily to provide a preferable service to members of the public than traditional alternatives in a cost effective way.  The expansion required recruitment of extra carers to provide care; a recruitment and marketing campaign had been carried out which had included marketing on social media, in print and on both the radio and television news.  The most significant marketing exercise had been advertisements that had been placed on the backs of Reading buses.  The expansion aligned with the strategic direction of travel that had been outlined in the Adult Social Care Transformation Strategy, which was to provide sustainable forms of care to benefit residents in the Borough.

Resolved –    That the expansion of the Shared Lives Scheme to support older people be noted.