A report providing an update on the expansion of the Shared Lives scheme to support older people, including marketing plan and vision.

The Executive Director of Children’s Services – Education, Early Help and Social Care, Brighter Futures for Children, submitted a report providing the Committee with an update on the expansion of the Shared Lives scheme to support older people, including marketing plan and vision.  A copy of the Shared Lives Plan 2021 – 2024 was appended to the report.

The report explained that Shared Lives was a national scheme that had been created as an alternative to care homes or short by 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 it was planned to expand support to older people also, either through full-time, day support, or respite placements.  The report explained the reasons for expanding the scheme to support older people, primarily as cost avoidance and to provide a preferable service to members of the public other than traditional alternatives.  The expansion required recruitment of extra carers to provide this care; a recruitment and marketing campaign had been carried out in July 2019 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 outlined in the Adult Social Care Transformation Strategy, to provide sustainable forms of care to benefit residents of the Borough.

Resolved –    That the Shared Lives Plan and continued planned expansion of the Shared Lives scheme to support Older People be noted.