Shared lives scheme for adults set up in Norfolk

Added: 07/07/2008
Category: Norfolk County Council

Shared lives a 'fostering scheme' for adults is being set up in Norfolk to enable adults with learning difficulties to live as independently as possible whilst sharing in normal family life.

The scheme can provide people with a long-term placement or a transition to supported living. It can also provide respite support for someone as a break for them and their full-time carer and long-term placements or a transition to supported living.

Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council have jointly appointed Guideposts Trust to set up and provide the scheme in the two counties and recruit adult family carers. The first placements are expected to take place in October.

The hunt is now on for Individuals or families who are able to provide care and accommodation in their own homes for people with a learning difficulty. They will usually support one person who uses the service but can provide up to a maximum of three places in their home.

They will need to have a variety of skills, experience and knowledge and may be able to support people with very complex or demanding needs. Everyone who provides a placement will have to be vetted by Guideposts Trusts, Norfolk County Council, people who use the service and parent representatives to make sure that they are suitable for the role.

Training and assessment will be provided before being put up for approval by an independent panel.

A 'matching' service is used to ensure that the families involved and the person needing a placement work well together and there is an introductory period to help settle people in.

Other adult placement schemes throughout the country show that the majority of people who use them are people with learning difficulties but that the service is also used by older people, people with mental health problems and people with physical disabilities. Norfolk's scheme is expected to follow this pattern.

Chris Mowle, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services said: "Shared lives is an excellent way of making sure that adults with learning difficulties can remain living in a family environment if they want to - whilst at the same time receiving the support they need to remain as independent as possible."