Community / New care support service making progress
A NEW adult social care support service in Shetland is moving to its start-up phase.
Shetland Shared Lives is a service run by Shetland Community Connections, which offers creative and personal support to individuals.
The charity previously secured three year funding to launch the new service, and it is now on the look-out for possible support carers.
Shetland Community Connections chair Catriona Waddington said: “I am enormously proud of what Shetland Community Connections has achieved in line with our vision of ‘the freedom to be ordinary’.
“Shared Lives is an exciting new step for us, developing new and different forms of support.”
The unique aspect of the project is ‘matched support\ which is based within the Shared Lives support carer’s own home.
The support carer and the individual take time to get to know each other before agreeing to work together.
Shared Lives places the individual in control of who they want to have in their lives, who they want to support them on a one to one basis.
There is no time limit on this arrangement enabling the establishment of lasting, caring relationships.
General manager Karen Hannay said: “This is a natural progression for Shetland Community Connections, as our role is helping connect people with a community and this is a new way in Shetland for us to match people who need support with people who can build a caring relationship to help make new community connections.”
By using the Shared Lives support carer’s own home there is the potential to offer community based one to one support in many different parts of Shetland.
The Shared Lives support carers are self-employed and there is said to be a “robust” application process which the team support.
This provides the necessary safeguarding which is overseen by the Care Inspectorate.
There is no requirement for support carers to have set qualifications, however there is a strong element of ongoing support and training provided by the Shared Lives manager.
Shetland Shared Lives is now the sixteenth such scheme in Scotland.
Jane Haswell, who has worked for many years within health and social care is the new registered manager employed by Shetland Community Connections.
“Shared lives Support Carers have the ultimate reward of developing a close working relationship and seeing the person develop,” she said.
“It is incredibly rewarding to see improved confidence and connections. It puts the relationships first and foremost. A shared life is a better life for all involved.”
Shetland Shared Lives is starting to have informal chats with people who are interested in this work opportunity.
Haswell added: “If you are reading this and thinking you want to know more, please do get in touch for further details and an informal chat.”
She can be contacted via jane.haswell@shetland.org or 01595 745093.
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