Sharing the Caring

What is Shared Care?

• Shared Care schemes provide a support service to disabled children and their families.
• The Shared Care worker finds local families or individuals who volunteer to have a child stay with them on a regular basis. (this could be anything from a few hours to a few days)
• This type of fostering is attractive to people who feel they are able to offer something to a child, are not available on a full time basis due to commitments, but could care for a specified short period of time.
• There is an allowance payable to cover the costs of caring for the child.

 
Who uses Shared Care?

• Families of a child with a disability
• Children who use the service may have a physical disability, a learning difficulty, sensory impairment or complex health needs.
• Shared Care gives the children a chance to make new friends and to broaden their experiences and opportunities.
• We believe that the best type of care for some of the children we are looking after is a family placement.

 

In order to meet the needs of these children, we need more families / individuals to come forward to act as Shared Care foster carers.

Who are the Support Carers?

They are ordinary people from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, with or without a partner, young or old, with or without children, from all walks of life and who live in all kinds of homes.

Are You Interested in Becoming a Support Carer?

• You may not have any particular knowledge or experience but you will need to be patient, open and understanding.
• You will be carefully checked, as well as attending a preparation course, also assessed, before being accepted as a carer.
• Ongoing support and training are given and you will be paid an allowance for your services.

 

How to find out more about your local Shared Care Service

You may ask to speak to the "Sharing the Caring" co-ordinator or request an information pack that will provide you with more details of what is involved.