CARING FOR SOMEONE

Shared lives carers

"I'd like to provide a home for an adult who needs care and support."

Shared lives training

You do not need any prior experience or training to apply to become a shared lives carer. If you are new to care work, we’ll support you to gain the knowledge you need to begin sharing your life.

What training you’ll undertake

As the main carer, you’ll need to gain a care certificate. If you have applied as a couple, the secondary carer also needs to undertake some training.

Some of this training will also need to be repeated every 1, 2 or 3 years (depending on the topic).

Care certificate

This provides a foundation for people working in healthcare support and social care worker roles.

To gain a care certificate, you’ll need to meet 15 care standards:

  • understand your role
  • your personal development
  • duty of care
  • equality and diversity
  • work in a person centred way
  • communication
  • privacy and dignity
  • fluids and nutrition
  • awareness of mental health, dementia and learning disabilities
  • safeguarding adults
  • safeguarding children
  • basic life support
  • health and safety
  • handling information
  • infection prevention and control.

You may not need to undertake training for all these standards as your skills and current knowledge will be taken into account.

How the training is undertaken

Your training will consist of free online learning through our custom eLearning site - ASC LeadER and practical skills development.