We’re friends and family, says Northampton Shared Lives carer

A carer who welcomed a young woman who needed support into her own home said they were now “best friends and family”.

Jane, from Northampton, has been helping Victoria, 26, who has a mild learning disability, as part of the Shared Lives scheme.

An adult or young person is matched with an approved carer and then lives with them.

Victoria, who moved in with Jane when she was 18, said: “I’m more settled and have a big family.”

She had been in foster care since she was 12, but said her supported living home “didn’t work out”.

She heard about Shared Lives, met Jane, then went on a few “matching dates” to see if they got on.

“It’s a bit like dating. We would go and see a film, we went horse riding… and then I moved in,” said Victoria.

“I went to college, made a lot of friends. I’m more settled and have a big family.”

She also said she and Jane had become “friends as well as a family”.

Jane said she had considered fostering and adoption, but they “never felt right”.

When she heard about Shared Lives, she knew it was what she wanted to do.

“It’s probably been the happiest seven years I’ve had as an adult.

“We’ve had a real blast together.”

She described Victoria as her “best friend and my family all rolled into one – and I didn’t expect that”.

Shared Lives, run by a charity, has been operating for 40 years. In 2024, it was extended to include young people leaving care.

Carers are paid a fee. The people they support make a contribution towards rent and housekeeping.

The charity said 10,000 people across the UK had opened their homes to become Shared Lives carers.

Project officer for Shared Lives Plus, Mary Stokes, said “We know that 33% of care leavers face homelessness in the two years of leaving care.

“Young people tell us that what they want is… someone to support them to navigate jobs, finances, employment, education and that’s what Shared Lives provides.”