Making an active impact through Shared Lives

Role: Shared Lives Worker

Service: Shared Lives

Focus: Health improvement, wellbeing, independence, and community inclusion

Background

As part of my role within the Shared Lives Service, I provide regular monitoring, support, and guidance to individuals and their carers to ensure arrangements are safe, effective, and person-centred. This includes quarterly monitoring meetings, ongoing communication, and proactive problem-solving to improve outcomes.

One individual I support has several complex health needs, including 16p11.2 microdeletion syndrome, a genetic condition linked to learning disability, increased appetite, insulin processing difficulties, and a higher risk of obesity. They also have sleep apnoea, which places them at increased risk of poor sleep quality, fatigue, and longer-term health complications. Weight management and physical activity are therefore crucial in supporting their overall health and wellbeing.

Identifying the need for change

Historically, our monitoring meetings were conducted in cafés or at home, often over tea or coffee. While these sessions were valuable for conversation and emotional support, they were largely sedentary. Given the individual’s health profile and the importance of encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, I felt there was an opportunity to adopt a more active and wellbeing-focused approach.

I suggested that instead of meeting in cafés, we go for a walk while having our check-in conversations.

This aimed to:

• Increase physical activity in a manageable and enjoyable way

• Promote healthier routines

• Support positive mental wellbeing

• Encourage motivation and engagement

  
  

Implementing the change

We began holding walking meetings around local green spaces, including Ogden Water and Manor Heath Park. These settings provided safe, accessible, and pleasant environments, which helped create relaxed, open conversations while being active.

These walking meetings quickly became something we both looked forward to. The individual engaged well, enjoying both the physical activity and the opportunity to talk in a less formal setting. This also aligned well with their daily step-count competition with their Shared Lives carer, further motivating them to remain active and engaged.

Accessing improved support through Direct Payments

The individual attends a day service four days per week. On the remaining day, they previously received 1:1 support from a care provider. However, there were ongoing challenges in both delivery and achieving meaningful outcomes.

Working closely with the Shared Lives carer, I supported the individual to explore Direct Payments as an alternative approach. This enabled them to access three personal training sessions per week at their local gym, tailored to their individual needs and abilities.

This provision has now been in place for two years and has been highly successful. The individual:

• Engages positively with structured exercise

• Has built strong social connections with other gym users

• Looks forward to sessions and demonstrates increased motivation

• Has established a consistent and healthy routine

Outcomes and impact

The individual still finds healthy food choices challenging at times, but they are supported every day by their Shared Lives carer, alongside guidance from the Learning Disability Nursing Team. Through small, consistent changes, from our regular walking catch-ups and daily step challenges to their ongoing commitment to gym sessions, physical activity has gradually become a normal and enjoyable part of their routine.

Over time, these changes have made a real difference. They have lost weight and are sleeping better, which is helping to reduce the risks linked to their sleep apnoea. Just as importantly, they have grown in confidence and independence, building positive relationships with people at the gym and taking pride in their progress. Their motivation has increased, their mood has improved, and overall, they appear happier, healthier, and more engaged in daily life.

Reflection

This experience demonstrates the value of flexible, creative, and person-centred working within Shared Lives. By making small but meaningful changes to routine interactions and by supporting access to tailored support through Direct Payments, it has been possible to achieve sustainable improvements in health, wellbeing, and quality of life.

This case highlights how collaborative working between professionals, carers, and individuals can lead to positive long-term change and demonstrates the powerful impact of enabling people to take active roles in their own health journeys.