In Homeshare, someone who needs some help to live independently in their own home is matched with someone who has a housing need and can provide a little support.
“Householders” are often older people who own or are tenants in their own home but have developed some support needs or have become isolated or anxious about living alone.
“Homesharers” are often younger people, students, or key public service workers who cannot afford housing where they work. Or they may be unable to access council housing or living in foyer accommodation.
The Homesharer provides an agreed level of help and support to the Householder whilst living in their home for a set period of time. Homeshare is not a regulated service and cannot include the provision of personal care. Homesharers are not charged rent, but usually agree to contribute to household bills and it may be agreed that other costs such as food will be shared. Homeshare is governed by an agreement carefully worded to avoid creating a contract of employment or tenancy rights.
Homeshare arrangements rely on the successful matching of people who are both willing and able to bring something of value to the arrangement. Homeshare schemes recruit and assess participants, providing DBS checks for Homesharers. The process of matching compatible participants is crucial to the success of arrangements. Schemes then provide an agreed amount of care and support to maintain matches and deal with any concerns which arise. They support participants when Homeshare arrangements come to an end.
The participants are usually charged for participating. Some schemes are entirely self-financing through charging, particularly in areas where accommodation or home support is expensive or hard to obtain. Participants who are eligible for state support for assessed social care needs may be able to use a personal budget to cover the costs of Homesharing.
What are the Benefits of Homeshare?
Homeshare can benefit people who own or rent a home, such as:
• older people who need low level support or are anxious or isolated;
• disabled people who need support to move towards or maintain independent living;
• family carers who are struggling with isolation or who juggle work and caring.
Homeshare can benefit people who lack affordable housing, such as:
• students and key public service workers on modest means;
• people who are saving towards the cost of a house or who have debt problems;
• people at the bottom of council house waiting lists or living in foyer accommodation.
Homeshare benefits communities because it:
• provides low-level and preventative support at little cost;
• tackles housing shortages and makes better use of housing stock;
• allows key public service workers to live in expensive inner city areas;
• increases community cohesion and inter-generational contact.
Outcomes for the local economy, government and NHS include:
• reduced use of services such as residential care;
• reduced risks of falls, better health and well-being for older people;
• reduced use of fire, police and ambulance services;
• increased affordability of higher education;
• reduced pressure on housing provision;
• easier recruitment to lower paid public service jobs;
What are the key factors to ensure success?
Homeshare is not a regulated service and there are no legal restrictions on which people or organisations could set up a programme. However, some of the more successful programmes are embedded within established not for profit organisations working in the field of adult services or supported housing. A Homeshare programme is more likely to be successful if a number of partners are involved in establishing it and raising initial awareness. Partners often include:
• adult services, public health and community health services;
• large local employers and workforce development programmes;
• a local further or higher education establishment and student welfare groups;
• the local voluntary sector, particularly organisations for older people and carers;
• housing services;
• local politicians and others who can champion the service;
• the local academic community, in order to take an evidence-gathering approach.
Evidence from the UK and overseas suggests Homeshare is often successful in urban areas where:
• there are significant numbers of older people living alone;
• property is expensive to rent or buy;
• transport links are good;
• there are significant student populations including mature and overseas students.
Homeshare is not a care service but rather a facilitated personal arrangement between two people in an ordinary domestic setting. Homeshare is about normal living and normal living inevitably involves some risk. Homeshare teams need the skills to be able to avoid assumptions about a person’s vulnerability, to assess their capacity to take informed decisions about risks and benefits and to manage the consequences of those decisions, being mindful of the principles and requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
A report commissioned by Help the Aged in 2004 looked at the issue of risk within Homeshare and raised some important points, including recognising the difference between “real” risk and “perceived” risk, noting:- The very nature of the Homesharing arrangement means that the Householder needs some form of support or companionship from the Homesharers, sometimes due to isolation or loneliness. They may be frail, have a physical impairment or suffer from confusion or the early signs of dementia, which could affect their mental capacity. The Householder is also the owner/tenant of property containing personal possessions. They may have deteriorating self-care abilities or other social challenges.
Four of the schemes operate solely within the London area. A further two are London based and whilst most of their active matches are currently in and around the London area they also support matches as far reaching as Scotland, the Midlands and the east of England and are keen expand further across the UK. There are two small but well established schemes operating in Bath and Bristol.
Additional Information about Homeshare can be found at: http://www.sharedlivesplus.org.uk/join-us/join-homeshare and http://homeshare.org
You can find further information here https://www.dropbox.com/s/6scaj01h1eddn4b/SL-HOMESHARE-Report%20May%2015.pdf?dl=0