This week is Shared Lives Week 2026 (15 to 21 June), Shared Lives Plus’s annual campaign to celebrate a model of care built on relationships, belonging and shared purpose. This year’s theme is “Shout about Shared Lives,” and there is plenty worth shouting about: the latest national data shows the model is growing.
The latest data from Shared Lives Plus paints a clear picture: the Shared Lives scheme model is not just surviving the pressures facing adult social care, it is growing. And as the model expands, the operational demands on scheme managers are growing with it.
The Numbers Tell a Positive Story
The State of Shared Lives 2024-25 report, which brings together four years of consistent national data, shows that 9,898 people were supported through Shared Lives across the UK in 2024-25. The number of approved Shared Lives carers has risen by 13% over four years, reaching 10,406. Scotland saw a 4% increase in the number of people supported in the past year alone.
Crucially, the model is diversifying. While live-in arrangements remain central, short breaks and day support are both growing, and Shared Lives is increasingly being used to support older people, care leavers, and those with more complex or transitional needs. For the first time, the report also provides a national picture of care leavers moving into Shared Lives, with 351 transitions recorded in 2024-25.
Ewan King, Chief Executive at Shared Lives Plus, put it plainly: the data shows that Shared Lives is a model that works. Even under sustained pressure across adult social care, it has demonstrated the ability to grow, adapt, and deliver high-quality, relationship-based support in communities across the UK.
Growth is Good. But It Brings Real Operational Complexity.
For scheme managers, this expansion is genuinely positive news. More carers, more arrangements, more people supported: that is what the model is for.
But growth also means more to coordinate. More carer records to maintain. More compliance to manage across a widening range of arrangement types. More communication to keep flowing between scheme workers, carers, and the people they support.
Many schemes are still managing this complexity through a mix of spreadsheets, paper records, and disconnected systems. As caseloads grow and arrangements diversify, that approach becomes harder to sustain.
What the Right Software Can Do for a Growing Shared Lives Scheme
Shared Lives is not standard home care, and it should not be managed with generic software. The combination of self-employed carers working in their own homes, multiple simultaneous arrangement types, complex funding streams, and rigorous compliance requirements calls for a platform that genuinely understands the model.
The right shared lives software should:
Keep compliance embedded in day-to-day operations. With CQC rating Shared Lives at 96% good or outstanding, maintaining that standard requires consistent, real-time record-keeping rather than pre-inspection catch-up. AI-powered auditing tools such as IQ:careaudit can review daily notes automatically and flag concerns before they escalate.
Support person-centred planning at scale. As caseloads grow, the quality of individual support plans should not drop. Tools like IQ:careassist help teams produce thorough, person-centred plans more efficiently, freeing up time for the relational work that defines the Shared Lives model.
Connect a dispersed team effectively. Shared Lives carers are not in an office. Scheme managers need two-way communication tools that enable real dialogue, not just broadcast messages.
Handle complex funding with accuracy. Multiple payment streams per person are common in Shared Lives. Finance tools need to reflect that complexity accurately, without manual workarounds.
Investment Is Driving Expansion, and Technology Needs to Keep Up
In England, areas using Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) funding supported 317 additional people, accounting for 60% of national growth. That kind of intentional investment deserves operational infrastructure that can support it.
A Model Built on Relationships Deserves Software That Supports Them
What makes Shared Lives distinctive is the quality of the relationships at its heart. The careful matching of interests and personalities. The continuity of support. The sense of belonging that a good Shared Lives arrangement can provide.
Good software does not replace any of that. But it does free up the time and headspace for scheme managers and carers to focus on it. Less time on paperwork. Less time chasing records. More time spent on the work that actually matters.
Supporting Your Scheme to Grow
At Unique IQ, we have been working with community-based care providers since 2006. We understand the operational demands that come with managing a Shared Lives scheme, and we have built our platform to support them.
If your scheme is growing and you want to make sure your software is keeping up, we would be glad to show you how Unique IQ can help.
Book a demo or get in touch with our team to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Shared Lives?
Shared Lives is a model of social care in which an approved carer shares their home and family life with an adult who needs support. Arrangements can be long-term and live-in, or take the form of short breaks and day support. It is built around carefully matched relationships, with the aim of creating a genuine sense of belonging rather than just delivering a service.
How many people use Shared Lives in the UK?
According to the State of Shared Lives 2024-25 report from Shared Lives Plus, 9,898 people were supported through Shared Lives across the UK in 2024-25. The number of approved Shared Lives carers has grown by 13% over four years to reach 10,406.
Is Shared Lives growing?
Yes. The model is expanding and diversifying, with growth in short breaks and day support alongside live-in arrangements. It is increasingly being used to support older people, care leavers, and those with more complex or transitional needs. In England, areas using Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) funding supported 317 additional people, accounting for 60% of national growth.
How is the quality of Shared Lives care rated?
Shared Lives is consistently rated highly by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), with 96% of schemes rated good or outstanding. Maintaining that standard relies on consistent, real-time record-keeping rather than catching up before an inspection.
Why does Shared Lives need specialist software?
Shared Lives is not standard home care and should not be managed with generic software. Self-employed carers working in their own homes, multiple simultaneous arrangement types, complex funding streams, and rigorous compliance requirements all call for a platform that understands the model. The right software keeps compliance embedded in daily operations, supports person-centred planning at scale, connects a dispersed team, and handles complex funding accurately.
How can Unique IQ help a Shared Lives scheme?
Unique IQ has been working with community-based care providers since 2006. The platform is built to support the operational demands of managing a Shared Lives scheme, freeing up scheme managers and carers to focus on the relationships at the heart of the model. You can book a demo or get in touch to find out more.