Shared Lives Co-ordinator

Croydon Council is seeking a committed and skilled Shared Lives Co-ordinator to join our Shared Lives Service, supporting residents to live fulfilled, independent lives within shared family and community environments. In this role, you will recruit, assess, and support Shared Lives carers, ensuring high-quality support and safe, person-centred placements for adults with a range of support needs. You will work in partnership with carers, residents, families, internal teams and external agencies to deliver a service that meets CQC standards and reflects our values of inclusion, independence, and dignity. This role is central to ensuring our Shared Lives carers provide safe, supportive, and enriching home environments that promote well-being, choice, and personal development for residents.,

• Recruit, assess, approve and support Shared Lives carers in line with CQC requirement
• Monitor and review placements to ensure high-quality support aligned to individual plans and risk assessments
• Match service users to appropriate carers, ensuring needs and preferences are fully considered
• Prepare and present carer assessments and reviews to Shared Lives Panel
• Lead on placement planning meetings, reviews, and safeguarding responsibilities
• Conduct home visits (planned and unannounced) to ensure compliance and support carers
• Maintain accurate case management, records and documentation in line with statutory and Council policies
• Address issues, complaints and safeguarding concerns, escalating appropriately
• Support service users to express views and participate in decisions about their support
• Work collaboratively with care managers, finance teams, benefits advisers, health professionals, and other stakeholders
• Promote the Shared Lives model within the council and local community to grow the scheme
  
  Experience working with vulnerable adults and understanding of adult social care practice
• Strong assessment and report-writing skills, with the ability to analyse information and make informed decisions
• Knowledge of CQC requirements, safeguarding and relevant legislation
• Ability to build effective relationships with carers, residents, families, and multi-disciplinary partners
• Confident communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to challenge and support constructively
• Ability to manage a caseload, prioritise and work proactively to meet deadlines
• Strong IT skills and willingness to use social care systems (e.g. LAS / SharePoint)
• Commitment to equalities, empowerment, person-centred practice and continuous service improvement
• Ability to travel across the borough and occasionally work outside standard hours
  
  Croydon Council's priorities
The Council balances its books, listens to residents, and delivers good sustainable services
• Get a grip on the finances and make the council financially sustainable
• Become a council which listens to, respects and works in partnership with Croydon's diverse communities and businesses
• Strengthen collaboration and joint working with partner organisations and the voluntary, community and faith sectors
• Ensure good governance is embedded and adopt best practice
• Develop our workforce to deliver in a manner that respects the diversity of our communities
Key business plan outcomes:
• Croydon is a place of opportunity for business, earning and learning
• Children and young people in Croydon have the chance to thrive, learn and fulfil their potential
• Croydon is a cleaner, safer and healthier place, a borough we're proud to call home
• People can lead healthier and independent lives for longer
• Croydon Council's new ways of working
Equal Opportunities Statement Croydon Council is an inclusive employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Subject to business needs, we will be pleased to consider applications from candidates seeking flexible working arrangements and support hybrid working, whereby staff attend the workplace for part of their working week and work from home, or elsewhere, remotely for the rest of the time. As users of the disability confident scheme, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for the advertised role. Croydon council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. The Successful candidate will be subject to a DBS check, if the role requires one.