Image Source: John Birdsall via communitycare.co.uk
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Bridgend Council’s Cabinet will discuss proposed changes to the “Shared Lives” live-in care system (pdf).
“Shared Lives” – run in a partnership agreement with Vale of Glamorgan Council – provides adults with an alternative to supported living or residential care. The report says there are 16 people in the county on Shared Lives placements.
The live-in carers who take part in the service are self-employed and are paid a weekly allowance by Bridgend Council. This is currently a flat rate of £616.77 per week, regardless of the amount of care given. The person receiving care is expected to contribute some money towards this (called an individual contribution), currently set at £105 per week.
During 2025, BCBC put forward four options to reform the system. They opted to introduce a banding system to match those elsewhere in Wales. Existing and new placements will be put into four bands. Band 1 placements need lower levels of support, while Band 4 placements are highly or clinically complex.
Instead of the flat £616.77 payment, new Band 1 payments would be cut to £505.91 a week, though carers in Bands 2-4 will receive higher payments (as much as £810.88 for Band 4). Leave entitlement will also increase to 4 weeks (from 2).
Current payments set to be protected for two years
To address concerns about the cut to allowances, BCBC will protect existing Band 1 allowances at the current flat rate for at least two years.
The individual contribution (from the cared-for person) would also gradually increase from £105 to £197.08 by 2029-30. This matches similar payments made by people living in supported accommodation. The council says this would make the system fairer, as “Shared Lives” placements currently enjoy better terms than those living in supported accommodation.
BCBC hopes the new banding system will create an additional 5 long-term Shared Lives placements in Bridgend County. This would save the equivalent of £400,000 a year from adult social care budgets compared to supported accommodation.
Subject to Cabinet approval, the changes will come into effect from January 2027.
