About carer ID 15632
Learning Disability, Mental Health
To discuss this vacancy, please pick up the phone to speak to one of our team or email us on enquiries@sharedlivessw.org.uk
Head office: 01626 360170
Dedicated Shared Lives Assistant: 07860 917677
About Us: Our names are Alan and Heather. We hope to be able to help you to learn new skills and try new things.
About our house: We live in Totnes. Our house is a semi detached house in the Bridgetown part of Totnes. We have 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms arranged over 3 floors. Your bedroom would be on the 1st floor and has a small double bed. There is a family bathroom on the same floor. Downstairs there is a dining room with space for art, games etc, there is a toilet, a front room and down 2 steps is the kitchen. The kitchen leads out to a small sunny garden. From our house you can walk to the shops in Totnes on your own or with us, the park or the pub. There is also a Leisure Centre where you can swim or play sports.
Who else lives here?: We live here with our youngest son who is a 24year old Shared Lives Adult. He works at a College during term time and fills his evenings with tennis, football, cricket and swimming. We have a working cocker spaniel dog called Bobby. Our other 3 grown up children (25yrs – 29yrs) come and stay occasionally with their partners.
What we like to do: We like to eat together when we can as a family and include any friends or visitors too. We are vegetarian but people who visit eat fish and meat if they wish. We enjoy taking the dog for walks locally and often visit Dartmoor and local beaches. Heather has ponies that need caring for twice a day to feed and look after. You can join in if you wish. Alan works 2 and a half days a week as a special needs teacher and spends some of his spare time helping organise the local rugby team. Heather helps to run the local Pony Club branch and often attends pony club events. We like to go for days out visiting local attractions like the zoo, aquarium, National Trust, adventure parks and would love you to join us or to help you go to visit places you would like to see. We like to eat out sometimes and often have a take away (your choice what sort!) on a Saturday.
Our experience as carers: We are both trained teachers and have worked in schools and with children for over 30years. We have been foster carers for over 20years and Shared Lives carers for the last year. During this time we have encouraged the people in our care to be as independent as possible and to try lots of new things with us and on their own.
Through our jobs and interests we have encouraged all those that we have supported to do as much as they are able to in whatever things they like. This has included helping people to find jobs, voluntary places and /or activities they have really enjoyed
Who we can support: we would love to support you as part of our family to do what you would like to do and where you would like to go. We are good at supporting, motivating and encouraging indepence skills and confidence. We are an active family so are best suited to someone who is or would like to be more active.