Shared Lives South West Trustee Dr Gulzar Singh recently attended our Open Board Meeting, where trustees, staff, Shared Lives Carers and people drawing on support came together in one shared conversation. In this blog, Gulzar reflects on why hearing directly from people with lived experience is essential to good governance, and how boards can stay…
Posts by Dawn Gillingwater
A Year of Growth, Independence and New Opportunities
One year ago, Jan Shaw took a leap of faith and became a Shared Lives Carer with Shared Lives South West. After many years of fostering and working in housing, homelessness services and supported housing, Jan found herself at a crossroads and looking for a new direction. “I kept seeing Shared Lives South West adverts…
Shared Lives South West welcomes Lucy as a Funding and Benefits Officer
Lucy Foord has joined the Shared Lives South West team at the Devon office as a Funding and Benefits Officer. We thought we’d catch up with her to find out more about her and why she decided to be part of Shared Lives South West… Can you tell us a little bit about your background?…
Sarah joins us in a new role as our training coordinator
We have welcomed Sarah Murphy to our staff team as our training coordinator. Here we find out more about her… Can you tell us a little bit about your background? I have 22 years of experience working in a variety of social care settings including a community carer for adults with a learning disability, autism…
Aaron Lands Permanent Learning Support Assistant Role at South Devon College
Congratulations to Aaron on securing a paid, permanent role as a Learning Support Assistant at South Devon College. Aaron will be working within the college’s Learning Opportunities Department, which supports people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). He starts the role in September, working three days a week and is delighted to have been…
New Deputy CEO Sandra joins our team
We’re delighted to welcome Sandra Fisher‑Martins as our new Deputy CEO and to introduce her to the Shared Lives South West community. With a diverse career spanning healthcare, social impact and climate action, Sandra brings a wealth of experience and a passion for creating meaningful change. We caught up with Sandra to learn more about…
Somerset Shared Lives Carer attends garden party hosted by the King and Queen
A Somerset Shared Lives Carer was honoured to attend a garden party hosted by King Charles and Queen Camilla earlier this month at Buckingham Palace. Paul Kendall was given the opportunity by Shared Lives Plus, which selected carers from around the UK to attend who have dedicated years of their lives as carers. Princess Anne…
A warm welcome to new Shared Lives Administrator Ellie
In the last month, Ellie Hurrell has joined our admin team in the Devon office. She joins us with great energy and a wealth of experience. We thought we’d catch up with Ellie after her first few weeks in post… 1, Can you tell us a little bit about your working background? I joined SLSW…
What Good Care Really Looks Like in Everyday Life
Understanding What Sits Behind Care When people think about care, they usually think about what they can see. Someone being supported. A conversation. Help with daily routines. That is the visible part. What is less obvious is what sits behind it. The part that does not change from one day to the next. The part…
Shared Lives recruit new Deputy CEO with help of Aaron and his carer
A Shared Lives Carer and the person they support were called on to help us recruit a big role in the organisation. Ruth Beadle and Aaron spent the day interviewing four candidates as part of the Deputy CEO appointment process. The staff team, trustees and leadership team were all also involved in the lengthy process….