Josh is celebrating writing a fantasy book Twisted Valley, which is now available on Amazon. It took months to come to fruition and he is thrilled it can now be downloaded or printed. “I used to write books as a child called the Sacred Oak, which were centred around talking animals in a forest and…

  Representatives from Shared Lives were invited to Downing Street last week. Shared Lives South West CEO Dominic Spayne and Team Leader Edward Bunce Phillips joined a number of other Shared Lives schemes along with a range of delegates from across social care, to attend a reception held by Helen Whately, Minister of State in…

  Excitement is building in one Shared Lives South West household as wedding preparations are well and truly underway and the countdown to the big day is on! Ivor who uses SLSW services and lives with Shared Lives Carers Rachel and Fran Bunce, is marrying Carol, who is also part of the household and is…

Shared Lives South West has launched its first ever TV advert in the hope of recruiting new carers and spreading the word about the services it offers. It features SLSW Carer Lisa Dougal and Charlene, who she supports, and was filmed by Fork The Waffle in Exmouth. Shared Lives South West has started a recruitment…

Dominic Myers has joined the Shared Lives South West Board of Trustees. Here we find out more about him, his background and why he decided to become a trustee with SLSW… Why did you decide to become a trustee with SLSW?  I returned to the UK last year after living in the Middle East for…

Simon Doughty has joined the Shared Lives South West team in the Devon office as a Finance Assistant. Here we chat to him about how he is settling in…   How are you finding your new role  as Finance Assistnat at SLSW? I’ve found it really nice and friendly. People have introduced themselves and I…

Elvin, has rather less hair than usual, thanks to completing a sponsored headshave for Macmillan Cancer Support. Elvin, who lives with SLSW Carers Diana and James Cole, worked hard on gaining sponsorship and has now raised almost £300 for the cause. “He had suddenly decided he wanted to do a sponsored hair and beard shave…

Leon is celebrating completing The Jubilee Challenge on Dartmoor. The event is designed for young people aged between 14 and 21 with a range of support needs who complete one of several routes suited to their abilities. Leon, who is supported by SLSW Carer Jonathan Bevins, spent the night before the challenge camping at Okehampton…

Megan Parkes has joined the Shared Lives South West team as a Shared Lives Coordinator. We caught up with her to find out how she is finding her new role and why she joined us… You’ve been at SLSW a little while now, how are you finding it? Everyone is friendly and I feel like…

Shared Lives South West has welcomed trainee social worker Susan Kelleher to the staff team as a placement as part of her training. Cornwall Council set up the 80-day placement which continues until the middle of August. “The SLSW team has been really welcoming,” she said. “They are so friendly and welcoming and I’m learning…