Home Sharing

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What is Home Sharing?

St. Michael’s House offers children and adults with a disability, the opportunity to have short breaks & for some adults, longer term placements with a Home Sharing Family. It is a community based support service. A Home Sharing Family is individuals/couples/families who welcome a child or adult into their family home. A home sharing arrangement could be a short day break, an overnight short break, or a fulltime shared living placement. The frequency of short breaks depends on your availability. The Home Sharing Family is supported by the Home Sharing Team and there is 24/7 support.

Who Can Become a Home Sharing Family?

Anyone who is caring, compassionate, and enthusiastic. We welcome all, single or in a relationship, young or mature, with or without children. Experience is not essential and training is provided.

Benefits of Home Sharing

For the person supported it offers:

• An opportunity to make new friends & build new meaningful relationships
• Fun experiences in the community
• Opportunity to explore new interests and hobbies
• A chance to become more independent
• A rest opportunity for an individual’s carers

For the Home Sharing Family:

• Home Sharing is flexible and works around your lifestyle
• It offers a fun and enriching experience for all family members
• It is an opportunity to learn new skills
• It offers a chance to meet and become involved with a new community

For each person’s natural family or carers:

• It offers an opportunity to rest and recharge
• Enables greater support for hobbies, to run errands or spend time with family & friends
• Supports prevention of burnout & fatigue
• It strengthens the caregiver-person supported relationship 

 Watch our Home Sharing Video

Home Sharing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I become a home sharing family?
Prospective families/individuals apply to the home sharing scheme and are allocated a home sharing social worker. Your social worker will work closely with you to carry out a comprehensive assessment. The assessment explores your background, life experiences and reasons for applying. A number of checks are carried out including Garda Vetting for anyone over 16 in the home, checks with TUSLA, a medical report and personal references. The application process can take between 3 and 6 months. When the assessment is complete it is presented to an approvals panel who decide whether the applicant/s meet the criteria to be approved as a home sharing family.

2. Does everyone in the house hold need to be assessed?
If placements are in your home and you have a partner living with you, we will have to assess you both. We also speak to any children or other adults living in the house, to gain their views of potential placements. If placements are only community
based, just the person providing the support is assessed.

3. Do I have to have experience or qualifications to apply?
You do not need to have specific qualifications to become a home sharing family. Our home sharing families have a variety of life experience as well as some with professional experience. What we do look for are individuals and families who have a positive attitude, time available, are open to learning, reliable and are motivated to support people who require the support of a home sharing break.

4. Are these placements paid?
Home sharing is not employment, rather it is a voluntary role. Home sharing families do receive an allowance in accordance with the level of support they offer.This allowance is tax exempt. If you require further information please click here.

5. What training is provided?
All of our home sharing families are required to having children’s first and adult safeguarding training. We also providetraining on report writing, communication, intimate care, safe care, health and safety, first aid, why families need support and positive behaviour support. There is also bespoke training available for any specific need a person supported may requiresuch as Lamh. We are continually reviewing our training and modules are subject to change. Training needs of our home sharing families are regularly reviewed and discussed as part of supervision with their social worker

6. How will I be supported?
The home sharing social worker has a key role in supporting the home sharing families, carrying out regular reviews to check-in and monitor the placements, and discuss any key issues relating to the home sharing families role. The home sharing social worker will be available to you for regular contact, to offer guidance and support. As a home sharing family, you will have access to support from St. Michael’s House Nurse Manager on Call out of hours service should an emergency or urgent issue arise.

7. Can I be a home sharing family if I have a job?
Yes, you can have a job and be involved in other activities alongside being a home sharing family. We consider your availability when matching you with the person you will support. Our Home sharing families support individuals from one short break/4 hours a month, to full-time supported living.

8. How often are the placements?
Each arrangement is unique and tailored to the availability of the home sharing family and the needs of the person supported. Short break placements can be for a couple of hours a week, an overnight, or a weekend. We also facilitate placements on a full-time basis to adults.

9. Is it ok for the person supported to meet with my friends and family?
Yes. We encourage home sharing families to involve people they support in their family life and activities. This includes day-to-day tasks such as shopping and cooking as well as social activities such as going to the cinema or out for a meal.