A spotlight on home sharing with Kayleigh Harris, Homeshare Development and Delivery Officer
Kate Samuels from Generations Working Together met with Kayleigh Harris who leads the Clarion Project in England to talk about the impact of connecting generations, the impact of the pandemic, and future plans for Home Share.
Kate – “Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role? When did you join and what did you do before?”
Kayleigh – “I joined Shared Lives Plus as Homeshare Development and Delivery Officer in November last year. Working in partnership with Clarion Housing I am currently working on a pilot Homeshare programme amongst Clarion residents to explore how the Homeshare model can be adapted to meet the needs of those in social housing across the UK. Before joining Shared Lives Plus I worked on change projects within the charity sector with a particular focus on co-production with elderly volunteers to champion their voices in policy decisions.”
Kate – “How would you describe homeshare to someone who has never heard about it before?”
Kayleigh – “Homeshare is a model of social living where someone who needs some help to live independently in their own home is matched with someone who has a housing need and can provide a little support.”
Kate – “Why is it important?”
Kayleigh – “Homeshare addresses many issues we currently face as a society;
· Ageing population – enables older people to live independently for longer,
· Lack of affordable housing – enables rooms that would otherwise be empty to be used by those who might not otherwise be able to afford to live in that area,
· Loneliness and social isolation – solution for all generations to not just occupy the same space, but to live and provide companionship for each other,
· Age segregation – Encourages understanding and empathy towards other generations,
· Few options for low-level social care – provides low-level practical support to those who need it without them having to pay for it or relying on family/friends,
· Burden of care – For those family members who live nearby it relieves pressure on them to support their loved one, freeing up quality time together. For those who live further away, it gives them peace of mind knowing their loved one isn’t alone,”
Kate – “How did Clarion become involved and what are the future plans?”
Kayleigh – “The Clarion Homeshare programme was conceptualised by Clarion55, the national network for Clarion’s older residents. The project was identified as an innovation that could tackle the increasing social isolation and loneliness faced by residents, a challenge heightened by the implications of the pandemic. The pilot will measure the impact of Homeshare on residents’ physical and mental health alongside the demand for housing support. By measuring these impacts across the one-year pilot we will be able to prove the need for an ongoing programme that is embedded in Clarion’s Housing offer. The longer-term aim of the programme is to set up a cross-sector Knowledge Exchange around how the model can be embedded in the offer for Housing Associations across the UK.”
Kate – “What role do you think home sharing can have in our society? “
Kayleigh – “Homeshare is a classic asset/strength-based solution. Using what we have already to resolve community-based issues.”
Kate – “Can it help us solve any social issues? “
Kayleigh – “It tackles the shortage of affordable and available housing for people who may not have access to it otherwise. It allows professionals/key workers/students to live in areas they otherwise couldn’t afford like city centres. At times of significant shortage of services, it provides low-level preventative support at low cost and could keep people in their homes and from needing more formal support for longer. i.e. Home Help, Meals on Wheels, etc. a small amount of companionship could achieve this. Homesharing can’t keep a person out of the care sector forever, but the financial costs will undoubtedly be reduced.”
Kate – “What difference are you hoping to make in the local area?”
Kayleigh – “It brings new and younger people into local communities and reintegrates older people back into their local communities
Increases community cohesion and inter-generational contact. Outcomes for the local economy, government, and NHS can include;
· reduced use of services such as residential care,
· reduced risks of falls, better health, and well-being for older people,
· reduced use of fire, police, and ambulance services,
· reduced visits to GP and A&E,
· increased affordability of higher education,
· reduced pressure on housing provision,
· easier recruitment to lower-paid public service jobs.”
Kate – “Would home sharing work around the world and if so why?”
Kayleigh – “HomeshareUK is part of Homeshare International which supports programmes operating in at least 19 countries around the world currently. Homesharing originally began in the 1970s in the USA to help older people to stay in their own homes and with every Country in the world experiencing growth in both the size and proportion of older persons in their population this rationale is more valid than ever. A lot of countries, especially those in Europe, promote Homesharing as a solution to meet the housing needs of students.”
Kate – “Can you let us know more about shared lives week?”
Kayleigh – “Shared Lives Week is our annual flagship campaign to celebrate the best of Shared Lives Carers. This may not be relevant to a piece on Homeshare as Shared Lives Week is very much about Shared Lives as a model of care, not Shared Lives Plus as an organisation. We have a Shared Lives Plus Conference (which was held recently) where we learn from each other, hear from national leaders, and celebrate Shared Lives and Homeshare. We also have a Homeshare week which will be 31st October – 4th November 2022.”
Kate – “Are there any stories you would like to share?”
Kayleigh – “We have collected some case studies, including one about Doreen and Anouck. Doreen lives on her own in a council-owned property in Heywood, Greater Manchester. Doreen had a fall in her property, injured her shoulder, and consequently had to move into a nursing home until she recovered. After 7 months, all Doreen wanted was to go home, but she didn’t feel confident enough to live on her own. Anouck is a 22-year-old French Homesharer. After completing her Law degree in Paris, she wanted to continue her studies and specialise in European Employment Law but felt she needed to improve her English first by taking a gap year in the UK.
Homeshare is a very common accommodation option for students in France and she liked the idea of Manchester – after contacting her local scheme, she was carefully matched with Doreen. Anouck and Doreen are getting out and about in Heywood, they have attended a singing group at Heywood Library, a Remembrance concert at Rochdale Town Hall (Doreen had never been to the Town Hall before), the Heywood annual Christmas parade and light switch-on, and a ladies’ night, to name just a few.
Meanwhile, Anouck is finding the comfort of Doreen’s home and presence reassuring. It can be hard to be in a foreign country, leaving your loved ones behind and trying to find a job. But she often feels that coming back to Doreen’s home is like coming back to the ‘nest’. As an added bonus, her English has improved so she is near fluent! Living with Anouck has helped Doreen get her confidence back; she now goes out on her own with her walker and pops back to the nursing home to catch up with the friends she made there.
Doreen is also confident in staying on her own when Anouck is away (an agreed one weekend per month). Doreen’s life would have come to a standstill without Homeshare. The scheme has enabled her to return to her home. Doreen would have never been able to afford the support that she is getting from Homeshare through other means. This scheme has provided so many benefits to both of them.”
Kate – “Are there any other resources you would recommend?”
Kayleigh – “I’d also recommend watching this video of Florence and Alexandra. Housemates with the 68 year age gap – Florence and Alexandra on BBC Politics, – YouTube.”