Lisa, Mark & Helen - Shared Lives

Lisa and Mark share their lives with Helen, who moved in with their family in October 2009.

Lisa started her career at Woodbury with Bury Council in 1994, where she met Helen eight years later, Lisa was Helen’s key worker for this time and they found they had a strong relationship from day one.

Helen would come for tea visits and in time, she joined Lisa for family celebrations and events, getting to know Helen's family and being invited to Lisa and Mark's wedding in 2005.

When Woodbury was due to be closed down to make way for a new building, Lisa and Mark started talking about Helen coming to live with them full time, as a felt that a further move to a new place would be too upsetting for her.

From moving in to the family home Helen settled quickly into a quiet family home environment and Helen decided to finish working in short stay care to become a Shared Lives carer.

Lisa won Shared Lives Carer of the Year at the 2018 PersonAwards.

Lisa says “when you join Shared Lives, you are giving someone a chance to be part of a family, Helen is not just part of our lives but part of the neighborhood and the community, everyone knows her.”

Want to know more about Bury Shared Lives? Click here.

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