In principle, yes. Sharing elements of someone’s support (for example, night support) can lead to more resources being made available for daytime support hours. However, it does incur some risk. There’s a risk that everyone will end up doing what the strongest personality in the house wants to do.
Conversely, excess compromise can leave everyone dissatisfied. And if someone needs to change where they live it can be laborious to carve up the shared hours, ensuring everyone retains the support they are individually assessed to need – notwithstanding the full reassessment that would occur naturally.
In austere times, there is always a temptation for local authorities to use shared support as a means of cutting individual budgets – this can occur equally in both supported living and residential care.
Families can use the Care Act to challenge such decisions and Dimensions is part of a coalition offering a free legal support service to help families in this position.