Homeshare
Homeshare Oxfordshire
Age UK Oxfordshire's Homeshare service carefully matches older people who are looking for help or companionship at home, with another person who can lend a hand, and needs affordable accommodation.
Please note use of this video is not authorised except in its current and unedited form.
What do we do?
Age UK Oxfordshire's Homeshare service carefully matches older people who are looking for help or companionship at home, with another person who can lend a hand, and needs affordable accommodation.
In return for the accommodation the Sharer gives the Householder up to 10 hours of their time each week as a combination of companionship and practical help.
Each Homeshare match is individual and carefully agreed. It may include some cooking and light housework, help with computers and technology, maybe some shopping or gardening, spending time together over a meal or cup of tea as well as occasional trips out. The reassuring presence of another person in the house overnight is often an additional benefit for the Householder.
A Homeshare match does not involve any personal care.
What are the costs?
Monthly fees are payable to Homeshare Oxfordshire by Householders and Sharers. These fees cover the costs of the checks, the facilitation of the match, and the provision of regular ongoing support for the duration of the Homeshare. The Householder pays from £150 per month, the equivalent of £5 day. The Sharer pays £200 per month. The fees help Homeshare Oxfordshire to operate as a sustainable scheme with more people able to benefit.
The Sharer makes a contribution to the Householder of an agreed amount towards household bills.
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Applying to Homeshare Oxfordshire
Please see this document for further information and to check if a Homeshare arrangement might be right for you.
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Current opportunities listing
Take a look at our list of available homeshare opportunities across the county.
Contact Homeshare Oxfordshire
To make an enquiry about any of the current opportunities please use the online from at the bottom of this page and we will contact you shortly. For any queries email homeshare@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk or call 01865 410 670.
*COVID-19 – CORONAVIRUS: We are taking all necessary precautions to operate as safely as possible following guidelines, protocols and taking into account the circumstances and needs of each individual. Please contact us to talk this through if you wish. *
Watch the video below to find out some of the benefits of Homesharing.
See below for our current homeshare opportunities across Oxfordshire
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Coming Soon
We have new opportunities coming up in:
- Oxford (Jericho and East Oxford)
- Chipping Norton
We are also currently talking to Householders in other parts of Oxfordshire so please do be sure to include any preferred locations if you submit an enquiry.
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Lower Shiplake (nr Henley) RG9 (Ref114)
Are you a kind, considerate and friendly person with a quiet lifestyle who could provide light companionship and a reassuring presence in the home to a friendly, interesting Householder in the peaceful village of Lower Shiplake?
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Abingdon, OX14 (Ref 096)
Are you a homely, kind and caring female, 30+, with Christian principles, who could provide gentle companionship and be a reassuring presence to a friendly, kind older person in a quiet residential area of Abingdon?
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Great Rollright OX7 (Ref 105)
We are looking for a 30+ female who would like to share the welcoming home of a friendly Great Rollright resident in her early nineties who lives with her sweet natured, well-trained and much loved Labrador, 2.5 miles north of Chipping Norton. A love of dogs is important and a car driver is essential.
Read about Homesharing in Oxfordshire
Life’s rich tapestry: At home with Mary and Alex
Our huge thanks to Kathryn Wheeler for the recent feature she wrote in Happiful Magazine about Mary and Alex who are homesharing with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can couples be Householders and Sharers?
Yes – it might take longer to place Sharer couples, but by all means please get in touch with us.
Can Householders and Sharers have pets?
I don’t own my home, can I still be a Householder?
We ask anyone who doesn’t own their home outright to seek permission from their mortgage provider or Landlord before applying to be a Householder for Homeshare Oxford.
Local Authority Housing – You will need to ask permission to have a Sharer join you in your home and how contribution to bills may affect your Benefits. If you would like to be a Householder, we recommend you speak to us before applying and we can support you to have a conversation with the council about how this may change your benefits, so that you can take this into consideration before you decide to apply.
What are the minimum and maximum lengths of a Homeshare?
We say that a Homeshare should be a minimum of 6 months.
If an end date is already known at the beginning of a Homeshare (eg. a student who know when they will be moving on) we will include these details in the agreements. If an end date is not known, the match can roll on month by month.
If either the Householder or Sharer wants to move on from a match, they need to give one month’s notice. This can be given at any stage in the match, and we will support both the Householder and Sharer if and when a match comes to an end.
When will a Sharer provide the 10 hours Help around the Home?
The 10 hours Help around the Home needs to be agreed and to fit around a Sharer’s work or studies and a Householder’s preferences. It is quite likely that it will fall into evening and weekends if the Sharer is working or studying full time. The preferences of the Householder and availability of the Sharer are taken into account by the Homeshare team when looking at suitability of two people for a Homeshare.
How will it work when Householder or Sharer is away on holiday or for weekends?
We recommend that you let each other know well in advance of going away so that plans can be made to cover any additional support needed for Householders. Similarly, if a Householder is going to be away they may be reassured to know that the Sharer will be around in their absence. A Homeshare arrangement may not work for Sharers who are likely to be away a lot or for extended periods of time. Please get in touch if this is the case so that we can discuss this.
I am a student and I go home/away from Oxford during term breaks, can I be a Sharer?
In general, Homeshare is not suitable for students who will only be around during term-time. But there may be occasions when this might work, so please do get in touch with us.
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Homeshare Oxfordshire is a member of Homeshare UK, the UK network for Homeshare organisations, and has completed the Homeshare UK Quality Assurance Framework as part of our ongoing commitment to providing a safe and effective service.
