A TV star has made a film with two women from Greenwich to help celebrate the borough's adult care system.

Actress and author Arabella Weir, star of The Fast Show, recently met carer Mary and service user Sinead from Greenwich's Shared Lives Service.

This is a national scheme that matches people with learning disabilities or other lifelong support needs with local carers.

In the film Arabella meets Mary, a former mental health worker with a degree in health and learning disability, and Sinead, who lives with Mary instead of in a care facility elsewhere.

Mary said: “I’ve always liked looking after people and caring. I would recommend anyone to do it, I’ve recommended it to my daughters and friends to be Shared Lives carers.”

Sinead said: “She’s a lovely woman, ever since I first met her.”

They are both part of the Shared Lives Plus network, where paid carers help people live independent lives in local communities in their carer’s home, for short or long-term placements.

Arabella first heard about Shared Lives on the radio earlier this year, and decided that it was an interesting way of helping those that needed it. 

She said: “It seems such a common sense idea to me, that people who need support can live in ordinary family homes, instead of being taken to a care home or hospital away from everyone they know.”

At present, Greenwich Shared Lives has 35 carers and 44 adults in placements.