Personal Assistants (PAs

You will also need to let the Council and the Department for Work and Pensions know if you are, or are likely to be, in hospital for more than four weeks. For more information about how your benefits may be affected while you are in hospital, visit Shropshire Choices at www.shropshire.gov.uk/

shropshire-choices/money-matters

For more detailed information on how you can be supported when leaving hospital, please visit

www.shropshire.gov.uk/shropshire-choices/ leaving-hospital

For more information about Integrated Community Services (ICS), please visit www.shropscommunityhealth.nhs.uk/ics or contact:

North

• North East

Tel: 01948 660813 • North West

Tel: 01691 663641

South

• South East

Tel: 01746 711085 • South West

Tel: 01588 676331

Central

• Tel: 01743 250520

A PA is someone who supports an individual to live more independently, usually in the person’s own home. PAs can help with all sorts of daily tasks, including domestic tasks, personal care, shopping, sorting out paperwork and offering support in getting out and about. Employing a PA yourself means you are the employer and in control of who supports you and how you wish to be supported.

If you are paying for your own care, you can choose this option to meet your care needs. If you are eligible to receive a Personal Budget in the form of a Direct Payment (see page 53), you may consider having a PA which you can discuss with your support worker.

If you decide to employ a PA, you will be provided with the necessary information, which may include a Skills for Care employer toolkit and templates to enable you to be a good employer.

If you currently have a PA or are considering having one, you could benefit from Skills for Care’s Individual Employer Fund. This fund can be used for training to develop you as an employer and to develop the skills of your PA. The fund can cover the direct costs of training and qualifications, travel and the cost of hiring replacement support while your usual PA is attending training.

Working as a Personal Assistant (PA) in Adult Social Care

Working as a PA can be a fulfilling career and can lead to a variety of roles and career progression. It can be rewarding and challenging and means getting involved in many aspects of an employer’s life.

PAs are usually employed directly by the person who needs the support but can also be employed by a family member or representative, when the person they support doesn’t have the physical or mental capacity to be the employer.

The job can be very flexible, you may work for a few hours a week, or several hours per day or night. It may include support in the home, at leisure or at work, and carrying out a range of duties, not just personal care. The main skills needed are the ability to listen and a willingness to learn, as most people look for someone who’s a good personal fit to them.

If you want to find out more about becoming a PA and joining a local PA register, contact

personal.assistants@shropshire.gov.uk