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Information Hub

We want to support everyone who uses this service. We have created this page to collect together a number of guides and websites to help provide you with the information that you need when hiring a PA or when looking for work.

If you have any questions or you cannot find the information that you are looking for then please contact us and we'll do our best to get you the information you need and include it on the website for others to use.

Skills For Care

Skills for Care have a range of resources to help make your role as an Employer or PA easier to understand and to help support you with training and development.

Information Hub The Information Hub contains information, useful documents, links, videos and news stories.

Employing a PA Toolkit individual booklets to help with the different stages of taking on a PA.

Guide To Being A Personal Assistant helps explain the role of the PA, what skills and values are required, as well as practical information to support PAs.

Skills for Care Contact Details:

Telephone: 0113 245 1716 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

Support from Portsmouth City Council

Manage your Direct Payment Factsheet You may be entitled to funding to support you, this is called a Direct Payment. Here is some information about this service.

PCC Adult Social Care The Adult Social Care team in Portsmouth helps support elderly and vulnerable residents. It has many different ways of supporting people. Services are available to adults living in postcodes between PO1 and PO6.

Free Training is provided for all PAs using the PA Noticeboard and Portsmouth City Council can also provide training for PAs and individual employers.

Being an Employer

Being an employer means you’re in control of the care and support you receive. You choose the PA you hire and the work they do, but you need to be aware of employment law and your employment responsibilities.

Click on the links below to find out more information about your responsibilities.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check A Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS) is required by employees who are going to work with vulnerable adults or children.

Insurance Who needs it, why is it required and how much does it cost?

Discrimination, Protected Characteristics and Harassment What is unlawful discrimination and what are your responsibilities?

Employment Contract for Direct Payment clients All employees must have a contract which is a legal agreement setting out their duties. You can download this example to use as a template for your own contract, if you have a Direct Payment.

Employment Contract for Self Funding clients All employees must have a contract which is a legal agreement setting out their duties. You can download this example as a template for your own contract, if you are paying your PA with your own money.

 

Useful Websites

Advisory, Conciliation & Arbitration Service (ACAS)

ACAS provides free and impartial information and advice to employers and employees on all aspects of workplace relations and employment law. They support good relationships between employers and employees and help by providing conciliation to resolve workplace problems.

www.acas.org.uk/

Telephone: 0300 123 1100
Text Relay: 18001 0300 123 1100

Age UK Portsmouth

Age UK Portsmouth is a local, independent charity committed to helping older people in Portsmouth to feel supported, engaged and above all love later life. They offer free expert advice, help-in-the-home services and befriending support and activities.

www.ageuk.org.uk/portsmouth

Telephone 023 9286 2121
Lines are open Monday to Thursday 8:45am to 5:00pm and Friday 8:45am to 4:30pm.

Association for Real Change

Association for Real Change is a forward thinking National Charity with a dedication to promoting real change in the learning disability sector. Their mission is to champion the development of high quality person centred services for everyone with a learning disability within the UK.

www.arcuk.org.uk

Telephone: 01246 555 043

Crimestoppers

This independent charity helps to find criminals and help solve crimes. They believe that people and their communities have the right to live without crime and without the fear of crime. They run an anonymous phone number that you can call to pass on information about crime.

www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Telephone: 0800 555 111

Disability Rights UK

Formed through a unification of Disability Alliance, Radar and National Centre for Independent Living, they aim to be the largest national pan-disability organisation led by disabled people. Disability Rights UK is led, run and controlled by disabled people, with disabled people making up at least three-quarters of its board members and focuses on promoting ‘meaningful’ independent living for disabled people, promoting disabled people’s leadership and control, breaking the link between disability and poverty, and campaigning for disability equality and human rights.

www.disabilityrightsuk.org

Telephone: 020 7250 3222

GOV.UK

This is the website for all government departments and also includes information from many other agencies and public bodies. Whether you are an individual employer with one personal assistant working for you, or part of a larger organisation, it contains essential information, support and services.

You can find lots of information here including guidance on ensuring someone has the right to work in the UK, the law around working hours, holiday and sick pay for staff, the minimum wage, record keeping, grievance policies and procedures and a handy holiday entitlement calculator. From the home page select the “Employing people” option.

www.gov.uk

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)

The HMRC collects and administers direct and indirect taxes, pays and administers some benefits and statutory payments such as Child Benefit, Child Trust Fund, Tax Credits, statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay.

www.gov.uk/hmrc

Telephone: 0300 200 3200
Text phone 0300 200 3212
Facs 0191 285 4332

Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, Saturday, 8am to 4pm
Closed Sundays, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day

Health & Safety Executive (HSE)

The HSE provides help and information to keep people safe and healthy at work. Its goal is to prevent work-related injury, ill health and death. The website provides guidance on working safely, practical steps to plan and manage risk and employer’s and employee’s responsibilities.

www.hse.gov.uk

Low Incomes Tax Reform Group (LITRG)

LITRG work to improve the policy and processes of the tax, tax credit and associated welfare systems for the benefit of those on low incomes. In addition to their main website which offers information on tax, they run a specialist website which provides information, help and resources for anyone taking on a personal assistant.

The website focuses on the tax and national insurance issues that might affect you if you decide to take someone on and also provides website users with access to a pilot email help service providing guidance and support on tax and national insurance queries.

www.disabilitytaxguide.org.uk

www.litrg.org.uk

The Pensions Regulator

Information for employers about work-based pension schemes for your employees and automatic enrolment.

www.thepensionsregulator.gov.uk

Telephone: 0345 600 1011

Email: customersupport@autoenrol.tpr.gov.uk

Post: The Pensions Regulator, PO Box 16314, Birmingham, B23 3JP

Portsmouth Safeguarding Adults Board (PSAB)

Information on safeguarding adults who are at risk from abuse and neglect, what help is available, the work of Portsmouth Safeguarding Adults Board and how to identify and report concerns.

www.portsmouthsab.uk

Telephone: 02392 680 810

Email: psab@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Stop Hate UK

A charity that provides independent and confidential support to people affected by hate crime.

www.stophateuk.org

Telephone Enquiries: 0113 293 5100
Text Relay Enquiries: 18001 0113 293 5100

Email: info@stophateuk.org

Post: Stop Hate UK, PO Box 484, Leeds, LS7 9

24hr Help Line: 0800 138 1625
24hr Help Text Relay: 18001 0800 138 1625
24hr Help Text 07717 989 025

Email: talk@stophateuk.org

Web chat www.stophateuk.org/ta

Online form www.stophateuk.org/tell

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