Looking for a PA: Key information

Please see below guides, links and advice with the information that you need when hiring a PA.

Contact details for the PA Noticeboard are here if you have any further questions

What is a Personal Assistant?

A Personal Assistant (PA) can support you with social care, health needs and/or tasks to promote your wellbeing and enable you to continue to live as independently as possible in your home and in the community.

Having your own PA means you can be in control of the care and support you receive, and you can choose the PA and the work they do.

These are examples of the tasks a PA could support you with:

maintain relationships with family and friends including support with childcare.
meet new people and develop friendships.
get out and about and stay involved in your community.
support you in the workplace.
maintain hobbies and interests.
provide personal care and support, for example, to dress and bathe.
carry out household jobs like cooking, cleaning, meal preparation, and shopping.
support with personal appointments, such as going to the doctor, and more.

You will either employ someone as a PA, where you will be the employer and responsible for your PA, or your PA will already be established as a self-employed PA, where they are responsible for themselves and direct the work they do.

Find out more about the differences between an employed and self-employed PA

Before your PA starts

An accredited PA is a PA who has completed the registration process on the Noticeboard. Initially, PAs register on the PA Noticeboard and are later accredited, during which their declared credentials are verified, and their agreement to the code of conduct and DBS check is obtained. PAs will also complete mandatory training and have access to additional training opportunities if needed.

Once a PA is accredited, their profile will be published and visible to those with published adverts. The PA’s profile includes a tick box indicating whether the PA has a driving licence; however, this does not imply they are insured for business use, as this information will be provided in the summary box. If your PA is expected to drive as part of their job responsibilities, they must have the appropriate insurance, so it is advisable to verify this before offering the position.

Since you will be directly hiring or employing a PA, you will need to ensure that you check their documentation and continue to monitor it in accordance with expiry dates.

Employing a PA

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 and you are responsible for your PA so you need to be aware of employment law and your employment responsibilities.

Click on links below for more information about employing a PA:

Employing a PA factsheet
Information for individual employers Skill for care
Discrimination, Protected Characteristics and Harassment to find out what unlawful discrimination is and what your responsibilities are.
PA’s Right to work in the UK you must check your PA has a right to work in the UK.

Hiring a self-employed PA (SEPA)

Your self-employed PA (SEPA) will direct the work they do, they are responsible for themselves, and you will pay an invoice for the work they do. Your PA will sort out their own tax and insurance and they don’t get employment benefits such as holiday and sick pay.

SEPA factsheet
SEPA checklist this checklist can be completed with your PA to check their employment status.
Check employment status for tax HMRC offer an online tool to also help you with understanding your PA’s employment status.
Working agreement between a self-employed PA and the individual. This outlines responsibility for both the individual and their PA.

Write your job advert

You can create an account to look for a PA and create an advert on the PA Noticeboard. When the person needing support does not have the physical or mental capacity to be the employ/hire a PA, a family member or representative can place an advert on behalf of the individual.

Communicating with your PA

It is important that good communication with your client is established and maintained throughout. When posting an advert on the PA Noticeboard it is important to be clear about the job role you are advertising for, your advert should include information such as;

Care and support needs required
Call days and times – and if these have any flexibility
PA rate of pay

If a PA applicant is unsuccessful to your job role, we advise you communicate this to the PA via the online PA Noticeboard platform or the contact details they have provided you.

If you employ a PA you should provide an employment contract and if you hire a self-employed PA, they should provide you with a working agreement.

The PA Noticeboard also advise that you should keep a communication diary in your home, the diary should outline when the PA visited and what support was provided.

It is best to have a contingency plan in place should holiday or sickness ever arise. For example, are there any family members that could support your PA is on holiday or sick? Do you know any other PAs that could cover you in these times? A self-employed PA should be sourcing their own holiday and sickness cover.

When you or your PA terminates the service, it is important to reflect on the working agreement or employment contract that was signed when you they started supporting you. The termination or end of service period should be outlined in the agreement/contract and followed.

Direct Payments

Some individuals referred to Adult Social Care may be given a personal budget to spend for help with social care and support needs. This is known as a Direct Payment. You can contact Adult Social Care if you would like to have a Direct Payment and you can have a financial assessment to determine if you can get all or some of the money funded for you.

Find out more about Direct Payments in this factsheet

Employer Information Hub

Useful templates – Skills For Care

DBS Suitability Assessment Form

Webinars (skillsforcare.org.uk)

Adult Social Care

www.acas.org.uk – advice & guidance for employers

www.ageuk.org.uk/portsmouth – charity helping older people

www.arcuk.org.uk charity supporting the learning disability sector

www.crimestoppers-uk.org – independent charity helping to stop crime

www.disabilityrightsuk.org – campaigning for disability rights

www.gov.uk – essential information and advice for employer and employee