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A personal assistant (PA) can help you live independently.
A PA can support you in your own home and out in the community. They can help with personal care, housework, shopping and provide companionship.
There are a number of ways to recruit the services of a PA.
You can:
- hire a self-employed PA
- hire a PA through an agency
- employ your own PA directly
Recruiting a PA
Self-employed PA
You can recruit the services of a self-employed PA.
A self-employed PA:
- can choose the hours they are able to support you
- set their own hourly rate
- does not receive the following from you:
- annual leave entitlement
- pension enrolment
- statuary sick pay
- invoices you for the hours worked
- needs their own public liability insurance
Employing a PA directly
You, or someone representing you, can employ a PA directly. This means that you will become the PA's employer.
The Direct Payment Team can explain your responsibilities as an employer.
They will tell you about:
- payroll companies that can help with:
- tax
- national insurance
- pensions contributions
- paying wages
- setting you up as an employer with HMRC
- insurance companies for your public liability insurance - you will need to protect you and your PA
- contracts, job descriptions, application forms and references
- DBS checks – individuals must, by law, have a DBS check when working with children or when a member of the household is under 18
- rates of pay
- holiday allowance
- risk assessments
You can find a PA by advertising on social media, local schools or within the community.
The Direct Payment Team can place an advert for you on Jobs Go Public. They will let you know what information they need from you to put the advert together.
They will only be helping you to place an advert though, they will not be employing a PA for you.
Agency PA
You can arrange a PA through an agency. The agency will be the PA's employer.
An agency PA will:
- have a set working pattern
- have a set hourly rate
- have employment rights including annual leave entitlement, pension enrolment and statutory sick pay
- get paid through a payroll company
- be covered by your public liability insurance
Recruitment advice
However you recruit a PA, we recommend that you:
- get invoices for tasks or hours completed
- make sure you agree the hourly rate up-front
- clearly define:
- how to end the contract
- terms and conditions
- breaks needed in the contract, such as holidays
- ask your PA to keep detailed care reports for all tasks completed
Before recruiting a PA, you should always check they have:
- an up-to-date DBS check - most self-employed PAs belong to the DBS Update Service
- current public liability insurance
- a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) - this means the PA is registered with HMRC to be self-employed
PA services in Bracknell Forest
Remember: you use websites, their products or services at your own risk.
Personal Assistants at Home
Go to the Personal Assistants at Home website for more information.
More PA services will be added to this page.