If you are getting a personal budget, you might want to meet your care and support needs by having a personal assistant (PA).
A personal assistant can help you do the things you want to do. They can help you take control of your life and be more independent.
You could employ a personal assistant directly yourself, or use an agency.
You would pay for this with your personal budget plus any money that you are expected to contribute towards the cost of your care and support.
You will need to open a separate bank account. We pay your personal budget directly into this. This is called direct payments. You will need to pay your contribution into this account too. This means we can all keep track of how the money is being spent, for example paying your PA.
What can a PA do for you?
A PA can work in your home or go out and about with you.
They can help and support you with a range of tasks and activities.
When you make your care and support plan, you will go through and agree all the things that you would like a PA to do.
Who can be a PA?
A personal assistant can be anyone who does not live with you. They can be member of your family, a friend or someone else.
You can have more than one PA, depending on what you need them to do.
What should you expect from a PA?
Each PA's job will be different, just as everyone's support needs are different.
You should feel comfortable with your PA. You should trust them and be confident that they understand your needs and what you want to achieve with their support.
They should be reliable and treat you with dignity and respect.
Qualifications and training
It is up to you to decide what qualifications you want your personal assistant to have. Some of these things could be:
- first aid
- food hygiene
- health and safety
- moving and handling
- infection control.
We recommend that they do our free, safeguarding awareness training.
You can encourage them to get further qualifications, such as a diploma in Health and Social Care, or other courses that will help meet your specific needs.
How do you get a PA?
You can:
- get a PA service through an agency
- find and employ one yourself.
Your social care worker can assist you to decide what would suit you best.