Looking for a PA: Key information

What is a Personal Assistant in care?

Personal assistants (PAs) are employed to support people who have social care or health needs to promote their wellbeing and continue to live as independently as possible in their home and the community. Employing your own personal assistants means you are in control of the care and support you receive, and you choose the PA and the work they do.
Having a PA would support your physical and emotional wellbeing, social needs, and provide help in tasks, such as to:

• 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 – click here to find out what’s going on in your local 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.

Click here to read more about employing a PA in care

• Employing a PA Booklet
• Process Flow Chart -Employing a PA
• PA policy
• Difference between employed (PAYE) and self-employed PA

Write your job advert 

You can create an account as ‘a direct employer’ to place an advert to look for a PA on the PA noticeboard. When the person they are supporting does not have physical or mental capacity to be the employer, family member or representative can place an advert on behalf of the individual.

• How to place an advert on the PA noticeboard
• Useful information – Recruiting a PA 

 

Before your PA starts

An accredited PA is a PA who has gone through the registration process on the Noticeboard. The PA’s firstly needed to register on the PA Noticeboard, they are then invited to attend an introduction session whereby the PA Market Team check the persons documentation, this includes:

• Enhanced DBS Check (checked every 36 months)
• HMRC UTR (unique tax reference) evidence
• Evidence of their Public Liability Insurance Certificate
• Right to Work within the UK
• Completion of Safeguarding adult and Safeguarding children training
• Signed Code of Conduct for PA’s

However, as you will be a direct employer, you will need to ensure that you (or authorised person for example family member or friend) to check PA’s documentation and continue to check them in line with expiry dates.

• Information for individual employers Skill for care
• Working Agreement-Self Employed PA Between a self-employed PA and the individual. This outlines responsibility for both individual and their PA.
• PAYE contract of employment Employing a PA? Find a template employment contract here
• Check employment status for tax If you are unsure whether your PA is a self-employed PA or not, HMRC offers an online tool to give you an indication of your PA’s status for tax.
• PA’s Right to work in the UK You can request your potential PA to provide share code and check their right to work in the UK.
• Check DBS status – update service If your PA is using the Online DBS Update service, you are able to check the status of their DBS yourself.

If you have posted your advert on behalf of a person who is under 18

The PA Market team advise you to check the PA applicant’s enhanced DBS – adult and children’s workforce which includes both barred list information.

Managing your PAs

Self-employed PA’s Expense and Mileage 

If a PA does not want to complete their tax returns themselves, they can contact an accountant to do this on their behalf. PA’s are able to file their tax returns online or use a paper form. Paper forms must be completed earlier than online tax returns so that HMRC can calculate the bill in time. PA’s are able to check when they have to complete their tax returns by on the government website. Tax returns are an essential part of being self-employed and it is important that PA’s complete this process, this is the self-employed PA’s responsibility. If PA’s do not complete their tax returns, or if they are submitted after the deadline, the PA may have to pay interest or a penalty charge.

PA’s are able to deduct some expenses from their taxable profit, this can include;

• Clothing expenses, including PPE and uniform
• Training courses that are relevant to their work
• Public Liability Insurance
• Phone expenses, stationary expenses
• Travel costs to get to and from work and around during work

If PA’s want to check if an expense is allowed to be taken off of their taxable profit, they can call the HMRC self-assessment helpline or talk to an accountant.

Regular expenses, such as travel/mileage, can be incorporated into the working agreement with your PA. One-off expenses are best handled directly between you and your PA.

You do not have to pay for your PA’s mileage or activity-based expenses; however, this is a topic that is best negotiated between yourself and your PA upon commencing support. This should also be evidenced on the working agreement signed by yourself and your PA.

Please note – these expenses are not generally included in a personal budget.

 

Communicating with your PA

It is important that good communication is established between you and your PA. 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 have found a successful PA applicant to your job role, it is important a good level of communication is continued. The PA Market Team advised a working agreement is signed between both parties before support starts, Click here for our template.

The PA Market Team advise that all PA’s should also keep a communication diary in your home, the diary should outline when the PA visited and what support was provided.

You should consider a holiday and sickness contingency plan for your PA’s. The PA Market advise that self-employed PA should be sourcing their own holiday and sickness cover. However, it is best that the client and PA have a conversation around this and a plan in place should holiday or sickness ever arise in the PA. For example, are their any family members that could support you when your PA is on holiday or sick? Does the PA know any other PA’s that could cover them in these times?

When you or your PA terminates the service, it is important to reflect on the working agreement that was signed when the PA started supporting you. The termination or end of service period should be outlined on the working agreement and followed. The PA Market Team advise at least one weeks’ notice from both parties to end the service, however, this period is at the discretion of the PA and client when the working agreement is drawn up at the start of service.

Paying your PA

Some individuals referred to Adult Social care may be given personal budget to spend if you are eligible for help with any social care and support you need. This is known as a direct payment (insert factsheet). If you have not yet had an assessment to determine your funding eligibility, please contact Adult social care to find out more. Anyone on the Isle of Wight can have a PA, you do not have to be a referred through Adult Social Care.

If you are in receipt of a direct payment or a self-funder, you can pay the PA directly. This could be monthly or weekly, you will need to negotiate with your PA. If the direct payment support service is managing your direct payment, your PA will need to submit invoices for payment to: directpaymentsupportservice@iow.gov.uk

 

Self-funding Your Care

If you have savings and investments worth more than £23,250* you will have to pay the full cost of your care. This is known as being a self-funder. As a self-funder, you can arrange and pay for your own care.

However, if you wish, we can help you find suitable care and arrange a direct debit payment for a weekly administration fee of £10, which will be added to your monthly invoice.

If your savings run out and fall below £23,250*, you may be able to get help with the cost of your care. Contact ASC when your savings and investments drop below £25,000 and we’ll reassess your finances.

*The upper capital limit is set by national government legislation and is subject to change

Further information can be found here: Paying for your care

 

Living Well and Early Help

If you are self-funding your care and require some support with recruitment of PAs, you can refer yourself or a family member to the Living Well & Early Help Service. The Living Well & Early Help Service support people to build their strengths, passions, and capabilities, they will support people to look for practical solutions wherever possible and focus on what they can do for themselves using their skills and experience. In order to refer yourself/a family member, please use the LWEH Enquiry form here: LWEH Enquiry Form

Contact Information:

 Telephone: 01983 240732

 Email: reception@lweh.org.uk