Becoming a PA

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.
A personal assistant supports in tasks, such as:

• 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 becoming a PA in care

• Becoming a PA Booklet
• Becoming a Self-Employed PA
• PA policy
• Difference between employed (PAYE) and Self-employed PA

 

Becoming a PA on the IOW PA noticeboard

All new and existing PA’s must complete the accreditation process before being able to apply for adverts on the Noticeboard. Registration can be done by clicking here

When registering as a PA, remember to include as much information about yourself as possible, include any paid or unpaid health and social care experience – for example the time you looked after a family member, friend, or someone you may have helped in the local community. It’s also important to include why you enjoy supporting people, add some personal interests i.e. what you enjoy doing in your spare time such as hobbies or any volunteering roles that you have done previously.

PA Accreditation process

Once you have created your account on the PA Noticeboard, a member of the Team will contact you requesting your documentation and to attend an introduction session. In order to complete the accreditation process as a self-employed PA, you will be required to have and complete the following:

• Enhanced DBS certificate for Adult and Child Workforce
• HMRC UTR (unique tax reference) evidence
• Evidence of their Public Liability Insurance Certificate
• Right to Work within the UK
• Signed Code of Conduct for PAs
• Completion of the mandatory training modules
• Attendance at a PA introduction session

Click here to find out further information about the accreditation process.

If you are struggle to make the payment for the cost of the enhanced DBS, the PA Market team offer DBS repayment plans. Please contact PAMarket@iow.gov.uk for further information.

PA Introduction Sessions

The PA Market Team require all newly registered PA’s to attend a PA Introduction Session. Once you have registered on the PA Noticeboard,  you will receive an email out lining our up and coming introduction sessions. In these sessions, we support you with the documentation requirements and talk you through any queries and questions you may have about becoming a PA in Care.

Mandatory Training

All PAs are required to complete mandatory training courses before accreditation, you will be granted access to the IWC Online Learning Hub (free of charge) once you book your PA introductory session and your login details will be included within your confirmation email of your introductory session. Please complete the mandatory training programme for PAs as listed below. Click here to find out about other training courses available for accredited PAs.

• Safeguarding Adults for the Frontline Workforce (Face to face)
• Safeguarding Adults (E-learning)
• Introduction to Safeguarding Children (E-learning)

Finding a role as a PA in care

Communicating with your client

When applying for adverts on the PA Noticeboard, we advise that PA’s should leave their contact details within their cover letter in order for the client to make direct contact with you. It is expected that PA’s be responsive when clients are making contact, if your circumstances have changed and you are no longer available for the job role, please respond to the client to inform them of this. Similarly, if you have arranged to attend an initial meeting with a client, please ensure you have the relevant contact details for the client, this will allow you to reschedule the meeting should anything arise. The client should also hold your details.

It is important that good communication is established between you and your client. If you have been successful for a 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  – this is also sent to you upon accreditation.

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

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

When you or your client terminates the service, it is important to reflect on the working agreement that was signed when you started supporting your client. 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.

If you require support with writing your PA profile, or you have questions about the next steps please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We are here to support you, you can email: pamarket@iow.gov.uk or telephone: 01983 823642

PA’s are able to access the Professional Boundaries module on the Learning Hub, this 3-hour course is designed to give participants an opportunity to understand the boundaries between good and poor practice in health and social care work.

– Click this link to book a fully funded place – Professional Boundaries

 

Safeguarding Information for PA’s

If you or anyone you know is in immediate danger, call 999 now for emergency help.

What is safeguarding?

Adult Safeguarding is for adults at risk with care and support needs. It is also for adults at risk of being abused or neglected who are unable to protect themselves against abuse or neglect because of their needs.

The Care Act 2014 ensures enquiries are made to find out what action, if any, may be needed when an adult with care and support needs may be at risk of abuse or neglect. This applies if we’re already providing care and support services to the adult at risk or not. You or someone you care for may need support with risk of abuse or harm. And you may require other support services too, including a care assessment or a review of your care and support plan. To find out more information on safeguarding please click here

Record keeping

It is good practice for PA’s to keep a record book in every clients home they support. A record of care and support given should be listed each time you visit the client;

Examples of what to include in daily record keeping;

• Accidents and incidents that occurred whilst supporting the individual and what action the PA took
• Behaviour of the individual
• Any other Health professionals or services that attended the home whilst the PA was supporting the individual
• Activities relating to accessing the community
• Nutrition, hydration and elimination
• Attendance of appointments
• Medications
• Personal care (hygiene, bedtime, etc.)

Managing your role as a PA

Managing your account on the IOW PA noticeboard

It is vital that PA’s always keep their accounts up to date, when renewing Public Liability Insurance Certificates or Enhanced DBS Certificates you MUST inform the PA Market Team of your new policy/certificate number for our records. Please also remember to keep us up to date with your home address and contact numbers and email addresses. If you are going to be working on a PAYE (employed) basis this means the person that you will be supporting (not the IOW Council) will be responsible for the payroll and employer’s liability insurance.

Tax and Expenses for PA’s – Self-employed PA’s

If you do not want to complete your tax returns yourself, you can contact an accountant to do this on your 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.

Taxable Expenses

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

PA’s can check if an expense is allowed to be taken off of their taxable profit by calling 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 client. One-off expenses are best handled directly between you and your client.

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

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