We hope that the following will help with the recruitment and employment of your PA.

Skills For Care

• Skills For Care - Helpful step-by-step guidance about recruiting a PA, and templates such as a sample job description, job advert, interview letter etc.

Safety

• Keeping safe - We'd recommend that you don't put your home address, phone number or details about yourself on the job advert. You can use a PO box instead

• Make sure you ask for two written job references from the people you interview and follow them up

• When you interview people do it away from your home address if you can (eg library) and have someone with you to support you

• When the PA starts working with you arrange for a friend, parent or someone you trust to spend some time with you when your PA first starts work

• When identifying a potential PA we recommend a DBS check - liaise with your social worker for details. Find out more about the importance of a DBS check and the process involved.

Employment responsibilities

• Employed PA versus self-employed PA. There are important differences about employing a PA and using the services of a self-employed PA. You have more responsibility by being an employer and will need to have help from payroll and have insurance in place. Being self-employed is determined by the type of work you do and being registered as self-employed by HMRC. Find out more from the Skills For Care website.

• Contract of employment - this is a legal requirement for you to have with your PA when employed, from day one. LINK - Please see template -link H drive  DP contract template 

• Find out more about your responsibilities as an employer

• Find out more about developing/training your PA

• For advice about problems with employing a PA you can contact your insurance provider if they offer free legal advice. Further information can be found in our 'Looking for a PA' section.

Aid with recruitment/interviewing-link H Drive