Personal Assistant

You’ll work directly with one or more individuals to support them in every aspect of their daily living and enable them to live as independently as possible. You’ll be employed directly by an individual who are managing and paying for their own care through a direct payment or individual budget. You’ll often work from their own home. You will be able to work flexibly.

• Expected to earn

If you are self-employed you are able to set a rate of pay which you deem is fair and reasonable for the services you provide. If you are employed, by law you must be paid the National Minimum Wage.

• Skills and values

There are a range of skills and values that are needed to work in as a care assistant. These include:

• Excellent communication, observational and listening skills

• Good verbal, digital, written and numeracy skills

• Treating people with dignity and respect

• Ability to follow policy and procedures

• Ability to lone work and communicate effectively with other professionals

• Entry requirements

There are no set entry qualifications, and the skills, experience and values required will largely depend on the needs of the individual employer. Individual employers are seeking a personal assistant who they can trust and who has the right values and attitudes. You may have worked as a care assistant and then transferred to working as a Personal Assistant. Find out more from these pages Small Good Stuff and Provider Engagement Network.

• What roles can I do to gain experience?
• Volunteering.
• Care Assistant.
• Opportunities to develop

You will need to complete basic training and also training specific to the individual you are working with. Take a look at the PA training opportunities available here.

• What’s next
• Enabler.
• Care Assistant.

Find out more about this role from real people.

• Tracey’s story

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