Direct Payments give you more choice and control over the care and support you receive and allow you to decide who provides it and when. This might include employing your own support worker – known as a personal (care) assistant (PA).
Finding the right PA is important and it can be difficult to know where to begin to find that person.
To support you in finding the right personal assistant, Haringey Council in partnership with RUILS has a Find-a-PA web page. The site links Direct Payment holders looking to employ a personal assistant with those looking for work as a personal assistant.
Being an employer
If you decide on employing your own care and support, you become their employer. It is very important that you understand all the legal, financial, and practical issues that this involves. These include:
- using a payroll company to calculate your PA’s wages
- having employer’s liability insurance
- providing your PA with an employment contract
- having a Disclosure and Barring Service check on GOV.UK, to check if they have a criminal record – the council will pay for this
- confirming your PA has the right to work in the UK on GOV.UK
To find out more about these topics, you can visit Employing your own care and support at Skills for Care.
Vetting of personal assistants
The PAs registered on the Find-a-PA site are not employed by Haringey or RUILS and have not been vetted by Haringey or RUILS.
As well as the measures under Being an employer, it is also your responsibility as an employer to obtain and check references and to satisfy yourself that the PA has the skills and suitability to undertake the role offered.
Find-a-PA also has resources – including the recruitment handbook – which offers invaluable advice and guidance on the process of employing a PA and managing the PA relationship.
See Vetting of Personal Assistants on the Find a PA website for more information, or contact the Direct Payment support team.