When the
times comes to hire a Personal Assistant (PA) it can seem like a very big task,
especially if this is something you have not done before. Essentially the role
of a PA in this instance is support a disabled person to live their life as
independently and fully as possible.
What have
people said about having a PA?
My PA Carer doesn’t do things for
me, she helps me do things for myself. She’s given me my independence back by
supporting me, and I am so grateful for all she does. - Leah
Having a PA has enabled me to do so much more than I ever thought. I was so against the idea at first, as the thought of accepting help from anyone outside of my family truly scared me. 4 years later and I am loving life - living independently alongside my four legged friend.
I am forever looking for my next adventure and without this support, it would never be possible. - Ross
For me, having personal assistants completely changed my life. I'm not going to lie, at first I found it strange inviting someone into my home and asking them to help me with things only my family and close friends only had done in the past. But now, it's second nature and it means I can live the life I want to, rather than relying on others and feeling bad for doing so. It's also taught me how to be confident with communicating and being an employer, from the age of 18! - Gem
Having PA's was the making of me. Sure, in the beginning it was scary with lots to learn. But as a result I've achieved so much like writing a book of my travels and work for social change. - Martyn
With this
in mind, here are some top tips we think might help with the process.
Writing a
job description
All of
the links suggested have this as a strong starting point. It’s important to know
what kind of person you would like to work for you and to know what their job
description would look like. This would be a great chance to sit down and have
a think about the things you may require support with.
For
people with conditions that can change daily, this can be more of a challenge,
but don’t worry. Having a list of responsibilities doesn’t mean this is all set
in stone, but it is important to be realistic.
Similarly,
what level of training would you require your PA to have? Or what kind of
person are you looking for?
Advertising
for a PA
Next you
would need to advertise the position. This can be done through online job
sites, a local PA registers or even on social media. It’s important that the
advert is comprehensive and allows potential employees to understand more about
the role they are applying for.
Scope
advice and Skills for Care suggest you include the following on the advert:
- What the job involves (the
job description)
- How people should apply,
with contact details
- If you want them to have any
qualifications
- What kind of checks they
will need to pass before they start, for example, references, right to
work in the UK and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
When
collating a list of potential interviewees, I found it helpful to make a list
or a spreadsheet of everyone’s information, experience, qualifications and interests.
This will allow you to see at a glance who you believe may be most suited for the
role.
Interviewing
potential PA’s
When you
believe you have a suitable number of candidates or have reached the deadline
you put on the advert, it’s good idea to take a step back and review the
applications. From experience, it can be very easy to get lost in the
applications and completely forget who is who!
A list of
potential interview questions can be found here
on the Scope website.
You want
the interview to be fairly informal which will allow you to see if you would
get on with this person and whether or not you feel they would be capable of
the role. The interview is also a great chance for them to ask you question about
your needs and about what would be expected of them.
Hiring a
PA!
If you
think you have found the perfect person then this is great! You can offer them
the position and request references. It may be useful to arrange a trial shift before
they start where they can get a true feel for the role. It will also be a great
chance for you to see how compatible you are.
However,
it’s okay to reopen applications or look at hiring a PA through an agency. Sometimes
it can take a bit of time to find someone who has the availability and
characteristics that you are looking for. Similarly, depending on the hours you
have funding for, more than one person may be required. Having someone as
bank staff can be great if your PA falls ill or goes on holiday!
Hopefully
by the end of this process you have found a PA who will be able to assist you
whenever required. If you need to apply for funding to cover the cost of a PA,
I would highly advise doing this before you look into the hiring process. The
links below should help.
Useful links
What do you believe makes
a good PA? Let us know in the comments below!
