Information for local authorities, NHS and support organisations

This guide is for people who are already or interested in becoming a PA. It explains more about the role and some things to think about when working as a PA.

This tool supports integrated care planning for people with health and social care needs.

This guide outlines the benefits and shares learning and top tips about what works well, to help individual employers, local authorities and CCGs to work together to put the right processes in place to make it happen.

An Individual Service Fund (ISF) is one way of managing a personal budget, where someone who needs care and support chooses an organisation to manage the budget on their behalf. If you’re considering being involved in ISF’s download our guide to find out more information.

There are lots of qualifications PAs can do to develop their skills and knowledge.

Our endorsed providers have been assessed and checked as delivering high quality training that's fit for purpose.

User led organisations can apply for funding to deliver training to individual employers and PAs.

These resources can help you understand more about individual employers' responsibilities around automatic enrolment.

This factsheet from the Low Incomes Tax Reform Group explains more about employment status, and will help individual employers to decide if their PA is employed or self-employed.

This advice note explains a bit more about the Care Certificate and how it relates to PAs.

This advice note explains a bit more about where and when a PA might need to register with CQC.

This advice note has more information about what insurance individual employers need.

Read information about direct payment recipients and their personal assistants in England. This 2020 report includes key figures about the size and profile of the personal assistant workforce, turnover rates, pay rates and other workforce information.

This research from the University of East Anglia aims to understand the relationships of power, ethics and emotions which underlie the PA model.

This report outlines findings from a recent study which set out to establish a picture of PAs working across social care and health in England.

This report outlines the most recent findings from an ongoing study which sets out to understand the support available to people employing PAs in England.

This report outlines findings from a recent study which set out to establish the support available to personal health budget holders employing PAs in England.

PAs talk about why they decided to become a PA and why they love their role.

Niamh Dalziel from Portsmouth City Council talks about how they set up a personal assistant noticeboard in Portsmouth. It enables individuals who use a direct payment, personal health budget or self funders to find their own care and support staff.

Warwickshire County Council talk about how their Independent Living Team support individuals who employ their own PAs (carers) using a direct payment, personal health budget or self funded. Their support includes elearning for staff, signposting to other support and working with social workers to inform them about the option of being an individual employer.

Cambridge Alliance for Independent Living (CAIL) has developed these case studies of people with lived experience who receive a direct payment. They give you first hand experience about what's worked well and how you can better support direct payment recipients.

It's important to develop local networks to ensure an integrated service and share good practice. Here's some resources to help.

This guide will help you carry out a great assessment for someone who has autism.

This guide helps practitioners work through the process of considering indirect payments as a way of ensuring people who lack capacity to make certain decisions, are able to take advantage of the care and support available.

These guides explain a bit more about personal health budgets and the delegation of health talks where the holder employs a PA.

This interactive tool by Think Local Act Personal will help improvement officers in councils and their partner organisations deliver Care Act compliant social care systems which relate to personal budgets.

This guide from Shared Lives Plus will help voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations work with health professionals to support more people to use a personal health budget.

Information for social workers

An Individual Service Fund (ISF) is one way of managing a personal budget, where someone who needs care and support chooses an organisation to manage the budget on their behalf. If you’re considering being involved in ISF’s download our guide to find out more information.

This guide sets out a step by step process that you can follow to set up and run an academy. It includes tips and templates from four pilot projects that Skills for Care funded in 2018/19.

Disability Sheffield worked with Sheffield Hallam University to promote the PA role to students on relevant courses.

The partnership worked with University of Portsmouth and University of Southampton to promote the PA role to students on relevant courses.

Nottinghamshire CC did targeted promotional activities in rural communities and with hard to reach groups, to increase the number of PAs on their directory.