Personal assistants

Personal Assistants (PAs)

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What a personal assistant is

If you’re finding it difficult to care for yourself, you may want to get some support from a personal assistant (PA). This could be because of your age, a physical or learning disability, or poor general health.

A personal assistant, sometimes called a support worker, can support you in your own home so you can stay independent. Many people choose to employ a PA because they need the consistent, ongoing support that their own PA can provide.

Visit the Skills to Care website to find more information about PAs.

How a PA can help you

Depending on your support plan, PAs can offer support such as:

  • personal care - help with feeding, bathing and toileting
  • healthcare - giving medication, catheter management
  • help to live independently - making meals, cooking, health and safety, cleaning and shopping
  • helping you take part in social and leisure activities - taking you on holiday or to appointments, providing interest and activities
  • helping to look after children

Finding and employing a PA

When you hire a personal assistant, you become their employer.

Find out how we can help you find and employ a PA, and what you'll need to have in place.

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Contact us

If you'd like more information about employing a personal assistant, you can:

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