Direct Payments
Factsheet 17: Employing a Personal
Assistant: Training Personal Assistants
If you choose to employ your own Personal Assistants (PAs), the person assisting you with drawing up your
support plan and/or a Direct Payment support service can help you think through what you need to do to
become a responsible employer. This will include thinking through any training you/your staff will need to
undertake.
You need to make sure any staff you employ are able to carry out the tasks you expect of them and do not put
you or themselves at risk of being injured. It is, therefore, particularly important that you and your staff
understand the implications of any moving and handling tasks expected of them. Insurance companies state
that they will only pay out if the Personal Assistant is trained in moving and handling by an appropriate
trainer.
Employers are required to provide their staff with instruction, information, training and supervision. In
particular health and safety legislation applies to employers of 5 or more staff who are then legally required to
provide training. The Council strongly recommend that you identify your own training needs so you can
provide some formal guidance/training to your Personal Assistants. A Direct Payment support service may be
able to advice on this and also provide information about suitable, available training. We also recommend that
they/you access the training courses you have identified. This may mean attending some courses together.
Some training is also available in the home setting.
If your personal assistant has not already undertaken training, and depending on the tasks they will be asked
to undertake, the sorts of courses you may need to consider are for example:
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Moving and Handling – if your Personal Assistant supporting you with any moving and handling
tasks, then they will need to have Moving and Handling training
First Aid
Infection Control
Food Hygiene
Administration of Medication
Health and Safety
You may also want to consider other specialist courses, such as dementia awareness, autism, diabetes, etc.
Further local information is available from www.actforfunding.org and www.penderelstrust.org.uk
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Direct Payment Factsheet C17
Some useful information is also available from Skills for Care:
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A framework for supporting personal assistants working in adult social care
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/paframework
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Picking your pathway www.skillsforcare.org.uk/workforce_strategy/
workforce_innovation_programme/personalisation
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Common Induction standards www.skillsforcare.org.uk/common_induction_standards There are
new standards being completed at this moment through Skills for Care and Skills for Health who
are including PA’s in the Common Induction Standards and also they have completed a Code of
Conduct for health and social care workers, including PA’s.
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The QCF level 3 diploma in health and social care called “For those working as a personal
assistant” replaces NVQs. There are standalone units that PA’s can complete as they can now
choose only units
applicable to what they are doing. Insert name of support organisation or your social worker will
be able to advise you about access to this in your area www.skillsforcare.org.uk/qcf/
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The Workforce Development Fund can help with training costs www.skillsforcare.org.uk/funding/
workforce_development_fund By following this link you can find further information about the
Workforce Development Fund and local partnerships who can support you to access this. People
who employ their own care and support staff will need to register some basic details about
themselves and their PAs on to the National Minimum Data Set for Social Care to be able to access
the funding but the local partnerships or a telephone support service can help with this.
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The Workforce Development Fund is a funding stream from the Department of Health
disseminated by Skills for Care. It focuses on the achievement of qualification units and supports
the ongoing professional development of staff across the adult social care sector.
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The fund is distributed by Skills for Care via a network of employer led partnerships and large
national organisations:
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The fund can only be utilised by adult social care providers that employ social care staff within
England.
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www.scie.org.uk/publications/ataglance
Personalisation briefing: Implications for Personal Assistants.
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Direct Payment Factsheet C17
Find out more:
WHASCAS - 0845 607 2000
Supporting Access to Health & Social Care Services in Worcestershire
Visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk
Other factsheets in the series:
Factsheet 1: Getting started
Factsheet 2: What can and can’t Direct Payments be used for?
Factsheet 3: Answers to some frequently asked questions
Factsheet 4: Acting as a Suitable/Authorised Person
Factsheet 5: Keeping safe
Factsheet 6: Keeping good records
Factsheet 7: What to do…
Factsheet 8: Respite and Replacement Care Arrangements
Factsheet 9: Transport
Factsheet 10: Equipment & Assistive Technology
Factsheet 11: Using an agency
Factsheet 12: Employing a Personal Assistant
Factsheet 13: Employing a Personal Assistant: Being a good employer
Factsheet 14: Employing a Personal Assistant: Employing people legally
Factsheet 15: Employing a Personal Assistant: Insurance
Factsheet 16: Employing a Personal Assistant: Employment of resident relatives—exceptional
circumstances
Direct Payment Factsheet C17