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Employing or hiring a PA

If you are looking for a Personal Assistant (PA) to support with your care and support needs to live independently in your own home and local community, then please see below for more information

The benefits of employing or hiring a PA

Flexibility – you can

  • choose specific hours to fit around your care and support needs
  • have more than one PA

Types of support a PA can offer you

  • personal care – washing, dressing and toileting
  • preparing meals and support with eating
  • household tasks such as cleaning, laundry or gardening
  • paying bills
  • leisure and social activities
  • shopping
  • accessing work or college
  • driving someone to wherever they need to go
  • participating in hobbies

What you need to know about employing or hiring a PA

Types of support a PA Opens in new window  can offer.

For more information about the PA role, please see the video Employing a PA

Paying for your care

Your personal budget is the total amount of money allocated to you to meet your care and support needs, as agreed in your support plan, following your Care and Support Assessment Opens in new window.

If you are eligible for a personal budget Opens in new window, you can have this money as a direct payment. This means that you can arrange your support directly with the person or organisation you want to use instead of Leicestershire County Council arranging services for you.

If you have more than £23,250 in savings and assets, you are a self-funder Opens in new window and will need to pay the full cost of your care and support.

Terms and conditions of employment

In most cases, you will recruit a PA as a Direct Payment holder or as a self funder for your care and support needs.  As an employer you will need to consider the employment rights of a PA and the terms and conditions of employment Opens in new window

If you are recruiting the PA please consider;

  • arranging a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check Opens in new window if the PA does not have one. We strongly recommend you have an enhanced DBS check even if you are employing family or friends.  Please note LCC will support the application and can pay for this
  • you are responsible for checking if the PA has the right to work in the UK Opens in new window
  • it is a legal requirement that you have Employer Liability Insurance Open in new window (PDF) in place. It protects you as the employer and can pay for legal costs and compensation if an employee sues you for a work-related injury or illness
  • you are responsible for providing a written contract of employment of the terms and conditions, for example, holidays, a communication plan for reporting absence, notice periods and redundancy. A template is available from your employer liability insurer
  • you can use the check employment status for tax Opens in new window (CEST) tool to find out if the PA is classed as employed or self-employed for tax purposes
  • provide the PA with an induction plan
  • decide and agree the working hours and time slots you need
  • agree your hourly rate of pay, mileage or expenses
  • pay wages into their bank account and be responsible for tax and NI contributions to HMRC and we can support you with this
  • arrange for you to opt in or out of a workplace pension Opens in new window
  • provide access to any training the PA may need, and specialist training related to your disability or health condition within reason and subject to your support plan

Further information, advice and guidance

Skills for Care Opens in new window have resources and information for those employing or hiring a PA, as well as resources to support people in their role.

Inspired to Care Opens in new window  is here to help social care by not only promoting the sector to potential candidates but by supporting our hard working providers throughout Leicester City and Leicestershire County.  They offer a free service for members which will help with your recruitment and retention challenges.

Independent Living Group Open in new window  (ILG) is a company developed to support individual employers and those that support them. It was initially developed by Mark Bates Ltd (MBL) as a tool to support the Direct Payment recipients they insured. The ILG has since developed into a stand-alone organisation that support several different initiatives.

Are you an unpaid carer?

If you are an unpaid Carer who supports someone that cannot manage everyday life without your support, then you can find out more about Carer’s Support Opens in new window

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