Is being a PA Employer for me?
Being a PA Employer allows people to choose who delivers their support. People can decide when they want support, what they need people to do and how flexible they need people to be. Whilst this gives a great deal of choice, control and flexibility over support, this comes with certain responsibilities.
Doing it for the right reasons
Choosing to become a PA employer can be a really positive choice. However, it’s best to be sure that this will be right for you by taking time to think about it without any pressure.
Areas you need to be careful with
There are areas where care should be taken, like if you are wanting to employ a family member or use a self-employed Personal Assistant. In some Local Authority (council) areas, you need to have formal powers, such as Power of Attorney or Guardianship to be an employer on behalf of another adult.
It is a good idea to contact your local Independent Support Organisation for advice with these issues. Find your local organisation using the Find Help search tool.
Allowing time to organise and recruit
It may take time and effort to get set up and recruit the right PA. Sometimes this can happen reasonably quickly, but it might be helpful to take the time you need to find the right person or people to be your PA. If urgent support is required, your local authority (council) can provide support until the right PA is recruited.
A new relationship with your PA(s)
As an employer, your relationship with your PA employee might be different to support workers you’ve had in the past.
To help ensure that becoming a PA employer is a choice open to most people, there are Independent Support Organisations covering almost every area of Scotland. They provide support with becoming a PA employer, what this involves and they also provide ongoing support.
Next steps
Take a look at the articles below on ‘The Recruitment Process’. Also take a look at the case studies. They will help provide perspective because they are the stories of people who have experienced the process and they share what life is like for them now.