The law around social care support in Scotland is underpinned by the idea of Independent Living, and Personal Assistance supports Independent Living. Read more about Independent Living here.
A personal assistant (PA) works directly with one or more disabled people, to support them with various aspects of their daily
life so that they can live it in a way they choose. Find out more about the role of a Personal Assistant here.
The Personal Assistant (PA) role was developed by disabled people as they campaigned for equality. Find out more about the journey taken by disabled people with a specific focus on the development of the PA role here.
How the PA role differs from other social care workers, with it's focus on 1-1 working and delivering personalised support as directed by their employer
A PA must balance the approaches they have to ensure they both respect the disabled person as their employer whilst offering a high standard of support. Find out more about the values and skills required to become a PA here.
Being a PA can be rewarding and varied, although each opportunity will be as unique as your employer. If you are the kind of person who gets on with people, you may like to consider a role as a PA. Find out more here.
There are many potential responsibilities for a PA which must be specified prior to starting a new job. Find out more here about what to expect and about the rights you will have as an employee.
Find out about the best places to look for PA vacancies.
This article explains the Social Model of Disability, and how disability is defined by the barriers created in society that exclude and discriminate against people, thus 'disabling' them.