What do I need to think of when looking for a Personal Care Assistant?

Finding the right personal care assistant (PA) for yourself, or for a loved one you are responsible for, isn't always easy - as we discussed in part 1 of our "Finding A Good Personal Care Worker" series. However, having a clear idea on what you want them to do for you will help you off to a good start in your search.

Hone in on what you, or the person you’re caring for, will need help with - whether that is personal care, social care, transport, medication administration, or any other activities. Consider what the agreed care plan from your local authority says. It is also a good idea to discuss the needs you, or the person you’re caring for, have with a close friend or family member, as they will know you well already. Based on these discussions, it is sensible to make a list of the responsibilities you think the personal care assistant will need to undertake whilst working for you.

It’s also important to note what people, who care for you already, are doing to help you to live a more independent life. If a family member or friend is taking on the responsibilities of a carer, then you may need your personal care assistant to take over these jobs, or perhaps you want your personal care assistant to compliment what someone is already doing for you. If you're still struggling, you can check out what other people are looking for in a personal care assistant to see what they've listed as the responsibilities of the role, and include those duties on your list if they apply to you, or the person you’re caring for. For a more general idea of what a personal care assistant’s responsibilities may be, click here.

Finally, think about how many PAs you’ll need. For instance, do you need to break the role down into parts, depending on the skills required - maybe you need someone to be physically supportive in the mornings but the person who is visiting in the afternoon is carrying out lighter tasks, like making tea and coming for company, so that person could be different. Note that even though sometimes it can be easier to find one full-time PA rather than break the role down into two part-time roles, you need to do what is best for you at the end of the day. Think about this before you begin your search and discuss it with your loved ones. Having clarity on the role and responsibilities in your own mind, will make it easier for you to find the right person more easily, plus you are likely to create a good impression with your new PA once they are on board as he/she will see you as someone who understands their own requirements well and hopefully respect you for that.

Once you've considered how you want the role to be divided up, if at all, and have created a list of duties, you're ready to start advertising your job role. You can do this in several ways, including advertising yourself or going through your local council etc (for a full list, see our previous blog post).

If you decide to choose to find, meet, and hire your next personal care assistant yourself, you gain more control over the decision making process and flexibility in who you decide to hire. Our platform, UKCIL helps you to do this simply and effectively, enabling you to find the perfect personal care assistant, to suit your specific needs. Click here to learn more about UKCIL.