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Working as a personal assistant

Working as a personal assistant (PA) is an important and rewarding role. PAs provide people with personal and domestic support. They help them live a full and independent life within their home and their community.

The job can be very flexible, offering a variety of full and part-time hours, including evenings and weekends. You can support one person, or several people.

Your clients may include people who are older, disabled, or living with a mental health condition or learning disability.

Due to the nature of support that is needed for health and social care clients, you will often work on an employed basis.

Self-employment arrangements do exist and are determined by completing an employment status check.

What does a PA do?

Duties vary depending on the client’s requirements and individual needs. This may include providing support with:

  • personal care, like washing and dressing
  • household tasks, such as cleaning, gardening and shopping
  • assisting with healthcare tasks (after training)
  • looking after children and pets
  • driving, attending appointments and leisure activities
  • organising paperwork
  • liaising with other professionals and family members who support the client

What makes a good PA?

  • You need to be kind, empathetic and compassionate towards the people you support.
  • You must treat the people you support as individuals, respecting their dignity, wishes and values.
  • You should ensure the people you support have full choice and control over how they like things done for them and what they would like to do. You should only consult with others when necessary.
  • You need to be able to build a strong and trusting relationship with the people you support.
  • You need to commit to always delivering a good quality safe support service.
  • You need to be a good listener and communicator.
  • You must be reliable and honour agreed work commitments.
  • You need to be flexible, as people’s needs can often change.
  • You must always be respectful and considerate to a person’s home environment.
  • You need to work positively and productively with other professionals for the benefit of the people you are supporting.
  • You should be willing to listen to feedback and always look to resolve conflict promptly and professionally.

You also need to ensure you have the training needed to deliver a good quality service. For more information, see: Training for PAs

For more information about the PA role, visit: Personal assistant | Skills for Care

Other opportunities

If you are looking to set up as a micro provider, visit Micro providers

If you are looking for a volunteering role, visit: Volunteering

Translations or alternative formats

If you would like this information translated or in a different format, email the Micro market development team. 

Employment status - employed or self-employed

What is the law?

The law says that it is not possible for the PA (or the client) to choose whether a support arrangement should be on an employed or self-employed basis. 

Instead, the correct employment status should be determined by the nature of each working arrangement between the PA and the client. The rules are the same whether the client pays you privately or uses direct payments provided by the council.

It is important to use the correct employment status as this can have tax and legal implications for the client.

For further information on how to determine employment status, read:

Is your PA employed or self-employed? | Low Incomes Tax Reform Group

Employing a carer | Low Incomes Tax Reform Group

Get advice on employment status

If you or your client have any concerns about existing arrangements, you can contact Independent Lives. They offer free information and advice to people who need assistance with their care and support needs:

Website: Independent Lives

Email: advice@independentlives.org

Phone: 01903 219 482

What should you consider as a self employed PA?

You will need to consider the following if you want to deliver your PA services on a self employed basis:

  • Organising and paying for any training you need to deliver your services.
  • Organising your own DBS check.
  • Having business paperwork in place, such as contracts, terms and conditions, invoices, cancellation and complaints policies.
  • Registering with HMRC for tax purposes.
  • Having appropriate insurance cover (public liability and motor insurance).
  • Setting your fees.
  • Providing any equipment you may need to do your job.
  • Organising cover when you are sick or go on holiday.
  • Advertising your PA services.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks

You can’t legally apply for your own DBS check if you are self-employed PA, as you can’t assess your own suitability for a job. There are a few options that may be available to you:

  • Apply for a basic DBS check to get a copy of your criminal record. This is called ‘basic disclosure’ and costs £18.
  • Register with an employment agency that can apply for a check to assess your suitability to work for them.
  • Access an enhanced DBS check through external organisations that offer this service (this may be subject to a fee and becoming a member of that organisation).

 For more information, please contact the Disclosure and Barring Service | GOV.UK.

Where to go for business advice

You will find lots of business advice on our website: Business support in East Sussex.

East Sussex Growth Hub 

East Sussex Growth Hub is a free, independent business support service.

It offers free business advice if you are thinking of starting up a business or looking for ways to grow your business. Visit: East Sussex Growth Hub

Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) Sussex 

The BIPC supports entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises in Sussex. It offers  network events, one-to-one expert advice and access to free online information.

For more information, visit: Business and Intellectual Property Centre

Legal advice

Free impartial legal advice is available from Business Companion.

Citizens Advice

If you need advice regarding a dispute you can contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Service

Phone 0808 223 1133 (open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

Citizen's Advice consumer service

Trading Standards

Business advice is also available from Trading Standards.

Issuing a contract

Whether you are delivering your PA services on an employed or self-employed basis, it is important to have an agreed contract at the start. It should provide details of the support that will be delivered and working arrangements. This is an essential document if there is a dispute.

If you are employed by the client 

An employment contract will be issued by the client to you on or before your first day of work. This contract should include:

  • details about the role and job description
  • start date
  • hours of work
  • rates of pay
  • pension arrangements
  • holiday entitlement
  • sick pay arrangements
  • notice periods
  • disciplinary and grievance procedures.

For further information about employment contracts, visit: Before your PA starts | Skills for Care.

If you are delivering services on a self-employed basis

You will issue a contract of services to your client. This contract should include:

  • your full contact details
  • a statement of the services required
  • how many hours per week you will support the client
  • the hourly rate (and any other charges such as mileage)
  • start date
  • how payment will be made
  • details of your complaints procedure.

For further information on this type of contract, visit: Consumer contracts | Business Companion

Whether employed or self employed, both you and the client should sign the contract and keep a copy for records.

Contingency planning

A contingency plan states what will happen if you are unable to support your client for any reason. This includes all planned and unplanned situations, including:

  • holidays
  • sickness
  • emergencies
  • transport problems
  • bad weather
  • any other leave

It is important to have a contingency plan in place before you start supporting your client.

If you are employed by the client

It is your client’s responsibility to ensure there is a contingency plan in place for when you may be sick or on holiday. 

Your client may arrange for another PA, an agency, family member or friend to cover your hours. This is their choice. 

Clients of Adult Social Care who receive direct payments will receive support to set up a Contingency Plan. 

If you are delivering services on a self-employed basis

It is your responsibility to ensure there is a contingency plan in place for when you may be sick or on holiday. As a self-employed PA you have the unrestricted right to provide a substitute of your choice to complete the job in your place.

It is good practice to introduce any substitute to your client, to ensure they are aware of who may be turning up in your place.

What happens if nobody can cover?

If contingency plans fail and the client will be left without essential support, such as personal care or medication administration:

Phone Health and Social Care Connect on 0345 60 80 191.

This should be considered as a last resort.