Many disabled people, including ILF recipients, are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain Personal Assistants (PAs) who play a vital role in supporting people to have choice and control in their lives and represent an important part of the social care workforce.
Being a PA means being involved in many aspects of your employer’s life, and may include supporting in the home, at leisure or at work. The role of a PA is extremely varied and will be different for each person as the individual employer chooses exactly how they want and need support. The opportunity to focus directly on the needs of an individual, and the flexibility of the role, is what often attracts people to this type of work.
Quote: “I had never worked in care before, and I had no prior experience as a PA. But you don’t need to have a formal background to take on a role like this you just need to be caring, practical, and patient. It’s about understanding what the person needs and helping them get there without taking over.”
To highlight the importance of PAs, we’ve declared this week as the first Personal Assistant (PA) Week where we aim to use the week to encourage interest in working as PA as a career choice. We will highlight the benefits of being a PA and showcase the uniqueness of the role.
In addition, we will discuss the positive difference a good PA can make to a disabled person, assisting them to achieve the independent living roles that are important to them.
Please join us across our social media channels and and website and share your own thoughts and stories of being or employing a PA.
#PAWeek25
#PersonalAssistantWeek
Please feel free to use our graphics or create your own.
Alt text: A [colour] graphic. Text reads: Hashtag P A Week. Personal Assistant Week. There’s a flash around the word week. A cartoon graphic of a pair of hands holding up 3 figures. At the bottom sits a ribbon with the words Nov 24 to 30. The ILF logo sits in a circle alongside the words more info and the web address ilf dot scot slash go slash pas.
