Recruiting a Personal Assistant

If you decide to recruit a Personal Assistant, you become an employer and it is very important that you understand all of the legal, financial and practical issues that this involves.  

If you are employing a Personal Assistant for the first time, the amount of information may seem daunting. Skills for Care have developed an Employing PA Toolkit with all the information you need to guide you through the process. 

There are sections on: 

• Recruiting a Personal Assistant with information on how to write a job description, carry out an interview and doing the right checks on your Personal Assistant. 
• Carrying out pre-employment steps such as the contract of employment, redundancy pay, maternity, paternity pay and adoption rights, information about health and safety and insurance. 
• Managing and developing your Personal Assistant including their induction and supervision, how to be a good employer and ensuring your Personal Assistant has access to training and qualifications for their own development.  
• Templates that you can use to employ and manage your Personal Assistant.  

The information on these webpages is also available in Easy Read.  

You can find more information about employing a Personal Assistant from Scope.  

There are further useful links available for employers.

Interviewing can make you as nervous as the person you are interviewing. 

Please click here to see the Sample Personal Assistant interview questions information sheet.  This information sheet also contains tips on where to interview, the questions you shouldn't ask, some example questions and much more. 

The Direct Payment Support Service can provide this information sheet in an alternative format upon request.

Please click here to see Template letters to send to invite someone to an interview, that they've been successful or to turn down an applicant.  You can also source template letters from your insurance provider's employer helpline.

A job description is a list of tasks that you would like your personal assistant to do. A person specification is a list of the skills experience and personal qualities that you would like your Personal Assistant to have.

• Useful information about creating a job description
• Sample job description and person specification templates

Your insurance provider's employer helpline can also provide job description templates.

There are some checks you'll need to do before someone starts working for you:

• Checks employers can make
• Do the right checks and information about references
• DBS Checks - Hampshire County Council
• DBS Checks - GOV.UK

Reference requesting

When recruiting a Personal Assistant, professional and character references play a crucial role in confirming their qualifications and character. These references are especially important for verifying professional experience and evaluating personal attributes, ensuring that the candidate is well-suited for the responsibilities in social care.

Please click here to see an information sheet on reference requesting information sheet will explain the importance of seeking references and at the end of the information sheet there are two different reference request templates for you to utilise if you wish.

The Direct Payment Support Service can provide this information sheet in an alternative format upon request.

Right to Work checks

You also need to check that the Personal Assistant you have chosen has the right to work in the UK. You should check and keep a copy of certain documents before your Personal Assistant starts working for you.

These documents can depend on the type of worker you are employing but usually include:

• British or European passport
• A birth certificate confirming that they were born in the UK or Republic of Ireland
• A letter from the Home Office confirming they have a legal right to work in the UK.

For more information about right to work checks, visit the GOV.UK website and use the tool below:

• Legal right to work in the UK check tool - GOV.UK

Watch the video on the UK right to work checks

Reference checks

You can request references by:

• Email or post – this is often the best way to get the most information. You can send a copy of the job description so that the referee understands what the job involves.
• Phone – this is often quicker than waiting for a reference in writing and some people feel more comfortable saying things over the phone. However, a short phone call does not always give the referee enough time to think about their answer or consider what the job involves. You should follow up a phone reference with a written reference.
• Via the candidate – if the candidate provides you with a reference before you have requested it, you should follow up with the referee by phone.

DBS checks

DBS stands for Disclosure and Barring Service, and a DBS check helps you to know whether people have a criminal conviction.

• A DBS check should only be completed for the successful job applicant

For more information on DBS checks, you can visit the GOV.UK website.