Working as a personal assistant

Personal assistants provide a valuable role in social care. A personal assistant (or PA) support people to live independently and to lead the life they choose.

As a Personal Assistant, you are not employed by a care agency or the local authority. You are either employed by the person you will be caring for or you are self-employed.

Rate of pay

The hourly direct payment rate for a PA from April 2023 is £14.50.

Who might employ a PA

PAs are a popular choice for those who receive direct payments from the council for their care. This may include people with physical and learning disabilities, or who have mental health difficulties. You could work for a parent who is employing a PA to help support a child or young person with care and support needs.

Most people employing a PA will look for someone they feel they can get along with, and who is reliable and trustworthy. An important skill to have as a PA is the ability to build a strong, trusting bond with the person you are caring for. If you feel you have this, and enjoy helping people, being a PA may be for you.

PA’s also generally work for only a few people. This gives you the opportunity to really get to know the person you work for, and to build a positive working relationship with them.

What it might include

The role of a personal assistant is a varied. It can range from:

• help with personal care and household tasks
• accompanying someone into the community for errands or appointments
• attending social activities
• providing support in their place of work

The role will depend on the needs of the individual employing you. It will be based on any aspects of their life they need support with.

Employed versus self-employed

There is a difference between being an employed PA and a self-employed PA. 

Employed PA: 

• You will be employed directly by the person.   
• The employer will set your hours and rate of pay and have a contract of employment with you.  
• The employer has the responsibilities of an employer such as ensuring you are paid correctly and that the relevant deductions for tax etc are made. 
• You will be entitled to paid annual leave. 
• You can opt into a pension scheme. 

Self-employed you will: 

• Source your own work which involves more than one client. 
• Be your own boss.   
•  Have more freedom over the work you do.   

•  Be able to set your own rates and be in control of the hours you work.   
• Be required to register with HMRC with responsibility to pay tax and NI contributions. 
• Need adequate insurance 
• Provide evidence of up-to-date DBS  

You can use our online personal assistant register if you are looking for work as a PA.

I want to register as a personal assistant

People looking for a Personal Assistant (PA) will be searching for support to best suit their needs. It is important you include information about your

• skills
• abilities
• interests
• availability

People looking for a PA will also check your DBS and references.

We will check your application before it is posted online, so there may be a delay before it appears. We will aim to get you up as quickly as possible.

When you register you will receive an email with a link to activate your account. You need to activate it within twenty four hours. We expect you to update your entry every 3 months or sooner if anything changes.