Personal Assistants and Employers of Personal Assistants

On this page you’ll find a selection of resources which are aimed directly at Personal Assistants (PAs) and employers of Personal Assistants. Our thanks go to colleagues at the Social Work Scotland Self-Directed Support Team and the team behind the IMPACT study aimed at improving the wellbeing of PAs in Scotland who we have worked with to compile this information.

Research tells us that for a lot of people, being a PA is an incredibly rewarding role, and one which gives you a lot of job satisfaction. But that does not mean that there are not challenges involved. We all need to take some time to look after ourselves and having tools to turn to when things get tough can help us stay well. For some practical guidance on how to keep yourself well, you can complete our Psychological First Aid kit learning modules.

PAs may work full time for one employer or have several contracts working a few hours for a number of employers. Because of this, there may be times when you have financial difficulties. If this is the case for you, the earlier you can take action the better. The Money Helper tool is a really useful place to start. It offers free, impartial advice around finances.

We know that getting access to appropriate training and support is important for PAs, so have a look at NHS Education for Scotland’s Turas website. It is full of learning materials on a host of topics and is specifically geared towards those in health and social care. This includes you. You will need to create an account to access the site if you don’t already have one. This is simple to set up, all you need is an email address. Once logged in, visit the ‘learn’ area and browse or search through the available courses.

Self Directed Support Scotland also have some online training modules specifically for PAs, covering two topics: “Understanding the Value of a Personal Assistant”, and “Healthy Working Relationships”. You can find out more information about these on the Self Directed Support Scotland website.

As a PA, you have the opportunity to make a huge and direct difference to someone’s life. But we know that at times, the PA role can feel isolated as you may not have easy access to the peer support that we know is protective to so many staff in challenging roles. The Personal Assistants Network Scotland (PANS) is the independent national membership organisation for PAs across Scotland. Membership is free and includes a nationally recognised photographic ID badge as well as member-only benefits such as the opportunity to join a union. PANS also provides access to learning and training opportunities developed specifically for PAs, as well as a host of other useful, practical information, support, and guidance, all tailored to your needs as a PA. You will find all of this and more, including up-to-date PA related news, on the PANS website.

Often, with new situations, the most daunting part is not knowing what to expect. That may be particularly true when it comes to taking on the role of PA or when employing a PA. Whether you are a PA or thinking of taking on that role, or you are employing a PA, it’s important to know what to expect. The PA and PA Employer handbooks have been created to help get you started with what you need to know.

For further information about how you can look after your wellbeing as a PA, watch this webinar recording from Skills for Care. You will hear PA employers sharing their experiences and some of the things they’ve done to help support their wellbeing. There is also some info provided around different resources and tools which might be helpful.

We hope you find this information useful.

For more advice on staying well, you can have a look at our Mental Wellbeing and Physical Wellbeing sections. If there comes a time when you feel you would benefit from speaking to someone about your wellbeing, please have a look at our Services page for details of organisations you can contact.