If you require additional funds, you will need to speak to your local authority. Care workers should use personal protective equipment PPE when performing tasks at your home especially if they are in close contact with you, particularly when supporting you with personal care. Remember to keep receipts or record of it so that you attach them with your next quarterly return forms.
You can buy PPE from local pharmacies or online. The Department of Health and Social Care are working on a scheme so that people receiving social care support can access personal protective equipment PPE for their personal assistants.
This will also enable DP employers to access PPE supplies if they are unable to purchase them via normal means. This programme will be run through local authorities. We will provide information on the programme as we get it on our website and through our newsletters.
In order to minimise the spread of infection, you need to make sure that PPE is used correctly. Click on the following to read the relevant guidance on using PPE effectively:. What if my PA cannot find the necessary items I need when they do the shopping for me? Some supermarket stores have dedicated time slots early in the morning for the vulnerable and the elderly, so your PA can visit the store during these timings.
Some stores offer priority booking online delivery slots for specific groups. If you are still struggling, then you can contact your local council who should be able to assist. I be eligible What on furloughing of PAs? The government consider PAs to be an essential key worker, and as such, furloughing of this cohort should be minimal. Self-employed personal assistants It may be possible to recruit a self-employed personal assistant.
Check they are classed as self-employed before you hire them. Managing a personal assistant To have a good relationship with your PA, you should set out what you expect them to do and when. Warning Job description and person specification A job description states what the job involves and what your PA is expected to do. These formal documents will help resolve any issues you and your PA might have in the future. Skills for Care has guides on: recruiting a PA managing your personal assistant.
Was this page helpful? Yes No. Tell us how it helped. We're sorry to hear that. Tell us how we can improve it. The direct payment must be used to meet the needs the local council or trust have assessed you or the person you are looking after as having.
You could ask for a direct payment to meet this need, and use the direct payment to purchase driving lessons. They could ask for a direct payment to meet this need, using the direct payment to employ someone of their choice to care for them for one hour a day if the local council or trust agree that this person would meet this need.
Sometimes, it is possible for the person you are looking after to pay you or another family member or friend to meet their care and support needs see Employing family members for further information. The local council or trust should discuss with them what the monitoring process is. A carer receiving a carer's direct payment may be asked for receipts or records depending on what the direct payment has been supplied for.
In addition, if the person you are looking after has been assessed as needing a care worker and receives a direct payment to purchase this service, then depending on how they purchase this service, they or someone managing the direct payment on their behalf might be taking on the responsibilities of an employer — see below. If the person you are looking after uses an agency to purchase this service, the agency would be the employer, and the person you are looking after would not be taking on the responsibilities of an employer.
If the person you are looking after does want to employ a care worker and wants to know how to find local care workers, they could ask their council or trust if they hold any information on individual care workers, or they could place a job advert on a reputable website like Universal Jobmatch.
If the person you are looking after employs a care worker directly even if this is a family member or friend , then they will be taking on the responsibilities of an employer. This can seem daunting. However, in most areas there are organisations that can help with these responsibilities. This is not a definitive list and if the person you are looking after is considering becoming an employer they should seek advice on their full responsibilities.
If the person you are looking after gets a direct payment to purchase a care worker they might want to employ someone they already know to provide the care, such as a family member. It is important for direct payment employers to be aware of current legal case judgements that might affect them.
Working with a support organisation helps keep up to date with latest developments to ensure compliance with the law. A recent court case between Mrs Tomlinson-Blake and the Royal Mencap Society opened a debate as to whether sleep-in PAs or support workers should be paid at least the National Minimum Wage for each hour that they were on-site rather than a shift allowance.
An initial ruling said that at least the National Minimum Wage should be paid, together with six years of back-pay. A more recent appeal in July removed the need for back-pay and stated that personal assistants or support workers are only entitled to at least the National Minimum Wage for time when they are required to be awake for the purposes of working.
It should be noted that there was a large body of case law prior to the Mencap appeal which held that being in the place of employment constituted 'working'.
Mencap has also made clear that they do pay staff at least the National Minimum Wage for overnight working and that they felt compelled to take the case only to avoid the six years back pay bill and not because of the principle of the National Minimum Wage.
Read more about the background to the Mencap case and explanations about the judgement. Direct payments give people choice. If they find a particular support service does not suit them, they can speak to their local authority about choosing an alternative provider.
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