Since April 2015 people with disabilities in England have had a bigger say over what social care they receive. The Care Act 2014 means every local authority in the country has a legal obligation to provide social care funding for anyone who is eligible. You can request this so you can hire a personal assistant if you need help.

Independence

The idea of the Care Act 2014 is that it lets people with disabilities retain their independence. You will have final say over who you appoint as an assistant, when they come into your home, and what kind of tasks they take on. It also gives you the control and responsibilities of an employer. The local authority will make direct payments then it will be your job to pay the PA. This can be more empowering than choosing services arranged for you.

Getting the right fit

This kind of arrangement is also more useful as it is easier to get a PA who is the right fit. When you are looking to hire someone you can create a job brief that includes details of their duties. These can reflect your specific needs and the details from your Support Plan. They can include things like personal care and hygiene, domestic housework, escorting, help with medication, and more.

One of the best things you can do is choose a PA who can help you if you are a parent. It can be tricky to balance a parenting role and disabilities. Luckily, you can hire a PA who can support you here.

You can also use this opportunity to decide exactly how often you want a personal assistant to come and help. You may have limitations based on how much funding you can get. However, you will still have the chance to say when you want them to come to you and how many hours you need them for. You even have the option to find someone to help you at night if necessary.

You can find lots of useful information about your rights, getting access to funding, and appointing a PA here. There are lots of useful links on that site too.

Let us provide your personal assistant

Diamond PAs is a company with a great reputation. We work hard to deliver reliable services for anyone who needs extra help because of a disability or their age. Everyone on our team is caring and friendly, making them assistants you can trust for anything. They can even accompany you to appointments and social or leisure time.

So, if you need a personal assistant and want to appoint someone, speak to us about all of the options. We would love to work with you.