Personal Assistants (PAs) / Paid Care Workers

If you are an unpaid carer, you need to visit the section for 'Carers & Young Carers '

This section is specifically for personal assistants, also known as care workers or paid carers, who are employed by recipients of direct payments or private homecare employers.

Choose a sub heading for more information:

• Employment and payroll advice for PAs
• Guide to Training Courses and NVQs
• Public Liability Insurance
• The difference between a PA & a Carer
• What Makes a Good Personal Assistant?
• Useful Links for Organisations Supporting Carers
  
  

News on training to be a Care Assistant

From October 2006, employers will be expected to provide all new care workers with a 12 week induction programme, preparing them to meet a set of six national minimum standards of care. These standards must be met in order to work unsupervised in this field. The aim of the programme is to enable workers to provide safe, effective and supportive care. This training will also help towards achieving NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Health and Social Care. Check Skills for Care website for further information through this link: Skills for Care Induction Standards

New care workers learn skills like hygiene, health and safety, lifting techniques and interpersonal skills for dealing with patients/clients and their relatives. Many care workers go on to undertake NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3 in Health and Social Care. Assessment is based on written work and observation.

Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland

return to top