What being a Personal Assistant involves

As a Personal Assistant you will work directly for the person needing care and support. The duties you undertake as a Personal Assistant (PA) vary but the main skills are an ability to listen and respond to a person.

The job can be very flexible as well as rewarding, with full-time and part-time hours available. Average rates of pay range from £8 to £25 per hour.

Duties may include assisting someone to take their medication, prepare a meal, leave their home, socialise or go shopping.

Watch a video on what being a Personal Assistant means (credit: Skills for Care)

Watch a video about funding for training Personal Assistants (credit: Skills for Care)

Latest

Personal Support Assistant DP5840

Job Title: Personal Support Assistant Location: Shoreham Hourly rate: £10 - £15 (Depending on experience) Reference: DP5840 Hours/shifts: 5 – 10 hours a week (will be discussed at interview) I am a gentleman looking for support to enable me to remain as independent as I can be.
Personal Assistant JW7012

Job Title: Personal Assistant Location: Haywards Heath Hourly rate: £10 Reference:JW7012 Hours/shifts: 21 hours per week, 3 hours a day Flexibility with hours. Applications welcome for all or some of the shifts so please detail your availability on your application. I am a 41 year old lady looking for support with basic care needs, housekeeping and cooking meals for me and my family
Support Worker/ Buddy DP6311

Job Title: Support Worker/Buddy Location: Littlehampton Hourly rate: £9.00 Reference: DP6311 Hours/shifts: 5 hours a week on a Saturday/Sunday. Additional hours may be available during school holiday; this will be mutually agreed by the employer and employee. This role is about supporting me to access activities that have an emphasis on gaining independent living skills and the confidence to try new things.
Support Worker DP353

Job Title: Support Worker Location: Bognor Regis Hourly rate: £9.00 Reference: DP353 Hours/shifts: Tuesday Wednesday 09:00 – 17:00 Every other weekend Saturday 09:00 – 17:00 Sunday 09:00-12:00

Croydon Personal Assistant Support Service

Independent Lives works with Croydon residents to recruit, train and manage their Personal Assistants. We can also guide you through managing a Direct Payment. Find out more.
Funding for PA training

Your employer can apply for funding from Skills for Care to train Personal Assistants in a range of practical subjects. Independent Lives also regularly run free training for PAs.
Reporting abuse / concerns

As a personal care assistant, it's important that you understand safeguarding in the course of your daily duties.
Training for Personal Assistants

We can help you with induction training, or training in specific areas such as manual handling, first aid, or food hygiene. We can also train you on clinical tasks and signpost to funding.
Read an interview with a Personal Assistant

Read our interview with Alison who talks about how she became a Personal Assistant and what the job is like.
Search for Personal Assistant jobs

Are you a Personal Assistant looking for work? You can search for the latest roles available across West Sussex.
Join PA Pages

Join the PA Pages database to let employers know you are available for work. It's easy to join and won't cost you a penny!

Contact us
Payroll services for people with a Direct Payment

Employ care and support staff but find payroll daunting? Our dedicated payroll team can help.

We offer a complete payroll package, guiding you through legislation and advising you on pensions, tax, national insurance, maternity pay, sick pay, tax credits and student loans.
About our Care Service

Our Care Service provides quality care and support across West Sussex. We can provide you with the assistance you need to manage many aspects of daily living, helping you to stay independent
Working at Independent Lives

Exciting new opportunity to work at Independent Lives.
What we do

Independent Lives is a user-led charity working with disabled people, people with support needs, and carers, to enable people to lead full, active and independent lives.
Direct Payment Information & Advice Service

Direct Payment Information & Advice Service offers you support face-to-face, via Zoom and over the phone. You can also access free guidance, template and other resources.
Recruitment Solutions

Our Recruitment Solutions service allows you to plan ahead for unexpected recruitment costs and simplifies the recruitment process.
Disability Related Expenses explained
Social groups

This page is full of social groups and activities - as well as links to other organisation's social calendars. Get social with like-minded people, from coffees - to online forums - take your pick!
Banking Administration Service

Want to take control of your care and support without the added responsibility of managing a Direct Payment bank account? Our Banking Administration Service is for you.