Personal Assistants
A Personal Assistant can be employed directly by the Carer or through an agency, depending on the arrangement.
Before approaching agencies, be clear about the kind of care you are looking for and when you need it. Check that they deal with private clients like yourself and can provide the kind of care you need. Although using an agency is usually more expensive than recruiting a paid care worker yourself, it can make managing care easier because the agency will:
- Take care of the paperwork (e.g., Disclosure and Barring Service checks)
- Deal with an employee’s tax and National Insurance
- Check references
- Provide a backup if an employee is ill or unsatisfactory
- Deal with auto-enrolment pension duties.
If you are thinking about employing a paid care worker directly, it is important to realise that you will be taking on the responsibilities of an employer, for example you would need to:
- Confirm your employees’ references
- Pay statutory sick pay if an employee is ill
- Pay maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Ensure that your employee’s tax and National Insurance are paid correctly
- Check that your employee has the right to work in the UK
- Take out insurance to cover any accidents an employee might have in your home
- Ensure that you comply with your auto-enrolment pension duties.
