One of the many benefits of having a personal budget is being able to use a personal assistant (PA), where this meets your eligible needs. A PA is a person paid to help you live more independently.
There are two ways to get a PA:
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employ someone privately, where you become the person’s employer, or
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pay an agency to provide someone.
There are pros and cons to both, so have a look at the information on this page, and talk to your care manager about which way would suit you best.
Further information
- Download the factsheet 'Using a personal assistant' (PDF)
- Useful forms are available to download, including PA timesheets, holiday forms, budgeting tables and more. You can print them out or fill them in electronically! Follow this link to interactive forms and templates.
- Call ASIST on 0113 214 3599 for further advice about using PAs.
- Speak to people in Leeds who already use PAs! Contact Free to Live on 0113 214 3594 or drop them an email.
- If you will be employing a PA privately (instead of through an agency), find out more in Adult Social Care’s Guide to Becoming an Employer, available to download from this page. Or pick up your own bound copy from your care manager or from ASIST (0113 214 3599). The guide includes handy forms, examples and templates (PDF) you can use.
- Visit the new Leeds PA directory.
- If you plan to use an agency, see Adult Social Care's Guide to Buying Services and Support (coming soon).
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