Carers Week 2020 by Jessica Diamond
After coming to the realisation that I needed more care than my family can provide, and a battle to secure direct payments that took almost a year, I finally was able to hire a personal assistant (PA) in the Summer of 2016. Given the intensely personal nature of the work, we didn’t feel that a short interview (or even a long one) was enough to ascertain whether the candidates would be a good fit in my life. We developed a highly individualised person spec, job advert, and application form based on what matters to me. After advertising using a variety of sources, including Gumtree, Indeed, and Facebook, we held a development day for two candidates at a hired venue.
The day consisted of several sections, including a debate section to see if I could have rapport with the candidates; a section that involved planning a journey and filing paperwork, two tasks of many that my PAs could be expected to do; and an interview. We hired both candidates from the day, and they split my allocated hours evenly. After the probation period ended, we went ahead with only one of the PAs as I had failed to make a connection with the other one and I feel that this is important when you are so dependent on someone.
For me, the choice to use direct payments over a care agency was a simple one. With a stigmatised and misunderstood disease, and several mental illnesses that make meeting new people hard, I didn’t feel that a lack of consistency in and control over care would be good for me. With a direct payment, I have full say over what my PA does, when they come in, and who they are. I can use them flexibly, and train them to understand my specific needs. Personalisation in care is very important to me, and unfortunately care agencies are often unable to be as personalised as perhaps even they would like. Not having control over when care is provided and what that looks like would not be at all suitable for me, especially as I have a very rapidly changing condition and sleep pattern.
For me, the only real downside to having a PA is the fact that you are legally an employer who is liable under employment law, and have to manage payroll and paperwork. However, I use a great agency that manages the bulk of this work, and my direct payment covers that. I do at times struggle to stay on top of this and make mistakes, so someone who is more severe than me might struggle, but there are options to have a third party manage your direct payment.
Overall, my PA has changed life for the better for me and my family, and given me more independence. My quality of life would be a lot lower without the support I get from my PA.
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The post Carers Week 2020: Jessica’s Story – Hiring a Personal Assistant appeared first on ME Association.
from ME Association
https://www.meassociation.org.uk/2020/06/carers-week-2020-jessicas-story-hiring-a-personal-assistant/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=carers-week-2020-jessicas-story-hiring-a-personal-assistant
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