Direct Payments Factsheet
B1: Recruiting staff
The direct payments support service can advise and assist you with everything you need to consider when recruiting your own staff.
Employment law will apply to you as an employer, and you must ensure that your process stays within the law.
You should think about:
- Writing job descriptions, job specifications, job adverts, preparing job application packs.
- The personal assistant’s conditions of service, rates of pay, hours, breaks (Contract of Employment).
- What they will do, how and when.
- What training is needed.
- What you will do when your personal assistant takes annual leave, is sick or needs other unplanned time off work.
- How to keep safe when advertising, interviewing and recruiting.
We would recommend that you:
- Do not put your home address, telephone number, or details about yourself on the job advert. You could ask the Job Centre to advertise for you - they have their own process which will help you to stay safe.
- Make sure you ask for two written job references from the people you interview and follow them up.
- When you interview people do it away from your home address if possible and have someone with you to support you.
- You must comply with employment legislation. We strongly advise seeking support to help you with this.
When a personal assistant starts working it is a good idea to arrange for a friend, parent, or someone you trust to spend some time with you when your personal assistant first starts work. If you still, choose to recruit staff without this help please talk to your direct payments advisor about it so that they can give you information on how to do this safely.
If you choose to use an agency the law says that care agencies must be registered with the Care Quality Commission. Please discuss this with a direct payments advisor who will advise you how to do this.
You will only be able to use your direct payment to buy support from an agency that is registered.
