Direct payments Factsheet
B2: Employing staff
You may choose to employ your own personal assistant. If you do, your direct payments advisor can give you as much support as you need to help you use direct payments effectively. They specialise in this advice and can offer support and information on all aspects of direct payments and how to be a good employer.
They can also keep you up to date with changes in employment legislation and developments within independent living that may be of benefit to you when choosing to use your own staff.
Should you choose not to use the direct payments support service you must inform your Direct Payments Advisor who is supporting you. They will provide you with a factsheet pack to give you some guidance on becoming a good employer and how to safely use direct payments.
When you choose to employ your own personal assistant, you take on significant responsibilities. You must think about all the aspects of employing your own staff to ensure you are a good employer.
Employed personal assistants:
When you hire staff, you officially become an employer. As an employer you must register with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). There are a few things you must ensure you have in place when employing staff:
- Register with HMRC: ensure this is done before the first pay day.
- Employer’s Liability Insurance: Obtain this insurance to cover any potential workplace injuries or illnesses.
- Payroll: A system to manage employee payments, including tax and national insurance deductions
- Health & Safety Compliance: Adhere to health and safety regulations to maintain a safe working environment.
- Workplace Pension Scheme: You may need to offer a pension scheme to your employees.
The direct payments support service can assist you with the entire process of employing staff, making it much easier. When recruiting your own staff, you might need to go through a selection process that includes advertising and interviewing candidates. The direct payments support service can help ensure your safety during this recruitment process. If you decide not to use this support, the council recommend the following steps to stay safe.
- Advertising the Position: Create and place job adverts to attract suitable candidates.
- Interviewing Candidates: Conduct interviews to assess the suitability of applicants.
- Checking References: Verify the references provided by the candidates to ensure their reliability.
- Right to Work Checks: Verify that your employees have the legal right to work in the UK.
- Written Statement of Employment: Provide employees with a document outlining their terms and conditions of employment on their first day of employment.
- Disclosure & Barring Check: Check to ensure safety and suitability of candidate.
The direct payments support service can offer extensive assistance to do all you need to be a good employer.
