Are you looking for an exciting role that is fun, diverse and makes a difference to someone's life as a Personal Assistant?
Despite my different long term health conditions, pI am a 51-year-old lady with great sense of humor, friendly, and empathic disposition.
Among my health challenges there are: combined ADHD, PTSD, fibromyalgia, undiferentiated connective Tissue Disorder, diverticular disease, pancreatic insufficiency Adrenal Insufficiency, ostheoarthtitis in various areas of my body.
Adrenal Insufficiency is considered a life threatening condition ever time I have an adrenal crisis. However, I have this condition since 2012 and am well equipped in the management adrenal crisis situations.
I also have mobility issues due to these conditions and I use a wheelchair both indoors and outdoors.
I am a semi-retired health worker and still work two afternoons privately from home a week. I find that working gives me purpose and makes me feel part of everyday life.
I used to have many hobbies un early 2025, such as photography, building dollhouses, and quilting. However due to the deterioration of my health since July 2024, I have not been able to do them for a while now. I hope that by having the support of the Personal Assistants, I might be able to return to them and improve my wellbeing overall.
Your position is EMPLOYED and contractual, funded by social services and by me (through my contribution) and paid by direct payments services from Social Services directly to your bank account. Tax and NI are deducted at every payslip.
I am looking for a personal assistant (FEMALE due to nature of personal care work) to work along side other personal assistants.
The position offers hours for:
A. mornings of 3 hours when breakfast, personal care and lunch is carried out. This could include a Sat or Sun morning per week. 9am to 12pm.
B. afternoons where you will help me access the community with my wheelchair, driving my automatic vehicle and supporting me to different appointments and accessing community services. This will be either for variable appointments or for social activities in the community which may include taking me with my 2 dogs to a field or a park and have a cup of coffee in a cafe there, as for example. (Hours to be negotiated)
C. evening shifts (it could include a Sat or Sunday) of 2 hours each. During these evening shifts, you will support me with personal care for the evening, prepare a hot freshly made meal using "hello fresh".
D. You can choose to take two additional hours of domestic work to be carried out on either Mondays, Wednesdays of Fridays afternoons.
E. If you have secretarial or administrative experience, you can also apply for adding an extra 1 hour a week of communication support you would carry out with me (I am dyslexic and have dyscalculia) by making phone calls, helping with rotas, booking and canceling appointments.
F. if you have the availability and interest: you can also request to be nominated for caring out occasional "Sleep ins" with 2 hours of work at night can be taken by you on the ocassional times that my husband travels. There is a fixed rate paid for the sleeping in part and in addition you also get paid for 2 additiona hours you may need to work at night if necessary. This could be offered to you if you wanted to when my husband would be travelling for short periods for work or family needs.
As part of this role, being able to share the COVER OF SICKNESS AND HOLIDAYS for the other Personal Assistants is ESSENTIAL as this will ensure I have care daily.
We operate as a cohesive team working towards the same goal. This is maintained through positive communication, for example, by notifying all, via a private WhatssApp group any sickness as soon as possible and holidays that have been approved by me (4 weeks notice if a week off), so that cover can be arranged considering everyone's availability to cover.
REQUIREMENTS:
1. Existence of prior experience in carrying out personal care is ESSENTIAL (shower and washing my hair/drying/(un)dressing/hair drying/ styling).
2. Ability and prior cooking experience. You will be asked to TO COOK following a recipe, once given all ingredients from HELLO FRESH pack.
3. YOU MUST LIKE AND NOT BE ALLERGIC TO DOGS and CATS. Feeding our two dogs and taking them to the garden regularly whilst staying with them outside, is also essential. Especially when my husband travels. I have two very friendly older female cocker spaniels. Most people find them adorable.
4. Wishing to work as part of a team as well as working independently when at our home.
5. Ability to use technology such as phones apps for rotas, electronic Outlook calendar on your phone that is shared among all, and a WhatsApp group where notifications are made to ask the team for cover.
I encourage applicants from all different backgrounds with prior experience in care and with the necessary requirements described here to apply and attend a mutually convenient organised interview either online or in person
If the time suggested for the interview is not suitable, please suggest suitable times for you.
I am able to book interview usually on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays, and weekends at early afternoons.
You will be considered for an interview as soon as you have answer these six questions in your COVER LETTER. THIS IS ESSENTIAL TO BOOK AN INTERVIEW.
1. How long have you worked as a personal assistant/ carer? Describe a positive/ negative experience you had at this work.
2. What do you enjoy most in your caring role? What do you dislike the most?
3. Tell me about a positive experience dogs and/ or with cats.
4. Tell me about your experience with cooking at home or elsewhere.
5. How would you describe your personality and why?
6. What could get in the way of you fulfilling your role?
I look forward to meeting you soon.
SUMMARY TERMS AND CONDITIONS
-The rate of pay for this position is £17.52 per hour.
-Hours and times of work:
Mornings 9-12pm,
Afternoons (TBC). It can be mutually agreed.
Evening 6-8 pm
Total hours: it varies on how many shifts you can take on a regular basis plus covers when necessary.
THERE ISN'T A FIXED NUMBER OF HOURS YOU MUST TAKE ON.
This depends on your needs and availability.
Further details of your a specific duties will be discussed when you will be shadowing a senior PA and learning my routine on the job. This shadowing time is paid to you. Everything that will be expected of you will be explained prior to acceptance of the position. Feel free to ask questions at your application and interview.
The annual holiday entitlement for this position will be 5.6 weeks wte accrued from the hours you have worked.
Your holidays quota starts when you start until in March 31 2027.
You will be require to take up essential training for employed workers online. These training hours will be paid. This training is essential as it ensures you get insured for the position.
As this job requires: Manual Handling, and Food Handling you will be required undertake annual training for these subjects. You need to attend 3 complete trainings at the start.
The post is SUBJECT to the following:
1. A satisfactory enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check. If you have one under a year old, we can use that one. Otherwise, the cost of obtaining a DBS will be covered by Social Services.
2. Two Satisfactory references from two referees:
one of which MUST be your current or last line manager/ employer. The second can be a professional or a character reference of someone NOT related to you or another employer.
3. Completion of a satisfactory probationary period of 6 months. We will have regular supportive meetings to help you achieve this.
If appropriate, this probationary period can be extended to ensure you are meeting all the required aspects of this role and we will give you enough time for this to occur.
I look forward to meeting you soon.