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A Windmill Torbay project supporting people across Torbay since 2016
Supporting Personal Assistants
Guidance, on-boarding and ongoing support for PAs in Torbay
Working as a Personal Assistant (PA) can be incredibly rewarding, but getting started can sometimes feel confusing or overwhelming.
Support Networks provides practical guidance and support for both existing and prospective PAs across Torbay, helping people understand the role, access local opportunities and connect with the right resources.
Whether you are completely new to PA work or already supporting people through Direct Payments, we are here to help.
Supporting the local PA community
As part of our work with Adult Social Care and local partners, we support Personal Assistants to access information, understand responsibilities and connect people with opportunities through the UKCIL platform.
We understand that many people entering PA work may never have worked self-employed before and may have questions about:
What being a PA involves
Self-employment vs employment
DBS checks
Insurance and responsibilities
Finding work opportunities
Training and professional boundaries
Registering with HMRC
Accessing local support
Our aim is to make the process clearer, simpler and more accessible
How we support PAs
On-boarding to UKCIL
We support existing and prospective PAs to access and navigate the UKCIL platform, helping people create profiles and understand how the system works.
Guidance for New Self-Employed PAs
For people choosing to work on a self-employed basis, we can provide practical guidance around the process of becoming self-employed and signpost to relevant services and resources.
DBS checks
Where required, we can facilitate DBS checks for PAs. (DBS costs are payable by the responsible party)
Understanding Employment & Self-Employment
We provide guidance around the differences between employed and self-employed PA work, including responsibilities, expectations and important considerations before getting started.
Training & Development
We help PAs access information about local training opportunities and encourage ongoing professional development to support safe, high-quality support.
Communication & Updates
We share relevant communications, updates and information from Adult Social Care and partner organisations to help PAs stay informed.
Important to know
Support Networks provides guidance, information and practical support to Personal Assistants, but we do not directly employ PAs through this service.
PAs are responsible for ensuring they work within appropriate professional boundaries and comply with relevant legal, tax and insurance requirements depending on their employment status.
Where specialist advice is required, we may signpost to appropriate organisations or professionals.
A supportive approach
We know that stepping into PA work can feel like a big responsibility, particularly for people who are new to social care or community support roles.
Our approach is friendly, supportive and non-judgemental. We want people to feel able to ask questions, seek guidance and access the information they need to feel confident in their role.
Good support starts with informed, supported and valued people.
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