How do we develop the market for Personal Assistants (PA’s) in Essex?

The next workshop in collaboration with TLAP will be taking place virtually from 1:00pm – 4:00pm on Wednesday 17th March 2021.

In this workshop we will be looking at how we can develop the market for Personal Assistants (PA's) in Essex.

Many involved in these workshops so far will know of and have experience of just how important and liberating the role of a PA can be. We understand that the role itself can help both parties (the PA and DP recipient) to build closer working relationships, promote a flexible lifestyle and transform the approach to care and support so that it is person centred.

People who employ PA's and PA's alike will tell you of the benefits involved in this career, however, they are also likely to tell you of numerous obstacles along the way to get there and then the difficulty to maintain it.

So what are these obstacles and how can we look to improve the PA market so that the journey is easier for all involved?

Some key themes have already been highlighted in our workshops and we understand the following points (of which will be a focus in the workshop) need exploring in order develop the PA market in Essex for the better:

• What support can we give existing DP recipients and PA's?
• Development of PA registers and the approach to recruitment
• Career progression for PA's and training for both DP recipient and PA
• Employment rights for both DP recipient and PA

Please note that this list is not exhaustive and if you have anything that you believe should be covered in this workshop please do not hesitate to contact me and we will embed it into our session plan.

We also welcome the attendance of PA's in this workshop and would like to offer out our invitation to them. If you know of/employ a PA please forward this invitation onto them. As acknowledgement of their professional advice and time given to the workshop we are happy to state we can pay them their regular hourly rate for the duration of the workshop. Payment will be sorted after the workshop takes place.

Please confirm your attendance by registering on Eventbrite (tickets close at midnight on Wednesday 10th March). We look forward to having you join us!

Please read - Important information relating to consent towards recording the workshop

Please note that we will be recording these workshops to ensure that we capture all the key information and learning from the session. The recording will be stored for a maximum of 6 months and will only be used to ensure the key points are captured. It may also be shared with ECC staff who could not attend the sessions. It will be used to improve how the council delivers direct payments and personalisation.

By registering to the event on Eventbrite you are giving consent to having the workshop recorded. If you have any questions concerning this, please do not hesitate to contact us

This will be a virtual workshop hosted via ‘Zoom’ an a link to the online event will be sent onto you closer to the event date.

If you have any questions leading up to the workshop please do not hesitate to contact me or my colleague Debbie Kirk on the following email addresses:

Tom.Henry@essex.gov.uk

Deborah.Kirk2@essex.gov.uk