Document - Supporting PAs working in Adult Social Care - DH

This link opens the Department of Health's new "Working for Personalised Care: A framework for supporting personal assistants working in Adult Social care" published 29th July 11 http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/documents/digitalasset/dh_128734.pdf This sets out how they will:

Working together with our sector partners, we will:
Better understanding	• promote a wider understanding of PA working;
of Pa working	• help PA employers to better understand their needs by determining the qualities they want from employees, in order to build strong and positive working relationships; • ensure that employers and PAs are aware of their roles and responsibilities and have adequate access to appropriate advisory and support services; and • identify and commission research to build an evidence base and
Page 13	good practice examples about the PA workforce and their employers.
recruitment and	• ensure that frontline Jobcentre Plus staff are well informed about
retention	PA working; • ensure that the Skills for Care sector route-way accurately reflects PA working; • develop better ways to address recruitment and retention issues; and • develop an information strategy, parts of which will include a review of the PA employer toolkit and signposting of information and key
Page 17	documents to support simplified recruitment and employment of PAs

Learning and	• consult with the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
development	(ADASS) and other sector partners on consistency of support and funding for learning and development for employers and PAs; • commission Skills for Care to ensure that PA working is reflected in Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) qualifications and review Common Induction Standards to provide introduction guidelines for PAs; • examine how technology can support learning and development for the PA workforce and employers; and • encourage creative and innovative community-based learning and
Page 22	development solutions.
Supporting Pas and employers Page 26	• consult with ADASS and support organisations on standards of support that all PA employers should expect and what employers can do if they do not feel supported; • signpost best practice advice, information, forms and templates to support the employment process; • work with support organisations to ensure that employers have appropriate advice and information about their responsibilities, including technical matters, and that they benefit from peer support; and • ensure that PAs have access to information and support through local PA networks.
enabling risk	• ensure that employers are supported and enabled to manage
management	their risks; • support employers of PAs in safe recruitment practices, including offering background and reference checks where requested; • support PAs and employers with appropriate training and leadership, and promote a positive, informed approach to risk-taking and management; and • continue to explore the scope for a voluntary register for social care by 2013