we help people who employ their own personal assistants

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1 Better understanding of levels of support for individual employers and their personal assistants (PAs) Research into what local authorities are doing to support people who employ personal assistants October 2013 we help people who employ their own personal assistants

2 Better understanding of levels of support for individual employers and their personal assistants (PAs): Research into what local authorities are doing to support people who employ personal assistants, October 2013 Published by Skills for Care, West Gate, 6 Grace Street, Leeds LS1 2RP Skills for Care 2013 Reference no. (H012) Copies of this work may be made for non-commercial distribution to aid social care workforce development. Any other copying requires the permission of Skills for Care. Skills for Care is the employer-led strategic body for workforce development in social care for adults in England. It is part of the sector skills council, Skills for Care and Development. This work was researched and compiled by ADASS, Learn to Care and Skills for Care Bibliographic reference data for Harvard-style author/date referencing system: Short reference: Skills for Care [or SfC] 2013 Long reference: Skills for Care, (Better understanding of levels of support for individual employers and their personal assistants (PAs): Research into what local authorities are doing to support people who employ personal assistants), 2013,

3 Contents 1. Summary 1 2. Methodology Background The purpose of the research Phase Phase Response rates and analysis Structure of report 6 3. Findings Preparation and support available to individual employers of personal assistants in your area Development of the personal assistance market Support and development for personal assistants Quality of support Additional information or comments National Minimum Data Set-Social Care and Workforce Development Fund Recommendations Next steps Review of recommendations On-going research Continuing advice local authorities Examples of good practice Support for increasing the availability of management information References 21 Appendix A The questionnaire is available to download from our website

4 1. Summary Background This report presents the findings of research carried out by the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Learn to Care and Skills for Care working in partnership. This is the second year the research has been undertaken. It continues to form a key part of the implementation of the Department of Health s Working for Personalised Care: A framework for supporting personal assistants working in adult social care (The Personal Assistants (PA) Framework, DH 2011). All three partners are committed to embedding personalisation to help people to live independently by exercising choice and control over the support they receive. It is clear there needs to be a long-term commitment both to enable individual employers to be good employers supported by local authorities and other organisations, and also to help personal assistants (PAs) as employees through independent information, advice, guidance and peer support. Leadership The fundamental leadership role of the Director of Adult Social Services (DASS) for the quality of the social care workforce in their area, and as a commissioner, is crucial in developing the local market. A Director of Adult Social Services also has a responsibility to deliver the personalisation agenda and to offer a range of support to people who choose to employ a personal assistant. There is also an important role to play in developing positive approaches to risk management to allow clear choice, control and independence. There are however differing views about the relationship that should exist between local authorities and PAs. Some local authorities take very active steps to contact and organise support for PAs either directly or through support organisations. Others believe that it is the responsibility of the employer to arrange support for their PAs. Information advice and guidance The increasingly important role of information advice and guidance (IAG) should not be under estimated. As the implications of the Care Bill (May 2013) come into view there will be an emphasis on how people should be supported to make informed choices about their care. However, there is at times a contradiction between the desire for a national framework and the way in which local authorities want to provide services locally. Local authority partnerships with a range of support organisations are crucial to embed personalised care and to deliver information, advice and guidance. For example, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council has a social 1

5 worker employed to work specifically in its large Jewish community. This has led to a high take up of personal budgets in this community. Learning and development for individual employers and PAs Guidance is necessary to ensure individual employers exercise choice and control over learning and development. This includes better learning and development opportunities for individual employers and PAs. Although a number of local authorities are doing this very well, access to appropriate learning and development has been identified in the survey as a significant barrier. Many local authorities offer access to their own training however the survey shows that there is often poor take up. This challenge for local authorities is to offer more flexible and tailored learning and development solutions to individual employers and their PAs in a way that works for them. Community capacity As the workforce supporting people who need care and support expands, local authorities are looking very closely to identify assets in their wider communities to build capacity and develop a wider range of support for vulnerable people of all ages. This will involve an even greater emphasis on partnership working across different sectors and types of organisations. The leadership which local authorities provide in enabling this is essential for the development of high quality services. The survey was undertaken in the context of continued financial restraint which is having significant impact on provision of services. One specific example is that in many local authorities the support for individual employers and PAs is now concentrated in the hands of a few enthusiastic and committed staff. They provide examples of very good support but this low level of resource poses a real risk for the future. It is essential that the delivery of personalised care is seen as something that affects everyone working in adult social care and is embedded in all aspects of their work. This challenge becomes even more important with growing integration with health provision and the onset of personal health budgets. Progress Comparing this year s survey with last year s, there has been real progress in many areas. There is a sense of a maturing market with support for individual employers and PAs being seen as a regular part of a local authority s function. The market in PAs has also developed which suggests that there is a greater recognition of the importance of building the capacity and quality of the PA workforce. This can be evidenced by the growth of such schemes as Support with Confidence and the development of various forms of local PA registers. Nevertheless from the 2

6 responses that were broadly representative both of the different types of local authorities as well as geographically, there is variety both in the overall implementation of personalised care and the methods adopted by different local authorities for its delivery. The results of this research do not give conclusive evidence that sufficient progress is being made towards excellent support for individual employers and PAs from all local authorities. Although the research response rate has gone up from 35% to 40% it does not present a complete picture. Recommendations Many of the messages from this year s survey underline what was said the year before. This highlights how difficult it is to embed a personalised workforce and it is crucial that we do not lose sight of these fundamental challenges. The recommendations at the end of this report build on those that were made last year and which are still valid. They show ways in which some of the challenges can be met. In summary, they are: Ensuring the priority of personalised support Local authorities should take stock of their progress to date and make any changes that are necessary to implement this policy more widely across service areas. Information, advice and guidance Local authorities review what they offer to ensure it is clear and relevant both to individual employers and existing and prospective PAs. Information should be made available in a variety of accessible formats together with a clear explanation of the steps that need to be followed and their implications. Learning and development Work needs to be undertaken to break down barriers which both individual employers and PAs face in accessing appropriate learning and development. E-learning needs to be implemented more widely and the full use made of the Workforce Development Fund. Use of technology Innovative technological solutions need to be promoted as a way of improving the quality of care provided. PA registers Although there are concerns among some local authorities, there is a general view that PA registers are useful in making it easier to match employers with potential PAs. They can also be valuable tools in building capacity in the workforce to provide the widest range of choice of support. 3

7 All of these recommendations have one aim, to ensure that, with support, those who employ PAs, should become good employers and receive the high quality of care that they need to live independent and fulfilled lives. 2. Methodology 2.1. Background This research continues to form a key part of the implementation of the Department of Health s Working for Personalised Care: A framework for supporting personal assistants working in adult social care (the Personal Assistants (PA) Framework, DH 2011). The research builds on the work undertaken in 2012 and explores how the nature of local authority support has changed and developed since then. The focus of this research is to investigate the support offered to individual employers by local authorities in relation to their role in employing PAs, and support offered to PAs themselves. It is set within the context of continuing financial restraint and the ways in which local government is seeking to meet these challenges. The tensions between conflicting priorities which local authorities face obviously impact on the provision of adult social care and the arrangements for its delivery The purpose of the research The purpose of the research was: To obtain from local authorities an up-to-date picture of levels and type of support and advice provided to people who employ their own care and support staff and personal assistants To understand the types of organisations that provide this support and advice to people who employ their own care and support staff and personal assistants (e.g. voluntary and community sector organisations, private providers, user-led organisations), and the arrangements behind this support (e.g. contract, service level agreement, grant, purchased through personal budget/direct payment). To ascertain the consistency of support and funding available for learning and development. To gather examples of good practice support offered to people who employ their own care and support staff and personal assistants. To identify where personal assistant (PA) networks (or peer support networks) exist across local authority areas and the level and type of services they provide. To produce a final report which analyses the intelligence gathered and offers recommendations and good practice examples. 4

8 To refresh the advice note for local authorities in respect of services they offer to individual employers and their PAs in relation to: support learning and development opportunities available funding risk management. The data was gathered using an online questionnaire which was developed by Learn to Care and Skills for Care, with approval from the ADASS Research Committee. The questionnaire was based on that used in 2012 but with modifications following feedback Phase 1 A letter from Skills for Care s CEO, Coventry City Council s Director of Community Services, (as co-chair of the ADASS Workforce Development Network) and Learn to Care s Chair was sent to all directors of adult social services (DASSs) to ask for their co-operation with the survey to nominate the most appropriate person to complete the survey on behalf of their authority. A covering letter, signed by the above, was then sent to the named contact explaining the purpose of the survey and a link to it. The online questionnaire was completed and results analysed. See appendix A for the survey questions. Appendix A is available to view on the Skills for Care website Phase 2 Once the survey had closed, the project team met to look at the responses in detail. By reference to some of the free text responses, a number of authorities were identified for follow-up visits to enable the project team to gain a clearer picture of support offered as well as to learn more about areas of innovative practice. Other authorities were contacted by telephone. About a quarter of the respondents were followed up. 5

9 2.5. Response rates and analysis 60 completed questionnaires were received from local authorities, with an additional four being submitted late; this gave a response rate of approximately 40%, an increase of 19% on The responses to the questions were analysed electronically. The data was carefully reviewed by the Learn to Care and Skills for Care team and a range of examples of good practice identified for more detailed follow-up. The responses came from all types of local authority and were proportionate to the number of authorities in each area Structure of the report The structure of the report follows that of its predecessor and is based around the themes included in the research questionnaire which are: preparation and support available to individual employers of personal assistants development of the personal assistant market recruitment, support, matching and development for personal assistants keeping in touch with individual employers and personal assistants quality of support (including self-funders) choice peer support equality issues engagement with National Minimum Dataset Social Care (NMDS-SC) and Skills for Care Workforce Development Funding final thoughts and comments. 6

10 3. Findings 3.1. Preparation and support available to individual employers of personal assistants in your area What type of support is available to individual employers of personal assistants in your area? All respondents said they provided advice about or an introduction to all available sources of information on employing a personal assistant. In addition to this, local authorities are likely to provide support in the following ways: service to assist with paying wages and support around HR practices (94%) this is often done via a third party provider Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checking (94%) advice about what to do when the employer employee relationship breaks down (98%) information about rates of pay (95%). This figure has increased significantly since An increasing number of local authorities work in partnership with different types of support organisations to provide training for individual employers in preparation for taking on a PA. As well as an introduction to becoming an employer, some local authorities offer support with the recruitment process (such as drafting adverts, holding interviews) with a view to developing the skills of the individual employer for future recruitment. Lambeth Council, in conjunction with Disability Advice Service Lambeth organise training On Being a Good Employer. This is supported by Skills for Care Workforce Development Fund. 7

11 Almost one in five of the local authorities who responded now use Support with Confidence, which is a joint scheme between an authority s adult services and Trading Standards. The scheme supports individuals to choose a PA who has been checked to ensure that they meet the scheme s quality standards and to enable them to exercise positive risk management and freedom of choice whilst at the same time having an assurance that their PA is suitable for that role. Any potential PA wishing to join the Support with Confidence scheme has to agree to: checks on background, qualifications and experience undertake any appropriate training submit to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks provide references as part of their application respond promptly and appropriately to customer complaints. There is still a wide variation among local authorities in respect of any form of accreditation of PAs, with some adopting a much more hands off approach. Support for individual employers to register for the National Minimum Data Set Social Care is extremely variable and often non-existent Do you think there are any gaps in the support provided? 82% of respondents said that there were gaps; this is a small increase on The areas that were particularly identified by a large number of the respondents were: peer support both for individual employers and PAs the lack of a central register which makes the recruitment of PAs difficult training and development provision both for individual employers and PAs. These responses are very similar to those recorded in last year s survey and may be indicative of the long-term commitment needed to overcome barriers to employing PAs. 8

12 Which types of organisations provide support? The research showed that a local authority social care department is the organisation that is most likely to provide support to individual employers and PAs (90%) an increase of 17% on It may be surmised that more local authorities are adopting a more rigorous engagement with individual employers in response to financial constraints. User-led organisations supported by local authority (57%) are the next highest ranking category. Other sources of support were: charities (49%) volunteer groups (10%) private sector employers association (10%) The local authority is seen as the first point of contact, with other agencies often providing the on-going support What contractual (or other) arrangements does your local authority have to provide support to individual employers of personal assistants? The chart below shows the responses to this question: Support offered to self-funders When local authorities were asked if they provide support to people who are selffunded, that is people who pay for their own care and support themselves, 85% of respondents said that they did provide some support to self- funders; this is an increase of 15% over Generally, the offer is in terms of advice and information. This response from Camden is typical: Though LB Camden does not provide social care service to self-funders, it does signpost self-funders on to the PA register or Camden TDS training. Selffunders can also access information and advice from LB Camden. 9

13 It is still a challenge for local authorities to make self-funders aware of their rights as citizens to receive support and guidance from their local authority, particularly if they have not been through the assessment for eligibility process. East Riding of Yorkshire Council has a large number of self-funders and an information directory has been compiled to assist them in their choice of services. Vulnerable people without any family or other support are able to receive the services that the Council provides but they are fully charged for these services. There needs to be more engagement, particularly with NHS primary care, to ensure that people know about what services and support are available. This is particularly important with the forthcoming introduction of personal health budgets. From April 2014 in Southampton the commissioning services of Health and Social Care will be integrated. Alongside this, a new strategy is being developed to increase the number of PAs Support to specific and/or ethnic groups with personalised care About half the responses show that there had been efforts made with particular groups although it is difficult to assess the extent of the support offered. Much of the effort had been made with people who had particular conditions, especially those with learning disabilities or mental health needs. For example Devon County Council provides targeted support for people with learning disabilities and their employers and the Devon Partnership Trust has recently introduced a support service which plans to develop a PA bank and associated services. Areas with a large Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) community had made efforts to engage although it is recognised that some communities are reluctant to ask for support outside their communities because of concerns that support may not be culturally sensitive. On the other hand, particular initiatives do meet with success. Bury Council covers an area with a large Jewish population. There is a service level agreement with the Jewish population to provide a social worker to assess the needs of Jewish people. This has resulted in a high take-up of personal budgets in this community. Salford Council adopts a different approach as the minority groups are small and scattered. It works with neighbouring local authorities to attempt to recruit PAs of the appropriate cultural and linguistic background. 10

14 3.2. Development of the personal assistance market Has anything been done to increase the numbers of people choosing to employ a personal assistant in your area? When respondents were asked if anything had been done to increase the numbers of people choosing to employ a personal assistant in their area over three-quarters of local authorities had done something, but a fifth said that they had not undertaken any specific initiatives. The chart below shows the range of activities which had been undertaken: The other category covers a variety of activities, most of which are variations on the named categories. As noted above the nature and quality of the PA registers is unknown but there may be an argument for developing a consistent approach to delivery and quality of PA registers, perhaps with minimum standards introduced, as demand for registers increases. Two-thirds of respondents agreed that the development of an online resource would be very or extremely useful. This could provide clear information on roles that support the recruitment of personal assistants, how to recruit and apply, signposting and raising awareness of the social care sector. This is seen to be particularly applicable in geographically small urban authorities where there is much cross-boundary employment of PAs. Almost half of those who responded would also support the use of a tool to allow individual employers to compare personal assistant services in their area. However, it must be realised that PAs are not a homogenous group; indeed some who fill this role may not even regard themselves as PAs. They work for one specific person, usually a friend or relative but once that support is no longer needed, they do not continue in that role. This is a potential area for local authorities to explore further in an attempt to retain skilled and experienced PAs. 11

15 3.3. Support and development for personal assistants How does the local authority support personal assistants to have access to learning and development opportunities? Over 90% of local authorities said that they did support personal assistants to access learning and development opportunities. This figure is virtually identical to that in Although this is, on the surface, a very positive statistic, it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of the work without further investigation. When asked how, the majority said it was done by providing places on their own induction and/or training courses at no cost or low cost. Nearly 40% said that they provided some additional funding in the direct payment to the employer to pay for their personal assistant s training. In spite of these opportunities, take up is very low as training activities usually take place when the PA needs to be with their employer and the opportunities for backfill are very limited, unless the employer has a number of PAs. The traditional training day is not appropriate for most PAs. Additionally, there seems to be some reluctance for PAs to join in formal activities designed around the needs of staff who work in formal residential and domiciliary care settings. However, there needs to be a balance between an individual s rights of choice and control and the local authority s desire to improve the quality of care and manage risk appropriately. The use of e-learning, as part of a blended learning approach, may help PAs to access learning opportunities. A number of local authorities already signpost to appropriate e-learning sites. The authorities who share in the Log on to Care project in the Thames Valley and Central Bedfordshire all signpost PAs and their employers to this free resource. Skills for Care makes Workforce Development Funding available for individual employers to support learning and development for their PAs. During the past year Skills for Care has been piloting new approaches for individual employers to access the fund, and have been evaluating the efficacy of these. Whilst take up was initially limited, there has been a steady increase in demand since the launch of the new 12

16 approach in December However there is still a sense that the demand does not properly demonstrate the extent of the need within the sector. Ensuring that the parameters and disbursal model for the fund are fit for purpose is important there is still work to be done with some individual employers to invest in learning and development. Take up of the fund has been most successful where flexible solutions have been used. This includes working with individuals and families to coproduce what learning and development is needed and designing the training and delivery around the person. In some cases a third party, such as a support organisation, has undertaken to coordinate and source the learning provider. Local authorities do not seem to have emphasised Workforce Development Funding in their promotional material or to employers on an individual basis How are personal assistants encouraged to support each other and share good practice? Only a quarter of respondents said that they actively encouraged PAs to support each other; more than half said that they did not and nearly a fifth said they didn t know. The known activity was done mostly through other organisations providing regular meetings, or a group of employers and PAs meeting together locally. The findings suggest that there is a very small number of PA networks and forums and that this is an area for development. The most common way in which this is done is through another organisation managing the activity. A small number of respondents refer to the use of Facebook. On the other side, it is not always clear that local authorities know who the PAs actually are and their only method of contact is via the employers, which obviously can have disadvantages if employers are unconvinced of the merits of PA networking. Many of those interviewed raised this as a data protection issue, especially where the support for individual employers is contracted to an external provider. It was said that the data was held by the external provider for their purposes only and was therefore not to be passed to a third party. This view may be erroneous but it is strongly held. Where this provider is commissioned 13

17 to hold and maintain a register, there is no problem. If, however, this is not specified in the contract, the organisation rightly maintains that its relationship is only with the employers and they alone are the channel for any communication with PAs. This is an area that needs further investigation and guidance, and there are some local authorities which would actively resist such an approach. There is also the problem of time for physical meetings, as was noted above in respect of learning and development How does the local authority maintain contact with individual employers and PAs? Three-quarters of respondents said that they did maintain contact with individual employers and PAs, and this was done in a number of ways: by communicating through support organisations that held details of personal assistants (52%) communicating through private agencies or employers associations that hold details of employers and personal assistants in their area (22%) via their own care and support teams and entering details on registers and updating them through reviews (13%). As noted above, some local authorities do not have a centralised record of PAs so it is difficult to maintain contact. Details may be held in case files or in audit records. As previously stated, there is a view that PAs are the responsibility of the individual employer and there is no more need to know who they are than there is to know who is employed in any traditional service. This view is at variance with the local authority s leadership role in respect of the quality of care provided in its area and its responsibility for the whole workforce. It is seen as vital that each local authority has a clear a picture as is possible of the whole social care workforce to enable the necessary workforce planning to secure the future supply of all forms of care workers. 14

18 3.4. Quality of support What are your views of how to raise standards of personal care delivered and work being undertaken by personal assistants? The responses to this part of the research varied widely with many ideas and suggestions. The most common responses centred around training, both for the PAs to deliver a high standard of care and for the individual employers to understand what being a good employer means. Some local authorities stress the need for a consistent, possibly accredited register (but note the caveats in above) and clearer and consistent sources of information. There was also a range of responses around making the PA role more attractive and professional both in terms of pay and conditions as well as having to meet minimum standards Do you have any further information or comments regarding the different ways (including innovative or technological solutions) that people are being supported to employ personal assistants to meet all, or part of their care and support needs? This question is slightly different from the one in last year s questionnaire and produced a range of useful responses which form part of the basis of selection for more detailed investigation and case studies. 36% of responses gave some additional information. These quotes give a flavour of the type of response: Online training that is easy read and could be completed with staff from one of the DPSS providers through their own laptops. May require additional support service staff time. Need for PA advisor to work specifically with supporting PAs. Dudley Metropolitan Borough local authority It would seem logical to take a national approach to online PA recruiting, which would allow people to look for PAs in other areas, for example when going on holiday. We are looking to promote an online system, Care Pair, which has been set up to solve that problem caused by localised systems. Coventry City Council 15

19 The Plymouth Online Directory is a Council and Health funded website that has a personal assistant finder embedded within it. This is updated by the commissioned support service who screen the PA's before uploading them to the site. Individual employers (self-funded and Direct Payment recipients) can then browse through the list of PA's to find someone suitable. There is also a 'Jobs Board' feature where service users can post adverts for PA's to meet their specific needs. After selecting someone suitable, employers and employees are matched up by contacting the support service who advise how to commence employment and support with this process. Plymouth City Council 3.6. National Minimum Dataset Social Care and Workforce Development Fund (WDF) Comments have been made above about both of these initiatives. Very few local authorities make any definite moves to encourage individual employers to sign up to NMDS-SC. Where it is encouraged, registration is still at a very low level. This could be because of a lack of computers and IT knowledge. There is also the view on the part of employers - What s in it for me? The reasons why individuals do not apply for WDF in greater numbers are more complex. Individual employers are a diverse group in terms of their view of their role as an employer and their attitudes towards learning and development for their PAs. Some individual employers recognise the importance of learning and development for themselves and their staff. Some employers will take up learning and development opportunities they are offered as they understand the value of this but they would not necessarily take the time to source this independently. Others are less likely to recognise the value of learning and development. This range of views requires a range of responses. Skills for Care must continue to market the fund widely, clearly demonstrating its value. They must also make sure that the argument for engaging in learning and development is well made. In addition, the process for claiming and the parameters around the fund must continue to be reviewed, removing bureaucracy and ensuring the find is flexible enough to respond to diverse needs. Local authorities also need to be more proactive in encouraging its use, both on an individual basis as well as through support organisations. Its increased flexibility, especially in respect of backfill to cover learning and development activities, needs to be emphasised. One suggestion that was made is that of an easy-to-read leaflet, sent in quantities to assessment teams in local authorities. This may be one answer, together with an electronic version that local authorities could customise where necessary. 16

20 4. Recommendations The findings of the survey underline rather than contradict the findings of last year and so the recommendations made in last year s report are still valid. Local authorities should be continuing to apply these in order to consolidate their support to individual employers and PAs. Briefly the 2012 recommendations are as follows: support for employers providing a range of support for PAs the provision of learning and development opportunities signposting to tax advice from HMRC provision of a fuller range of services from support organisations increased support for specific/ethnic groups support for self-funders provision of local PA registers. Nevertheless there are still a number of stubborn barriers and challenges in the ongoing implementation of personalisation. In the changing environment of local government, the role of commissioners in adult social care is seen as an important factor for the development of local employment markets. It will be increasingly necessary to work with other partners, especially the Clinical Commissioning Groups to ensure a joined up approach to market shaping. Southampton City Council is integrating its services with the local Clinical Commissioning Group from April The local authority is the driver for personalised care and needs to keep this in the forefront of its planning. The emphasis must be on choice and positive risk-taking and to ensure that this happens, there will need to be collaboration with the widest range of partners in each community. The way in which local authorities manage the delivery of individual budgets and direct payments can be seen as a continuum, ranging from control to a more market orientated approach. Where each LA lies on this continuum is the result of locally driven political and management decisions. It is important that this is reviewed on a regular basis to take into account the needs of employers and PAs. There are specific issues that this year s research has highlighted: The priority of personalised care The delivery of personalised care by direct payments or individual budgets is a key Government priority. There is some evidence in the survey that this is becoming harder to implement. A number of interviewees have commented that they feel a ceiling has been reached in the uptake of personal budgets or direct payments to employ PAs. Local authorities should review their progress and where necessary 17

21 take steps to make personalised care and the employment of PAs a higher and more immediate priority. Information, advice and guidance Each local authority in its community leadership role should ensure that it provides accessible, high quality information advice and guidance to all who need support, no matter whether they receive funding from their local authority or pay for their care themselves. This advice should be available for the start of the care journey but then should be on-going. It should also be available both to current PAs as well as people considering taking up this role. Learning and development The survey clearly shows that there are still significant barriers both for individual employers and PAs accessing appropriate learning and development opportunities, in spite of the willingness of many local authorities to give access to their training programmes. There are some possible solutions to overcome these barriers. Commissioners need to include requirements for learning and development provision in their contracts with support agencies. E-learning, with its flexibility, needs to be explored seriously as an option, with materials which can be easily downloaded on to smartphones and other similar devices. There is also, on occasions, a place for specific bespoke training alongside the individual employer s family. Local learning and development providers need to be encouraged to develop local and imaginative solutions and use the Workforce Development Fund to assist with this. Use of technology Given the significant advances in assistive technology, such solutions need to be included in the support planning process to enable the widest range of choices to be available. For example, smart systems to monitor heath conditions can lessen the need to attend GP surgeries and GPS devices can be used to support people with dementia. PA registers In spite of reservations from some local authorities, a PA register is an invaluable tool in enabling individual employers to recruit PAs. It is not a means of intrusion or control, rather a way in which employers can meet their specific needs with the skills of PAs. Additionally, a good register can enable PAs to find a job which fits their areas of expertise. In both cases, it can facilitate an appropriate match between employer and prospective PA in an effective and efficient way, rather than relying on a much more hit-and-miss approach through advertising. A register is also a way of building capacity and quality across the PA workforce. The Plymouth Online Directory is an excellent example of such a register. 18

22 Being a good employer All of these recommendations have one aim to enable individual employers to be good employers and as a result receive a high standard of care. This will allow them maximum choice and independence. The active and continuing support of the local authority is an important aspect of this. 5. Next steps 5.1. Review of the recommendations ADASS, Learn to Care and Skills for Care will review the recommendations and agree how best to take forward support for individual employers and PAs, advise on future outcomes and how to measure their impact. It is the responsibility of the three organisations to ensure that this report and its recommendations are frequently highlighted over the next 12 months. It is anticipated that an impact assessment of the work done will be carried out On-going research The Department of Health is committed to embedding personalisation and supporting people to live independently with choice and control over their own lives. There is a long-term commitment to continue to develop understanding of PA working and to identify and overcome barriers. This research report forms a latest picture of what support is provided to individual employers and PAs from local authorities. This approach will be reviewed to determine what has worked well and what could be improved. Using this approach (with lessons learned) as an annual stock-take of progress will help to identify where the gaps are and to understand where best to focus future development. These annual surveys will provide an on-going narrative of the way in which a personalised way of service delivery is being taken forward Continuing advice for local authorities As a result of the intelligence gathering exercise conducted through the 2012 research an advice note for local authorities on minimum standards of support for individual employers and personal assistants was drawn up. This document will be updated as a result of this year s research. An advice note to support organisations to develop a PA register will be developed Examples of good practice A number of examples of good practice have been identified during the course of this research; some short examples have been referred to but Skills for Care will publish fuller case studies of the good practice examples for 2013 and make them available to the sector. This publication, together with that produced in 2012, will form the basis of an on-going data bank of good practice. 19

23 5.5. Support for increasing the availability of management information It has been noted several times in this report that there is still a lack of information about individual employers and their PAs. The National Minimum Data Set Social Care is key to ensuring a clear picture of the size and make-up of this part of the workforce. The Skills for Care report, The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England in 2013 comments, Around 193,000 adults, older people and carers were receiving direct payments from local authorities' social services departments as at March it is estimated that approximately 100,000 of these recipients directly employ their own staff. The ambition must be to verify the estimate by the encouragement and support for employers to register on NMDS-SC and by putting appropriate strategies in place. 20

24 6. References DH2011 Working for Personalised Care: a framework for supporting personal assistants working in adult social care (Department of Health) olicyandguidance/dh_ FPLD 2012 Reaching Out to people with learning disability and their families from black and minority ethnic communities (Foundation for People with a Learning Disability) g-out-report1.pdf?view=standard ADASS 2012 Personal Budgets Survey (Association of Directors of Adult Social Services) %20Documents/PersonalBudgetsSurveyMarch2012.pdf Skills for Care 2010 Personalisation and partnership - a successful working relationship: what factors disabled people feel are important in their relationships with their personal assistants (PAs), carers and support workers (Skills for Care, 2010) programme/workforce_innovation_introduction.aspx Skills for Care 2012 Skills for Care, Better understanding of levels of support for individual employers and their personal assistants (PAs). (Leeds, 2012) Skills for Care 2013 Skills for Care, The size and structure of the adult social care sector and workforce in England in Skills for Care 2012 Skills for Care, The state of the adult social care sector and workforce in England, (Leeds, 2012) 21

25 Skills for Care West Gate 6 Grace Street Leeds LS1 2RP tel: fax: info@skillsforcare.org.uk web: ref: H012 Skills for Care 2013