Want a rewarding career? Become a personal assistant

Help others lead the life they choose

In social care, a personal assistant (PA) is paid to help people who have a disability, an illness or are frail. They enable people with additional needs to lead the life they choose by providing everyday support.

More and more people in Surrey are looking to recruit PAs to help them lead the lives they choose. Personal assistants assist adults or children with their daily lives in fundamental ways, often working in people's own homes. Some individuals have mainly social needs, such as support with accessing activities in their community, while others may want help with mobility or personal care.

The support offered varies according to the needs of the individual but more than anything, the role of a PA is about supporting people to live as independently as possible.

A job shaped by you

If you can build good relationships with people and like the idea of helping them to live their best life on their terms, becoming a personal assistant may be just the role or career change that you're looking for.

You can choose the area you want to work in if you want to make sure you're close to where you live, or a child's school. Depending on the needs of the person / people you care for, you will also have some control over your hours to better suit your circumstances.

Competitive pay

While PAs can be self-employed or work for an agency, many are employed directly by the person they are caring for. In this case, it is likely that their employer will be receiving a direct payment from us to fund their care.

While it's up to your employer, the great news for PAs in Surrey is that we recommend people are paid at a rate that matches the (recently increased) London Living Wage, regardless of what part of Surrey they're in. Good PAs are also always in demand.

Find out more

If you are interested in becoming a Personal Assistant and want to find out more, check out the information on our Personal Assistant webpage.

If you have further questions about the role and what you can expect, please contact Surrey Independent Living Charity (SILC) by emailing admin@surreyilc.org.uk or calling them on 01483 458 111.

Receive care and want to employ your own PA?

If you already get help from social services and would like to have more control over how and from whom you receive care, you can choose to manage your own personal budget by applying for direct payments.