Frequently Asked Questions
Employers and Personal Assistant FAQ’s
PA Register
FAQ: Employers
FAQ: Employers
The Sheffield PA Register is a resource to be used by both Personal Assistants (PAs) and Individual Employers (IEs – people who employ Personal Assistants). It as a searchable database designed to enable both parties to introduce themselves to one another.
It works on two fronts. It allows PAs in the Sheffield region to advertise their availability, and it allows employers to advertise their need for a PA.
The Sheffield PA Register is a resource to be used by both Personal Assistants (PAs) and Individual Employers (IEs – people who employ Personal Assistants). It as a searchable database designed to enable both parties to introduce themselves to one another.
It works on two fronts. It allows PAs in the Sheffield region to advertise their availability, and it allows employers to advertise their need for a PA.
The PA Register is a database. It allows PAs (Personal Assistants) to create an advert and these adverts can be searched by employers. If an Individual Employer believes that a PA’s advert matches their own requirements, they are able to contact the PA to discuss employment.
It also allows IEs (Individual Employers) to advertise specific PA roles, which are searchable by PAs. If a PA thinks they might be suitable for one of these advertised jobs, they are able to apply directly to the employer.
There are two ways in which the Sheffield PA Register can help you find the right PA.
- Search or browse the adverts of registered PAs. If you like the look of a particular member, you can make contact with them to discuss employment
- Create an advert to advertise that you need a PA. You can then make contact with the PAs who have responded to your advert to discuss employment.
When a PA uses the Apply Now function on a job advert, they will effectively be contacting you directly. You will receive an email, and you can then choose whether or not to follow up. The applicant will not have your email address nor any other means of contact with you – until you reply. You remain in control throughout the process.
Please bear in mind that whatever happens after an application has been sent is entirely in the hands of you, the employer. From the moment interested parties have been in direct contact, Disability Sheffield and Sheffield City Council are no longer involved.
If an advertised job is no longer available, you can delete the advert at any time. If you fill an advertised position, you can mark the job as unpublished, and it will be removed from the list. Each advert will have an automatic expiry of 4 weeks from the date of administration approval.
The Sheffield PA Register is free to use.
Firstly, create an advert. Register as an employer, you can then create an advert and post it. The online form is kept as simple as possible and there is a box where you can put a few details about the job description. To ensure your privacy we strongly advise employers to keep this description factual and avoid putting any information about personal circumstances or medical conditions. You can discuss specific issues or needs with potential job applicants at the interview.
Disability Sheffield and Sheffield City Council can make no guarantee that PAs will apply for the job you are advertising.
Our Information page contains useful information about employing someone. This includes information on:
- Interviewing – when, where, how
- Contract of employment – why you should have one
- Formulating a rota for my care – making the best use of your staff resources
- Sign posting to a payroll supplier – paying staff on time is important!
- Do I contribute towards a PA Pension Scheme
- On-going support with any employment issues
- Support on meeting Health & safety regulations within my home for PA
By becoming a member of the service you will automatically be subscribed to the Disability Sheffield newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe from this you can do so at any time – simply click the unsubscribe link in any newsletters you receive.
We have no policy requiring members to use real names. You can use a fake name on your profile if you wish.
If you do this, please be aware that job applicants will at some point need to know who you are if you wish to pursue employing them.
You can delete your account at any time. Simply contact Disability Sheffield using the email contact form on our contact page providing the name and email address you use on the site, and a website administrator will wipe your records from the system. We will not be able to recover deleted accounts.
PA Register
FAQ: Personal Assistants
FAQ: Personal Assistants
The Sheffield PA Register is a resource to be used by both Personal Assistants (PAs) and Individual Employers (IEs – people who employ Personal Assistants). It as a searchable database designed to enable both parties to introduce themselves to one another.
It works on two fronts. It allows PAs in the Sheffield region to advertise their availability, and it allows employers to advertise their need for a PA.
The Sheffield PA Register is a resource to be used by both Personal Assistants (PAs) and Individual Employers (IEs – people who employ Personal Assistants). It as a searchable database designed to enable both parties to introduce themselves to one another.
It works on two fronts. It allows PAs in the Sheffield region to advertise their availability, and it allows employers to advertise their need for a PA.
The PA Register is a database. It allows PAs (Personal Assistants) to create an advert and these adverts can be searched by employers. If an Individual Employer believes that a PA’s advert matches their own requirements, they are able to contact the PA to discuss employment.
It also allows IEs (Individual Employers) to advertise specific PA roles, which are searchable by PAs. If a PA thinks they might be suitable for one of these advertised jobs, they are able to apply directly to the employer.
There are two ways in which PA Register can help you find the right job.
Firstly, there is the passive approach. By simply filling out an advert and making it publicly searchable, you will become visible to any employer browsing or searching for PA profiles. If an employer likes the look of your profile and wishes to get in touch with you, they can register with the PA Register in order to access your contact details.
Secondly, there is the active approach. You can browse or search for vacancies at any time. If you wish to apply for a job, you can do so within each individual advert (Apply Now tab), using the Apply Now link. This allows you to send a short application email to the employer. It also allows you to upload a CV or any other information you would like them to see.
You can update your profile at any time. We advise you to update it whenever your situation changes.
Disability Sheffield and Sheffield City Council are not the employer. By uploading your details you are advertising yourself to disabled people in the region who have a budget available to employ one or more personal assistants. If you accept a job offer from one of these employers, your contract of employment will be with them.
Hours and pay are at the discretion of the employer. These details can be found on the advert for a specific job. No two PA jobs are exactly alike, so it’s hard to give any general overview here. If you will only want to work certain hours or for a specific amount of money, we suggest you include this information in your advert.
When you use the Apply Now function on a job advert, you will effectively be contacting the employer directly. They will be able to see whatever details you provide, and can then chose whether or not to follow up.
You will not be offered a job based simply on the information you make available here. If you apply for a job, it will be at the discretion of the employer as to how to proceed. Normally, a follow up email or phone call will take place, and arrangements can then be made for an interview or further meetings.
Please bear in mind that whatever happens after an application has been sent is entirely in the hands of the employer. From the moment a PA and an IE have been in direct contact, Disability Sheffield and Sheffield City Council are no longer involved.
The Sheffield PA Register is free to use.
By default, all personal contact details are kept private. Nobody can see them. However, when you apply for a job your contact details will become visible to the Individual Employer and they will be able to contact you. Please be aware that we do not carry out checks on potential employers and cannot verify who they are. Therefore you will need to carry out your own checks if and when you are in contact with an employer.
Though your name and profile details will be visible to the public, your contact details are never made publicly available.
You can chose to unpublish your profile from the PA list, but if you do this please be aware that potential employers will be unable to see your profile. If you are hidden, the only people able to access your details will be Disability Sheffield or Sheffield City Council. You will still be able to apply for advertised jobs when your profile is hidden from the PA list.
The PA Register will provide your details on your behalf when you submit an application to approved employers.
We will not share your details with anyone else, ever.
By becoming a member of the service you will automatically be subscribed to the Disability Sheffield newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe from this you can do so at any time – simply click the unsubscribe link in any newsletters you receive.
We have no policy requiring members to use real names. You can use a fake name on your profile if you are worried about being found online but still want your profile to be publicly searchable.
If you do this, please be aware that potential employers will at some point need to know who you are if you wish to pursue a particular job.
It depends on the employer. It is good practice that they ask you for these as evidence of your suitability for the job, but it is not a legal requirement.
You can delete your account at any time. Simply contact Disability Sheffield using the email contact form on our contact page providing the name and email address you use on the site, and a website administrator will wipe your records from the system. We will not be able to recover deleted accounts.