Direct Payments Support Service

Personal Assistants/Support Workers Vacancies

Updated 7th May 2008

The following vacancies are advertised directly by the disabled person who receives support from the Direct Payment Support Service. It is important to note that it is not Darlington Association on Disability that is the employer.

Would you like the opportunity to work for and assist a disabled person on a one to one basis to have choice and control in their life and live independently within their own home and in the community?

Do you enjoy the company of people, are able to work flexibly, reliable, have good communication skills and willing to learn how to meet the individual needs of the person you are assisting?

If the answer is YES to both of these questions then you may be interested to find out more about the various posts available to work in Darlington employed by a disabled person or carer using a Direct Payment.

Duties may include assisting with personal care, accessing community facilities, shopping and domestic tasks. Car drivers and experience are desirable but not essential. Previous experience is not essential.

A version of this information in Word format is available by clicking this link: Direct Payments Vacancies(Word). For a PDF version please click this link: Direct Payment Vacancies(PDF).

Personal Assistant - Hummersknott area. Reference: SA/04-02

A professional married gentleman, who is also a wheelchair user, requires experienced personal assistants to join his existing team of P.A.'s who enable him to access activities and also provide personal care. Because of his impairment his home has been fully adapted and equipped to assist with all his requirements. This is a non smoking environment.

Duties: Assistance with dressing and getting ready for bed, limited assistance at mealtimes and accompanying gentleman to access social activities on an as when required basis.

Hours: 18 to 24 hours per week plus at least one weekly sleepover. Flexibility is a necessity as you will be needed to cover for other team members (holidays, sickness, etc.)

Rate: £7.75 per hour and £50.00 per sleepover weekdays, £11.75 per hour and £60.00 per sleep weekends. Premium rates apply for bank holidays.

If you are flexible, enjoy working as part of a small team, and also a car driver please apply. Criminal Records Bureau and reference checks will need to be carried out on the successful applicants.

Personal Assistant. Reference:GR/13-18

A gentleman with advanced M.S. is looking to recruit a PA with experience who will be able to fit into a well established team of 3 PA.

Duties: Assistance with getting ready for bed, meal preparation, assistance at mealtimes and general domestic tasks.

Hours: 10-12 hours per week - Teatimes, bed/night-times and weekends

Rate: £7.00 per hour weekdays, evenings and Saturdays; £10.50 per hour on Sundays.

Applicants: Maintain confidentiality, work for a close-knit family with dogs, reliable, have excellent communication skills and be able to work in a non-smoking environment.

Family Support Worker. Reference:GR/03-15

Duties: To support a child with learning difficulties and his brother to go to soft play and the park on scooters and swimming, and things young boys aged 6-7 enjoy, occasionally to take the children to and from school.

Hours: 7.30am - 9.00am and 3.15pm - 4.30pm when required to take to/pick up from school or 3 hours (approx.) on a weekend.

Rate: £6.00 to £6.50 depending on experience

Family Support Worker. Reference No. SA/10-03

A family support worker is required to help look after 3 lively children at the end of school.

Duties: To collect the children from school with mother, to keep them entertained while she makes tea for them and get them ready for bed.

Hours: 1 hour per day Monday to Friday

Hourly Rate: £6.00 weekday

Applicants must be: On the ball all the time, driver if possible (not essential), trustworthy, non-smoker, experience with children, able to work on own initiative or follow instructions.

Personal/Care Assistant Required. Reference No. SA/03/19

PA required to provide personal care and general personal hygiene for a man of 60.

Duties: Bathing, toileting, getting in and out of bed, and wheelchair (a hoist is available)

Hours: 9.30 p.m. - 10.00 p.m. (negotiable)

Hourly Rate: £7.50

Applicants must be: Flexible and reliable.

Personal Assistant. Reference No. SA/02-03b

Older lady needs a personal care assistant to meet personal care needs and assist with household tasks.

Duties: Assisting with dressing, personal care, washing, meal preparation, assisting with mobility, including use of a hoist, housework and providing a sitting service.

Hours: Approx 14 hours per week, hours are for day and evening calls - half hour each time. 4 hours sitting service and 1 hour housework.

Hourly Rate: £7.50 weekdays, £8.50 weekends

Applicants must be: Able to work bank holidays, flexible, patient, dog friendly, able to respect dignity and willing to undertake training.

Personal Assistant - Pierremont Area. Reference No. GR05-20

Based in a private household you will be working for a gentleman who has Parkinsons Disease.

Duties: Include vacuuming, dusting, loading and unloading the washing machine, hanging washing for drying, ironing and preparing light lunch. May be required to assist gentleman if problems with mobility arise. There may be some aspects of personal care involved. Applicants must undergo a CRB check, cost met be employer.

Hours: 10 per week.

Hourly Rate: £6.00 per hour

Applicants must be: Flexible, reliable, and be able to maintain confidentiality.

Personal Assistant Reference No. GR07-13

Young disabled person with severe learning difficulties requires support to provide assistance with social activities and to give the carer a break.

Duties: Support with mobility, personal care (includes manual handling, support with feeding and drinking), providing stimulating and varied activities. Driving licence desirable but not essential.

Hours: Part-time 4 to 12 hours

Hourly Rate: £8.00 per hour

Applicants must be: Reliable, flexible, willing to undergo training, supportive attitude, ability to work with people who have communication needs.

Driver - Eastbourne Area. Reference No. 05-02

A Driver is required to pick up Service User from home and take to the Portland in Willington.

Duties: Personal care

Hours: to pick up between 8am and 8.15am

Hourly Rate: To be agreed

Applicants must be: Trustworthy, experience of working with children is an advantage, punctual and honest.

Support Worker - Cockerton Area. Reference No. 12-19

A Support worker is required to take out a 7 year old boy for the day once every two weeks. To pick up from the family home and do things that children would like to do.

Duties: To pick child up, give packed lunch or purchase meal (cost met) be on hand for when child wishes to go to the toilet. Child is very energetic therefore must be supervised at all times, especially on trips out and near the road.

Hours: 8 Hours once every two weeks.

Hourly Rate: Between £6.00 to £7.50 per hour (to be agreed)

Applicants must be: Car driver with clean licence, trustworthy, reliable, be able to get on with the child and be able to manage the child's individual requirements.

Personal Assistant - Reference No. 10-10

Personal Assistant wanted for a disabled lady.

Duties: Personal and domestic care.

Hours: Part-time 15-20

For further information on this position please contact 01325 360524 (details held by employer.)

Support Worker - Reference No. 12-0804

A Support Worker is required to help provide respite care and assist a busy family with trips to the local park and general outings that most children would enjoy!

Duties: Going to soft play areas, local parks, assisting mum with trips to the swimming pool, keeping child occupied and most importantly providing family with some much needed respite care.

Hours: 8 hours a week to be negotiated.

Hourly Rate: £6.50 per hour

Applicants must be: Preferably a car owner/driver, reliable, friendly, and respect confidentiality.

Personal Assistant, Winston Area - Reference No. 18-08

A couple living in Winston are looking for a personal assistant, someone who would enjoy a job with variety.

Duties: General housework, meal preparation and support with retail therapy. Social time - meals out and travelling to other regions and when required light personal assistance.

Hours: 32 hours or 16 hours a week (job share negotiable)

Hourly Rate: £7.00 per hour weekday, £7.50 per hour evenings/weekends

Applicants must be: Flexible, trustworthy, reliable, a dog lover and able to work in a smoke free environment.

Personal Assistant Required Reference No. SA/1023c

PA required to assist a man to enable him to access activities and also to provide personal care.

Hours: 19 per week (to be negotiated)

Hourly Rate: £6.00 weekday, £8.00 weekend

Applicants must be: Male, have a clear driving licence - owner/driver, able to work flexibly, maintain confidentiality, be reliable, be able to push a wheelchair, not be offended by smoking, have a good sense of humour and previous experience would be preferred.

Personal Support Worker, Longfield Area - Reference: 16-02

Duties: To take a 7 year old boy out on a Saturday morning

Applicant must be reliable, trustworthy, non-smoking, patient, caring, understanding, with experience of disabled children and able to act on own initiative

Use of car (with room for folding wheelchair)

Hours: 2.5 hours per week

Rate: £7.20

Personal Care Assistant - Hurworth Area Reference: 04-08

To assist an elderly gentleman with dementia to get up, wash & have breakfast

Applicant must be reliable, trustworthy and punctual

Duties: Prompting to get up; assistance with washing, dressing, showering, getting breakfast, feeding; some housework

Hours: 12 hours per week Mon-Fri, including early calls (at or before 7.30am some days, between 8 & 8.30pm other days)

Rate: £7.50 per hour

Personal Assistant - Eastbourne Area Reference No. 10-04

A working young man is looking for a P.A. with a sense of humour who enjoys variety and able to cook.

Duties: Personal care (showering), preparing evening meals (using fresh ingredients), and domestic duties. I will also require you to assist me with my bedtime routine too.

Hours: 14 hours per week Monday to Sunday (5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m)

Hourly Rate: £6.50 per hour weekday, £7.00 per hour weekends

Applicants must be: Flexible, trustworthy, conscientious, reliable, and able to work in a smoke free environment.

Important information for applicants:

Applicants must be: Able to work flexibly, good communicator, able to respect dignity and willing to learn from the employer.

All applicants will have to provide references and undergo an enhanced criminal records bureau check.

For further information please contact the Direct Payments Support Service on 01325 360524 quoting the job reference number or alternatively e-mail stacey@darlingtondisability.org

A Direct Payment is made from the local authority to individuals to have control and choice over their own support. Many people who use a Direct Payment choose to employ a personal assistant or a support worker.

Successful applicants will be employed directly by the disabled person who receives support from the Support Service to do this. It is important to understand that it is not the support service that is the employer.

All posts include the statutory requirement of 4.8 weeks paid holiday and other usual employment rights.

It may be helpful to understand that there is a difference between that of a Care Assistant and a Personal Assistant. Although differing posts have varying requirements the general role of a personal assistant is the same. A personal assistant's role is to help your employer to live the way they choose. This means that a personal assistant should listen to their employer to understand and respond positively to any reasonable request for assistance. It enables disabled people to lead an individual, independent life equal to that of non-disabled people.

If you would like to apply for any of the posts please quote the reference number (on the top of each advert). To ensure a smooth recruitment process we ask applicants to apply for only one post at a time and if you are unsuccessful you are then able to apply for further posts.

If however you are looking for work, which is in excess of the advertised post - please speak to the Support Service, as there may be posts, which you could apply for together to make up the hours that you wish to work.

What happens next:

1. After completing your application form and returning it to the Support Service, your application will be sent to employers which you have requested and if indicated other employers which are appropriate.

2. If short-listed you will be asked for an interview, which will give the employer the opportunity to decide whether they wish to employ you. This is also the applicant's opportunity to find out information to decide whether you feel the position is appropriate for you.

3. Where you indicate as such your application form will be kept on file and passed on to an appropriate employer. This means that it may take some time before you are contacted.