Training for PAs

Ruils have developed 5 training films which explore the unique relationship between Employer and Personal Assistant; conveying key messages and highlighting best practice. The films cover the following topics and are available for everyone to use.

1. The role of the Personal Assistant
2. Health & Safety in the home
3. Moving and Assisting
4. Working with a Client with Dementia
5. Working with a Client with a Learning Disability

To access the films via You Tube click here

Read about how Ruils made the films with funding from Skills for Care here 

Local Authority Training

Local Authorities usually have training opportunities PAs can tap into, either face to face or on-line. For example, in the Richmond and Wandsworth Boroughs, these can be found at TPD Online.  PAs working in these Boroughs can find details and book onto both on line and classroom based courses free of charge. The sort of courses PAs will find particularly useful are listed below:

1. Care Certificate standards (see below)
2. Safeguarding Adults
3. Deprivation of Liberty (DoLS)
4. Dementia Awareness
5. Autism Awareness
6. Equality and Diversity
7. Staying safe on Home Visits

Don't forget PAs need to update this training regularly (every year ideally).

Our partners on this site may have training opportunities detailed on their home pages.

Care Certificate

The Care Certificate was a recommendation from the Cavendish review which found that the preparation of social care support workers and healthcare assistants for their roles within care settings was inconsistent.

This is the first time an agreed set of standards that define the minimum expectations of what care should look like across social care and health has been developed. It has been developed in partnership by Skills for Care, Skills for Health and Health Education England.

The Care Certificate is designed to replace and improve on the social care Common Induction Standards and health’s National Minimum Training Standards.

The 15 standards within the certificate are:

1. Understanding your role

2. Your personal development

3. Your duty of care

4. Equality and diversity

5. Working in a person centered way

6. Effective communication

7. Privacy and dignity

8. Managing fluids and nutrition

9. Awareness of mental health, dementia and learning disability

10. Safeguarding adults

11. Safeguarding children

12. Basic life support

13. Health and safety (including moving and assisting)

14. Handling information

15. Infection prevention and control

Further information about the Care Certificate is available here

Skills for Care Training Resources

Employers can apply for funding from Skills for Care to cover the full cost of care related training and development for themselves and for their personal assistants. Find details here

The fund can be used for training to develop you as an employer and to develop the skills of your PA. It can cover the direct costs of training and qualifications, travel and the cost of hiring replacement support whilst your usual PA is attending training.  

Read about how other employers have used the fund, and see examples of training and qualifications we could fund. 

Skills for Care also provide a really helpful guide on training for PAs