Employing Personal Assistants Presentation for bcda by Mahtab
Employing Personal Assistants Presentation for bcda by Mahtab Khan Change Agency Ltd with thanks to Skills For Care
Job Description and Person Specification What skills do you want your PA to have? e. g; someone who can drive What are the jobs you would like your PA to do? e. g; making meals, ironing. Your Ideal Personal Assistant Do you have any religious or cultural needs that your PA should understand? What about personal qualities? e. g; someone with patience. How will you measure ‘a sense of humour’? Pages 4 - 5 Templates
Person Specification Think about the job List requirements Essential or desirable? Is it fair? Is it identifiable? Is it a minimum standard? Is it relevant to the job? No Leave it out Is it identifiable? Is it relevant to the job? Yes Are the requirements justifiablelist the reasons No Leave it out The final checklist: - what does each item mean? - is the general level about right? - is it balanced? - can it be used effectively? - is each item clearly stated? Include in specification Use completed specification
Writing The Advert What to include in your advert • • • Hours of work Rate of pay • • General location Experience / qualifications Application form or CV? • • • Closing date DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. (Formally known as a CRB - Criminal Records Bureau check) Any other information References How to gain further information Pages 6 - 7 Templates
Advertise Once you have put together the job description you can advertise it in a number of ways. . . .
Word of mouth • • If you know someone you feel is trustworthy you can approach them to be your PA You should consider your working and personal relationships with this person before employing her/him.
Local newspaper • • Your advert will reach a wide range of people within your local area but these can sometimes be expensive. Check out costs and weigh up the benefits. Newspaper adverts are often limited in space so you may need to compose a condensed version. If so ensure that you include your basic requirements and hours of work.
Jobcentre Plus • Contact your local Jobcentre Plus who will advertise for free. You can usually get help in writing the advertisement too.
• Online Gumtree, a classified advertisement site, is free and easy to use. Check for similar sites that cover your local area too. (www. gumtree. com)
Direct payment support organisation • Contact your local support organisation for information on advertising with them
Local college/university • Advertise to students, perhaps those who are pursuing PA courses.
Choosing Who To Interview • • Shortlisting or ‘sifting’ ACAS guidelines recommend that to avoid bias or prejudice more than one person should carry out the ‘sift’ (or shortlist). Review the process at the end of the sift to check points have been awarded on evidence only. You must ensure that your selection process is fair and not discriminatory (See ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ handout) Where should the interview take place?
The Interview. . . • The dos and don’ts of interviewing handout helps you to conduct a professional interview and get the best out of it. Pages 11 - 15 Handout Templates 1/6
The interview: prepare • • • 2/6 It is important to prepare before the interview. This makes it an easier and more hassle-free process Prepare a list of questions you want to ask of candidates. Read the candidate’s application so that you can ask them about anything of relevant interest
The interview: do not interview alone • 3/6 Ask a friend or direct payments advisor to interview with you for support.
The interview: allow time between interviews • 4/6 Make sure you are able to take a break between interviews to make notes and refresh yourself.
The interview: don’t rush your decision • • 5/6 Take time to think about who you want to employ You can re-advertise if you received no suitable applications.
The interview: does this person have the legal right to work in the UK? • • • Before you offer the job you must check that s/he has the right to work in the UK. Make sure you keep records of this for the successful applicant. Refer to page 18 in the ‘Templates’ booklet for a list of accepted documents. Page 18 Templates 6/6
Offer The Job • • • Contact the candidate you have chosen to employ to inform her/him. Let the successful candidate know that you will be checking their references and performing a DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check before the employment is confirmed. Inform unsuccessful applicants in writing. Refer to the ‘Templates’ booklet for examples of these. Pages 16 - 17 Templates
Do The Checks • • DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. (Formally known as a CRB - Criminal Records Bureau check) References are important to ensure that the applicant is trustworthy. You can collect this information in two ways • in writing; can ask specific questions, send copy of job description so the referee can check if they are suitable for the role. or • by phone; quick, can speak honestly, follow up with written reference. Page 18 Templates
• • Keep a Record Keep a record of all recruitment paperwork for 6 months, just in case there any queries. Remember to store this information in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
Thank you! • • • Presentation for bcda by Mahtab Khan at Change Agency Ltd with thanks to Skills For Care
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