PA Employers and Personal Assistants sought to shape work on wellbeing

A new project aimed at improving the wellbeing of Personal Assistants in Scotland is seeking PAs and PA Employers to join expert groups to guide the work.

The project also aims to support the mutual relationship between PA Employers and PAs. It is being run by IMPACT (Improving Adult Social Care Together), a UK-wide project that supports all those involved with social care to use evidence to make a difference to people’s lives.

In Scotland, IMPACT is working with the Personal Assistant (PA) Programme Board on a project seeking to improve PA wellbeing across the country.

Project co-lead Richard Brunner explained: “The project is grounded in the belief that people with lived experience should be in the driving seat of change across Scotland, and that evidence makes the most impact when it’s connected to real lives. The Disabled Peoples’ Movement and Independent Living Movement campaigned for years for the right to personal assistance, and we recognise that the involvement of PA employers is vital to this project’s success.”

 

Expert groups

The project is now recruiting two expert groups – one for PA Employers and one for PAs – and is seeking notes of interest from people who would like to be involved.

Each group will meet online about three times between January and July 2024. PA Employers and PAs will be paid for their participation and preparation time, plus any additional support costs.

For those interested in taking part, please contact the relevant person below. Please get in touch by Friday 15th December 2023.

 

PA Employers

If you are interested in taking part in the PA Employers group, please email Richard Brunner: Richard.brunner@stir.ac.uk or call 07958 563651. Richard will then send you further information in a format that works for you.

Please also share this information with your Personal Assistants so that if they are interested in joining the PA expert group they can contact the team directly.

Personal Assistants

If you are interested in taking part in the Personal Assistants group, please email Rhiann McLean: Rhiann.mclean@stir.ac.uk or call 07791 899851. Rhiann will then send you further information.