Finding Staff
The aim of this information sheet is to help you to find the most
suitable person to employ who will meet your needs.
Deciding what you need
You will need to make your mind up what your personal assistance
requirements are. It may be useful to base the job description and
person specification on the needs agreed during your assessment.
Consider what personal assistance you require throughout the day
and how much time you will need to spend on each task.
This will help you decide on the work schedule that will suit you
best. You need to come to a decision about how many Personal Assistants
(one may be sufficient) you need and if they will work on a part-time
or full-time basis. When you decide what sort of job you are offering
you can begin looking for the most appropriate staff for you.
Paying Personal Assistants
It is important to keep in mind how much money you receive from
the Trust and compare this with the local going rate for 'Personal
Care Assistants'. This will allow you to pay a fair wage. Be careful
to remain within your Direct Payments budget.
Finding Personal Assistants
Asking Around
You could ask your friends, neighbours or 'Care Assistants' who
have worked with you in the past. You may know people in your area
who are willing to spread the word that you are looking for suitable
people to fill the post.
Local newspapers or publications
You may want to advertise in the 'Situations Vacant' section. There
will be a charge to place your advertisement, usually per four words
(known as a line). Try to keep the advertisement as to the point
as possible. It is wise to get a price from the newspaper office
before you advertise. There are several ways that potential staff
can respond to your advertisement including a telephone number,
a third party contact such as Centre for Independent Living - Belfast
or a PO Box. It should be remembered that some potential applicants
could be put off by the prospect of applying to a PO Box. For reasons
of privacy, you may wish to withhold your home address when placing
job advertisements.
Local Job Centres
Any local Job Centre will place your advert on display racks free
of charge. You can telephone, fax or post your advertisement or
you may visit the Job Centre yourself. You can ask the Job Centre
to put potential applicants in touch with you without your own telephone
number being included on the advertisement. It is important to be
certain that the Job Centre fully understands the nature of the
job that you are offering.
Public Places
You may place cards in your local shop, post office, supermarket
or community centre. Placing an advertisement on notice boards in
Further Education Colleges and Universities where social services/community
care courses are taught may attract suitable people.
Care Agencies
You may make a contract with an agency that has staff who meet
your needs. You will need to ensure that you have enough money from
your Direct Payments to pay the agency rate.
Privacy and security
When you are recruiting staff, it is advisable to bear in mind
your own privacy and security. For example, you may prefer not to
use your home address when advertising or interviewing staff. Centre
for Independent Living - Belfast can help you to find an appropriate
venue.
Writing the advertisement
Write a short message that attracts attention and gives accurate
information about the job including;
-
The nature of the post
-
The number of hours to be worked daily or weekly
-
The rate of pay
-
The area where you are based
-
Who to contact for further information
Avoid terms like 'Carer' when naming the job. Try to promote the
job positively by titling the post 'Personal Assistant' or 'Support
Worker'.
Dealing with responses from applicants
When applicants start to respond you will need to select whom you
will interview. To allow you to decide, you will need more information
about each candidate. This can be obtained by sending an application
form or by talking to them on the phone to verify suitability for
interview. It is advisable to prepare your questions in advance,
possibly using the Application Form as a guide.
During telephone conversations, you should give a short summary
of the duties of the post. Ask questions that help you decide whether
or not to invite the applicant to an interview. It may be useful
to take a note of the replies.
Examples of questions you may wish to ask include:
You should make it clear to applicants that this is a formal employment
arrangement and you will be informing the Inland Revenue, if appropriate,
and will need to know his or her National Insurance number.
Ask for the applicant's:
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Name
-
Address
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Telephone Number
Inform the applicant that if selected for interview they will be
contacted by a specific date.
Remember to use your notes to enable you to decide on the most
suitable applicants.
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