How to Choose the Right Personal Assistant
Choosing support at home is not only about finding someone with the right experience.
It is also about finding a person you feel comfortable with, can communicate openly with and trust to respect your preferences, routines and independence.
Hub Care Support can introduce you to independent, QCAS-approved Personal Assistants in your local area. You can review suitable profiles, ask questions and decide who feels right for you.
What matters when choosing a Personal Assistant?
Every person and every support arrangement is different.
Before speaking with potential Personal Assistants, it can help to think about what matters most to you.
This may include:
- the type of support you need
- the days and times support is required
- relevant experience or skills
- personality and communication style
- shared interests
- reliability and availability
- whether they drive or have access to transport
- their hourly rate
- how comfortable you feel speaking with them
There is no single “right” Personal Assistant for everyone. The best choice is someone whose experience, availability and approach suit your individual needs.
Six things to consider
Questions you may want to ask
An initial conversation or meeting gives both you and the Personal Assistant the opportunity to decide whether the arrangement could work.
Useful questions may include:
- What experience do you have?
- What types of support do you usually provide?
- What days and times are you available?
- What is your hourly rate?
- Do you charge for travel or mileage?
- Do you have access to a car?
- How do you prefer to communicate?
- What happens if you are unavailable?
- What notice do you require for cancellations?
- Are there any tasks you do not offer?
- What do you enjoy about working as a Personal Assistant?
You should also explain what is important to you, including routines, preferences, boundaries and expectations.
Agree expectations before before support begins
Once you have chosen a Personal Assistant, you should discuss and agree the practical arrangements directly with them.
These may include:
- the support or services to be provided
- the days and times on which particular visits are agreed
- the Personal Assistant’s hourly rate
- travel, mileage and other agreed expenses
- invoicing and payment arrangements
- cancellation and notice terms
- how planned periods of unavailability will be communicated
- what will happen if either party is unavailable
- communication preferences
The Personal Assistant remains responsible for running their own independent business, including setting their rates, managing their availability and issuing invoices.
Ready to find support?
Use our postcode search to find your nearest Hub Care Support branch.
Your local Hub can explain the process, answer questions about introductions and help you explore QCAS-approved Personal Assistants in your area.