Personal care assistant
Career outlook for personal care assistant
Average UK salary
£24,960
Currently employed in Scotland
74,200
"LMI for All" supplies our salary and employment status information. "Oxford Economics" supplies job forecasts and employment figures. Due to COVID-19 the jobs market is constantly changing. Some of the information may not reflect the current situation.
What's it like?
As a personal assistant you would support your disabled employer to live an independent life. Personal assistants are employed privately. People can receive funding from the local authority to employ their own support staff.
You could assist a variety of people such as:
- elderly people
- disabled people
- people with mental health conditions
- people with learning difficulties
- children
You could work as part of a team of support workers or independently. You could work for more than one employer. You could be self-employed.
Your daily tasks would be determined by your employer depending on their needs. You would not need to make decisions for your employer. You would support your employer to meet their identified goals. Your employer will identify their needs and objectives with you – your role will be to support them to meet their objectives. This could involve supporting with:
- preparing meals
- personal hygiene needs such as taking a shower or going to the bathroom
- household maintenance
- managing medication
- transportation
Working conditions
Hours
Environment
Travel
UK employment status
Full-time
50%
Part-time
45%
Self employed
6%
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Find a jobTop skills
Here are some of the skills needed for this job. Sign in to see how your skills match up.
- Building relationships
- Listening
- Verbal communication
- Empathising
- Respecting
- Reliable
- Taking responsibility
- Understanding
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Foundation Apprenticeships
Choosing a Foundation Apprenticeship as one of your subjects in S5 and S6 can help you get a head start with this type of job.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification (the same level as a Higher) plus valuable work placement experience and skills you can't learn in a classroom.
Interested? Find out what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
Qualifications
There are no formal qualifications for this role. Most roles will provide role specific training that meet the needs of the employers. You can find helpful courses through the Personal Assistant Network Scotland or a local independent support group.
Useful subjects
- English
- Care
- Human biology
- Skills for Work: Health and Social Care Higher
- FA Social Services and Healthcare
Helpful to have
For this role, employers value people who are empathetic and understanding. Good communication and numeracy skills can also help you to stand out to employers.
You will need to learn on the job so flexibility and the ability to adapt will be helpful.