People who draw on care and support are finding it increasingly hard to recruit and retain personal assistants (PAs), a recent survey has found.
Around 70,000 people in England employ a PA, and 995 responded to an online joint survey by the LGA and the Think Local Act Personal (TLAP) partnership.
Key findings included:
- Of those who needed to recruit a PA, 77 per cent had found it more difficult.
- Two-thirds said people were taking jobs with better pay rather than PA jobs.
- Nearly three in five (59 per cent) think it’s harder to find PAs with the right skills, values or training.
- Low pay, poor terms and conditions and insufficient hours were key factors in PAs leaving.
Cllr David Fothergill, Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board said: “It’s worrying to hear about the struggle that many who draw on care have in recruiting and retaining PAs and this highlights the continued issue all areas of social care currently have with finding and keeping staff.
“PAs are a crucial part of the social care workforce; they deliver brilliant care and support and hugely enhance the lives of the people they work for.
“The responses to this survey are stark, and clearly show how much more support is needed in this vital area of social care. Thank you to all those who took their time to respond and inform us of their concerns within this critical service.”
