Process of creating a Job Description

A job description outlines what the job is. It describes the job. The job description also makes up part of the contract of employment between you and the employee.

To create the job description, you need to work out what support you want from your PA. The support you want them to give you is their job. If you did a self-assessment then you can use this form to work this out. If you didn’t, a support service may happily support you to identify the needs you feel you have and how you want those met.

In the care assessment, you identified your needs. With Hygiene/care of your body you may have identified you need support with washing your hair, you may need support with preparations of meals or you may feel you need support with correspondence.                          

Using these identified needs, the things you feel you need support with, you can put together a job description.  Try and think about how you would like a P.A. to meet these needs.

• What time in the day would you like to get up/go to bed?

• How often would you like to get up/go to bed?

• When would you like to do your administration, and how? if you use a computer does your PA need computer skills?

• When would you like cooked meals?

• How often would you like to go out for a meal, and where would you like to go out for meals? who with? if you like to travel, will your PA need to licensed to drive?

Think about whether you like routine or flexibility.  Are there times when you need support from more than one personal assistant, for example support to go swimming? Will your PA need to have special skills or qualifications, for example be able to drive or use a computer?

This person may be spending a lot of time in your home, working directly along side you. They may have to work in your house when you are out at work. You need to think about what personal skills the person should have. Will they need to work closely and be directed by you? You may work and require them to work from their own initiative in your home whilst you are out.

A Support Service or family member may  support you to decide what you want from your Personal Assistant.

Once you have thought about how a P.A. will meet your needs, you can create the job.

·        What hours do you want your P.A. to work? when do you need support

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·        How many P.A.’s do you want? Do you ever need more than one person to support you? Do you want two PA’s so they can cover holidays and sickness?

·        How much will you pay your P.A.? A flat rate of pay or increased for bank holidays/overtime? An employers support service can help a breakdown of the  hourly rate.

·        How flexible do you need your P.A.’s to be? What is your lifestyle like, do you change your plans and do things on the spur of the moment? Do you have good days and bad days?

·        What sort of tasks will you expect your P.A. to do? What things need to be done to support you to meet your needs?

·        What essential or desirable skills should they have? Should they be able to drive?

·        What characteristics should they have? Do you need someone who can work from his or her own initiative? Has a sense of humour? Will work quietly?

Now you can write a job description.  It can be as basic as:

Job Title

Pay

Hours

About me.

Purpose of job

Description of Tasks to be done

You can also make it as full as you like to help the PA understand what is required of them.