A survey about Skills for Care's PA Toolkit.

1. Review of Skills for Care’s “PA Toolkit”
ecdp is delighted to be working with Skills for Care to support disabled people in Essex and
beyond who employ their own staff to access Skills for Care’s useful and time-saving resources.
Skills for Care wants to ensure that the people who work for disabled and older people in
providing care – often paid for by Direct Payments or Personal Budgets – have the right skills and
qualifications to do so.
We know Direct Payments can be a very beneficial way of arranging your social care. But we also
understand that it can sometimes take time to get the right information to feel fully in control.
This is why ecdp is working with Skills for Care to ensure their useful information is made as
available as possible to you. We also want to make sure you have the opportunity to let Skills for
Care know how useful their resources are: what is good, what can be improved, and what new
things you might like to see.
This survey asks for your thoughts on Skills for Care’s PA Toolkit, which was designed to help
people employ their own personal assistants.
As well as completing this survey and sending it back to us at ecdp, you can also share your
views on this at a focus group – see ecdp’s website for details: www.ecdp.co.uk.

2. Reviewing the PA Toolkit
Skills for Care are currently updating their PA Toolkit. This was originally launched in 2009 and
was designed to help people employ their own personal assistants.
Before updating it, Skills for Care would like to know your views on the toolkit in its current
version, including any suggestions you may have on its content and format.
Please be assured that your answers will be treated in the strictest confidence and your personal
details will not be linked to the answers that you give, nor will they be shared with any third party.
Thank you for participating in this review. Your responses will help to ensure that the revised
toolkit best meets the future needs of people employing PAs.
Step 1: Review the toolkit
Before answering these questions please ensure that you have had a read through of the toolkit.
Online and audio versions are available here: www.skillsforcare.org.uk/patoolkit/
Step 2: Complete the questionnaire
Start with Section A below.
You may find it helpful to have a copy of the PA Toolkit open to refer to whilst answering the
questions.

3. Section A: About you
A1) Do you employ a Personal Assistant (PA)?
 Yes [go to Question A2]
 No [go to Question A1b]
A1b) If ‘No’, are you…?
 Thinking about employing a PA in the near future (i.e. next 6 months) [go to Question B1]
 Considering that you may need to look into employing a PA in the medium to long-term future
(i.e. 6-12 months) [go to Question B1]
 Not considering employing a PA in the foreseeable future
A2) Have you accessed any help in employing your PA? (this might include books, websites,
organisations, etc)
 Yes
 No [go to Question B1]
A2b) If ‘Yes’, please list the sources of help you have accessed
A2c) Which of these was the most helpful to you?
Section B: Awareness of the Skills for Care PA Toolkit
B1) Were you aware of the Skills for Care PA Toolkit before today?
 Yes, I have used the Toolkit [go to Question B2]
 Yes, I was aware of it, but haven’t used it before [go to Question C1]
 No [go to Question C1]
B2) How did you find out about the PA Toolkit?
 From Skills for Care (e.g. internet site or event)
 From my direct payment support organisation
 From someone else who employs a PA
 Other [please specify]

4. Section C: Accessing the Skills for Care PA Toolkit
C1) How many times have you used the PA Toolkit?
 Once – today only
 Once before today
 Twice before today
 Three times before today
 Four or more times before today
C2) In what format have you used the PA toolkit? [Tick all that apply]
 Online
 Audio
 Paper version (book)
 Large print paper version (book)
C3) Which format do you prefer?
 Online
 Audio
 Paper version (book)
 Large print paper version (book)
C4) Are there any other formats that you would find useful? [Tick all that apply]
 Printed booklet with suggested templates
 Braille
 Easy read
 Large print
 Interactive online
 Audio
 Pocket size booklet
 Other [Please specify]

5. Section D: Use of the Skills for Care PA Toolkit
D1) How have you used the PA Toolkit? [Tick all that apply]
 To help me employ a PA
 As a reference guide
 To use the templates
 To understand how to be a good employer
 Other [Please specify]
D2) How useful have you found the PA Toolkit?
 Overall: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
 Employing a PA: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
 Being a good employer: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
 Getting started: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
 Keeping your PA: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
 Sorting out problems: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
 Additional resources: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
D3) How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about the PA Toolkit?
 It is easy to read : Agree strongly / Tend to agree / Neither / Tend to disagree / Disagree
strongly
 There is too much jargon: Agree strongly / Tend to agree / Neither / Tend to disagree /
Disagree strongly
 It contains relevant and up-to-date information: Agree strongly / Tend to agree / Neither / Tend
to disagree / Disagree strongly
 There isn’t enough detail: Agree strongly / Tend to agree / Neither / Tend to disagree /
Disagree strongly
D4) Would you recommend it to someone else who employs (or was thinking of employing) a
PA?
 Yes
 Maybe
 No

6. Section E: About the individual chapters in the PA Toolkit
E1 Employing a Personal Assistant
E1a) What, if anything, did you particularly like or find helpful about this chapter?
E1b) What, if anything, did you particularly dislike or not find helpful about this chapter?
E2 Being a good employer
E2a) What, if anything, did you particularly like or find helpful about this chapter?
E2b) What, if anything, did you particularly dislike or not find helpful about this chapter?
E3 Getting started
E3a) What, if anything, did you particularly like or find helpful about this chapter?
E3b) What, if anything, did you particularly dislike or not find helpful about this chapter?
E4 Keeping your Personal Assistant
E4a) What, if anything, did you particularly like or find helpful about this chapter?
E4b) What, if anything, did you particularly dislike or not find helpful about this chapter?
E5 Sorting out problems
E5a) What, if anything, did you particularly like or find helpful about this chapter?
E5b) What, if anything, did you particularly dislike or not find helpful about this chapter?
E6 Additional resources
E6a) What, if anything, did you particularly like or find helpful about this chapter?
E6b) What, if anything, did you particularly dislike or not find helpful about this chapter?

7. Section F: Final thoughts
F1) Was there anything in the PA Toolkit which you feel is no longer relevant / needs to be
updated?
F2) Did you feel that there was any information that was missing from the PA Toolkit?
F3) How useful would you find the following:
 How to employ an apprentice PA: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very useful / Not at all useful
 Where to find advice on providing a pension for your PA: Very useful / Fairly useful / Not very
useful / Not at all useful
F4) If the PA Toolkit became a paid for publication, how much would you be willing to pay for
it?
 Nothing – I think it should be a free resource
 £1-£5
 £6-£10
 £11-£20
 More than £20
F5) Do you have any other comments about the PA Toolkit?
Thank you for your time
Please send your completed survey to Richard Watts at ecdp by emailing rwatts@ecdp.co.uk
Your responses will be collated and will provide useful information
to update the PA Toolkit