Sharing Stories

Rosina Sharrock Rosina Sharrock

Amber’s Story - Personal Assistant

Amber fits PA work around her psychology studies, and her own lived experience of neurodiversity helps her support the people she works with.

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Rosina Sharrock Rosina Sharrock

Beth’s Story - Personal Assistant

After being made redundant from IT, Beth looked for something more rewarding. Eight years on, she's the trusted lead PA for the family she supports.

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Rosina Sharrock Rosina Sharrock

Ellen’s Story - Personal Assistant

Ellen has been a PA all her working life. Being someone people can rely on makes it feel less like work and more like being with friends.

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  • “I would just do the bits that they needed me to do.”

  • “I had never considered the personal care industry as a career but now treasure an ongoing friendship with the PA I worked with for 5 years”

  • “I put myself in their shoes and think, what would I want and just work with that”

  • “The role is really rewarding, enjoyable and fun.”

  • “You work with an Individual Employer, not for them.”

  • “Skills needed to be a good PA are to be a good listener, to understand their wishes and work with them, not direct them.”

  • “Kath said she would definitely recommend becoming a PA. She cherishes it and when you can see the difference you make in someone’s life it’s phenomenal.”

  • “I would help her make the smaller decisions, giving prompts and support and help her with her working life.”

  • “When you make that relationship with another person, you don’t feel like you are employed,”

  • “When you make that relationship with another person, you don’t feel like you are employed,”

  • “If you enjoy what you do, it doesn’t feel like work, and it is just so rewarding”

  • “I feel like you are part of their journey.”

  • “Be friendly, be approachable… that’s the first step”

  • “My individual employer says she doesn’t want a carer, she wants a friend,”

  • “You choose who your own friends due to how much you get on with them, and there’s always someone looking for a friend like you to work with.”

  • “He loves being in a position to direct his own support to meet his changing needs and interests.”

  • “Each day is different, as they help him to achieve his goals and do things he enjoys”

  • “Zahid would recommend employing PAs to anyone looking for personalised support at home because you are your own boss, without anyone telling you what to do.”

  • “Understanding that everyone is different really helps to build positive relationships with the people you are working with”

  • “Amber loves this work because every week is different.”

  • “That’s because over the years the family have come to trust me to do everything and anything”

  • “I love the variation; we do something different every week.”

  • “I feel like I’ve achieved what I set out to do, find something that’s more rewarding”

  • “A positive about having a direct payment is that my son has a say in his care”

  • “I like the flexibility and the relationship and trust that has developed between us.”