A research report into what local authorities across England are doing to support people who employ personal assistants has been launched.

Skills for Care, the Association of Directors of Adult Services (ADASS) and Learn to Care came together to produce Better understanding of levels of support for individual employers and their personal assistants (PAs).

The report was commissioned to find out more about how local authorities support more than 170,000 individual employers and their personal assistants, who now make up around a fifth of the adult social care workforce.

It points to the leadership role that local authorities have as commissioners in developing local markets. It also makes it clear that local authority partnerships with direct payment support and user led organisations are crucial to embed personalisation.

One of the areas highlighted was the need for more support and information for PAs plus more learning and development opportunities for this growing part of the workforce.

The three organisations make very clear recommendations that local authorities and key partners can begin to implement.

An advice note for local authorities was also launched setting out the minimum standards of support for individual employers and personal assistants backed by examples of good practice. Local authorities, individual employers and PAs can also access a range of case studies that share good practice.

The report, guidance notes and case studies can be downloaded at www.skillsforcare.org.uk/paframework