A strategic approach to promoting and supporting personal assistant employment

To become a professional organisation of personal assistant employers SPAEN will provide an integrated range of proficient services including:

• Peer support, advice, training advocacy
• Information on best practice of employing personal assistants
• Representation and policy development

Peer support workers

SPAEN aims to train and develop a network of peer support workers particularly in parts of Scotland where there is no access to local support organisations such as centres for independent living. These peer support workers will provide practical one-to-one assistance to disabled people who want to find out more about employing personal assistants.

Training

SPAEN will take a lead role in the development and delivery of training resources on topics related to employing personal assistants. The market for the training will include; existing personal assistant employers, potential personal assistant employers, personal assistants themselves, and social work and health care professionals.

Promoting information and best practice

SPAEN will provide regular information to all its members on all the latest news and developments regarding the employment of personal assistants. It will create a quarterly newsletter, which will be sent to all members and SPAEN registered professionals.

Best practice for employing personal assistants in Scotland will be promoted via the updated code of practice, which will be made available on an interactive format via the SPAEN web-site

Representation and policy development

SPAEN aims to become the authoritative voice and interface between personal assistant employers and the policy developers at a local and national level in Scotland.

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