The Scottish Personal Assistant Employers Network(SPAEN) is a company limited by guarantee with no share capital and a registered charity that works across the whole of Scotland.

This means that the company has no shares/shareholders, we answer to our members and the Scottish Government, no-one else. This ensures that our members are our highest priority in everything we do.

SPAEN was set up in 1999 to help people to take active control over their care and support packages. We are a membership organisation and we support people with disabilities and / or long-term conditions or impairments to use a Direct Payment to employ Personal Assistants. If you are unsure what a Direct Payment is then you can learn more here.

We offer a range of supports and services to enable people to employ and manage their own staff. Allowing our members to take control of their care so they can receive the support they want with carers they choose.

We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to employ their own staff to assist them in living a full, independent life as an active citizen in their local community, empowering them to live the life they want. Our range of supports and services are designed to help people achieve this.