Personal Assistant / Care Assistant (Ref. 008277)

www.findapprenticeship.service.gov.uk - Jobboard; Ashford; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A community support service in Ashford is seeking a caring Personal Assistant to support a young girl with autism. The role includes providing supervision, assisting with personal care, and facilitating play and learning activities at home and in the community. Ideal candidates will have experience working with autistic children and possess a warm personality. Flexibility is essential, with hours mainly on weekends and some weekdays.

Qualifications

• Experience in supporting children (preferably autistic) in specialist settings.
• Must have a warm, patient, and engaging personality.
• Must be confident in working with children who have complex needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide supervision and safety awareness.
• Support personal care routines with sensitivity.
• Facilitate play and creative activities.
• Accompany on local trips and engage with the community.
• Support communication using visuals.

Skills

Experience supporting autistic children

Warm and patient personality

Confidence in 1:1 settings

Driving with own vehicle

Job description

Location: Ashford, Surrey (family home and surrounding areas)
Pay: £13.85 per hour
Hours: Up to 10 hours per week (flexible). Primarily Saturdays during term time, with additional weekday support during school holidays. Occasional after-school hours may also be available.

About the Role:
We are a friendly family seeking a caring, reliable and proactive Personal Assistant (PA) to support our 11-year-old daughter, who is autistic and attends a specialist autism school in Leatherhead. She is pre-verbal, but responds well to visuals and simple instructions, and thrives with structured, supportive engagement.
This is a rewarding and evolving role that will involve both home-based and community support. You’ll help with personal care tasks including dressing, toileting, brushing teeth, and feeding, as well as encouraging play, learning and safe exploration both at home and out and about.

Key Responsibilities:
• Providing supervision and safety awareness (our daughter has limited sense of danger)
• Supporting personal care routines (with sensitivity as her independence develops)
• Facilitating play and creative activities (drawing, building toys, imaginative play)
• Accompanying her on local trips and helping her engage with the community
• Supporting communication using visuals and structured guidance
• Encouraging gentle learning progress at home (e.g., reading, communication skills)

About You:
• Experience supporting autistic children, especially in specialist settings, is ideal
• A warm, patient and engaging personality is essential
• Confident working 1:1 with a child who has complex needs
• Driver with own vehicle preferred

Our daughter is a joyful, curious young girl with an infectious personality. While she can experience moments of distress due to anxiety, she responds positively to calm, consistent support and someone who can help her thrive in her environment. We also have a 14-year-old daughter and hope to welcome a PA into our home as part of the wider family.

If you think you’d be a good fit for this role, we’d love to hear from you. Please get in touch to discuss the hours, responsibilities, and your experience.