Personal Assistants – MTYOR

Disability North; York and North Yorkshire; On-site; GBP 18,000 - 22,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

6 weeks paid holiday

Warm and friendly environment

You are seen and treated as a human

Job summary

Disability North in Heworth, York (YO31) is seeking 1–2 Personal Assistants to support a disabled solo parent. The role involves personal care, light housekeeping, meal prep, community access, and occasional parenting support, with shifts including evenings and weekends.

Applicants should have a full UK driving licence, a clear DBS, and comfort with LGBT+ clients. Vaccination status and DBS completion are noted, and a supportive team environment is emphasized.

Qualifications

• Candidates must be able to drive and use the employer’s vehicle.
• DBS check completed upon offer.
• Ability to work weekends and/or evenings as required.
• Experience supporting adults with autism is essential.
• Comfortable in a home environment with a child present.
• Awareness of chronic pain and its impacts on daily living.
• Respect for LGBTQ+ colleagues and clients.
• Experience supporting those with mental health needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide personal assistance including personal care support.
• Assist with daily tasks, cooking, shopping, and light housework.
• Support access to the community and outings.
• Assist with parenting activities and safety tasks.
• Transport support using employer vehicle when needed.
• Maintain clear communication and daily reporting with the team.

Skills

Full UK driving licence

Clear enhanced DBS

Weekend/evening availability

Experience with autism

Able to work around a young child

Chronic pain awareness

LGBTQ+ awareness

Mental health support experience

Job description

Positions: Personal Assistant

Location: Heworth, York (YO31)

Wage: £13.60 per hour

Hours:

Monday 4:30-7:30pm

Wednesday, Friday, Sunday 9:00-10:30am

Thursday 4:30-8:30pm

Flexibility required due to nature of the role. Extra hours available to cover holidays/absence within the team.

Shifts expected to be shared between 2 new team members, according to availability.

Driver Essential

Essential criteria:

• Full UK driving licence (use of employer vehicle)
• Clear enhanced DBS check (completed upon job offer)
• Ability to work weekends and/or evenings (regularly or to cover absence or holidays within the team)
• Experience with adults with autism
• Can work in environment where there is a young child
• Awareness of chronic pain impacts on daily living
• LGBTQ+ awareness and knowledge
• Experience working with/supporting those with mental health difficulties

Seeking 1 or 2 new permanent members of a team of personal assistants to support a disabled solo parent in their early 30s to live life independently and to the fullest possible. Role requires some personal care support (assistance showering), light housekeeping, help with cooking/meal prep, food shopping, accessing the community, and more. I may also require help to physically enact some of my parenting role – such as lifting my child into or out of the car, support around teeth brushing or putting on footwear. Opportunities to support days out or travel within the country may also occur.

Applicants must bring enthusiasm, confidence, capacity to be self-motivated and work semi-independently at times, be comfortable working around young children, comfort with LGBT+ people, excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English…and openness to impromptu dancing happening.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title Personal Assistant

About Me

I am a person in my early 30s who lives with multiple chronic health conditions which affect multiple aspects of my daily life. I am also the solo parent to a young child, meaning there is rarely a dull moment! Working with me requires a team of adaptable Personal Assistants who can keep up in a dynamic environment, and have a laugh along the way with me. My child is being raised in a multilingual environment surrounded by a variety of people from various walks of life – this diversity is highly important to us and celebrated.

I live a life that is so much more than a list of health conditions or symptoms, with hobbies including cooking and baking, crochet, knitting, music, and gardening when the seasons allow!

What I Need

Since becoming a parent, life has become less predictable but also more fun! I need a team of PAs who are reliable, able to communicate clearly in both written and spoken English (other languages are a bonus), and are able to act under both direct instruction and also using initiative as I juggle daily life plus the surprises children can create. The ideal candidate will be able to offer an amount of flexibility within boundaries regarding hours, as what is needed day to day and week to week fluctuates, especially as seasons change and children develop fast. I am hoping to become more integrated into my local community following the pandemic and a house move, meaning support is needed to plan and access the outside world, with PAs able to take a step back during moments where support is less needed, and be sufficiently aware as to step back in when needed. Life is rarely dull or quiet, so shifts can be busy with tasks and often little time to pause in order to keep on top of the never ending tasks in adulthood and parenthood.

What I look for in a PA

• Comfortable in an environment involving both a child and mobility aids
• Cheerful, friendly, sociable, and truthful
• Reliable, competent, practical, and able to self-motivate
• Able to become familiar with my routines and support me in them
• Able to work semi-independently, completing tasks you start and using initiative as I cannot micro-manage constantly
• A capable and adaptable communicator
• Imaginative and creative
• Confident and willing to learn
• Someone able to find the positive in many situations, whilst not erasing the reality of challenges or negative emotions
• A sense of fun in life, able to cope with a workplace that enjoys puns and spontaneous dancing
• Respectful of your employer, and the fact that your workplace is their home
• Someone with a full UK driving licence (use of employer’s vehicle)
• Have an awareness of adult Autism
• Have an awareness of the impacts of living with chronic pain
• Have an awareness of basic parenting demands, whilst able to respect and support the approach to these that I take
• Be supportive of varied people, including LGBT people, those of multiple ethnic and religious backgrounds
• Be able to leave any personal issues at the door, so we can have appropriate boundaries

Example of tasks included in the role

• Supporting me physically to fulfil my parenting role
• Supporting access to the community
• Support me to take care of day-to-day activities and household chores
• Support me to plan menu, shop for food, and preparing meals
• Cooking together and without me when parenting tasks call me away
• Support around managing personal care (showering)
• Support me to make and attend medical appointments, achieving positive outcomes
• Supporting me to engage in activities that nourish my own mental wellbeing as well as that of my child

Rewards

• 6 weeks paid holiday per year
• A warm and friendly environment
• Working in an environment where “you are seen and treated as a human being” (said by a previous PA)

The successful candidate will have had or be willing to have their Covid-19 vaccinations.

This post is subject to DBS check and references.

At time of starting their employment, successful candidates must have permission to work in the UK.