My Personal Assistant has symptoms
Self-isolating (staying at home) is no longer a legal requirement, but if your PA has COVID-19 symptoms or has tested positive, they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they no longer have a high temperature (if they had one) or they no longer feel unwell.
If your PA has been ill for at least 4 days in a row and earns above the lower earnings limit, then they could be entitled to statutory sick pay.
My Personal Assistant isn’t ill but they don’t want to work
If the Personal Assistant self-isolates through choice, where there are no grounds for why they have not turned up for work, they should not be paid, other than for any annual leave available to them.
You might want to seek advice from your insurance company to see if there is a disciplinary aspect to this.
My Personal Assistant becomes ill at work
If your Personal Assistant becomes ill at work with symptoms of COVID-19, you should send them home from the onset of symptoms. They can return to work when they feel well enough to do so, the same as with any other illness.
If they test positive, they should try and stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel better or do not have a high temperature.
If you would be unsafe without assistance and are unable to get anyone else to provide it, you and the Personal Assistant may decide that care should be continued in the short term ensuring use of PPE and social distancing. You should document this and the reasons you made this decision.
My Personal Assistant won’t self-isolate and I think they should
If your Personal Assistant is showing symptoms of COVID-19, or has told you that members of their household have symptoms but proposes to continue working, contact Independent Lives for support.
My Personal Assistant cannot work due to childcare
If your Personal Assistant’s children are unable to go to school or usual child care, they can apply for a reasonable amount of unpaid dependent’s leave to care for children.
They may also be able to take unpaid parental leave (up to four weeks per year per child) or you could ask to take annual leave. Please see: www.gov.uk/parental-leave.
Where can I get PPE?
Direct Payment employers and informal carers are eligible for free PPE until 31 March 2024 or until stocks from the Department of Health and Social Care are depleted, whichever comes first. Once stocks are depleted, Direct Payment employers and informal carers will be expected to purchase PPE themselves, in line with the Government’s living with COVID-19 strategy.
Employee Support
ACAS has completed a guide for employees, which covers all aspects of COVID advice. Alternatively, you can contact your insurance company for independent advice. Please see: https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus.
There has been a website page set up called ‘Coronaheroes’ for people and families to help share useful links, practical tips and ideas that people who manage their Direct Payments have put in place for themselves and their Personal Assistants.
There are webinars on employment, contingency planning, accessing care – all of the webinar recordings can be found at www.be-human.org.uk/coronaheroes.