Training frequently asked questions

Unfortunately not. Southfield House only has a small carpark and the building houses four separate businesses. We are in the town centre so there are many options including the below:

Car parks available in the area:

• High Street multi-storey car park
• Grafton Road multi-storey car park
• Marine place car park - Ranging from £1.30 for 1 hour up to £6.50 for 5 hours.
• Union Place car park - Ranging from £1.95 for 1 hour up to £7.80 for 4 hours (£9.95 for up to 24 hours).

Buses

There are a number of bus companies servicing Worthing town centre. Please see the bus company websites for timetables:

• Brighton & Hove – Bus timetables
• Stagecoach – Bus timetables – Choose Worthing from the ‘Select Location’ drop-down
• Compass – Bus timetables
• Metrobus – Bus timetables

Trains

Worthing train station is a 15 minute walk from the Independent Lives office. For latest train times to Worthing station, visit southernrailway.com. 

Yes, you will. There is a short quiz following your session and if this is completed with a rate of 75% or higher then your certificate will be sent to you via email. 

We are currently developing a range of clinical training options and hope to launch these before the end of the year. 

If you need more information on how to access this training, please contact your AACC nurse or contact our advice team on 01903 219482 (option 3).

From 1 April 2026, when Skills for Care funding ends, charges will apply to most courses.

However, those in receipt of a West Sussex Direct Payment or funding from Pan Sussex through a Personal Health Budget (PHB) will still be able to attend the following courses at no cost:

• Medication Support and Administration

• First Aid

• Manual Handling

All other courses will cost £40 - £100 per person.

For more information or if you have any questions, please email training@independentlives.org.

We ask that you let us know of any cancellations at least 48 hours in advance where possible. Some of our courses are over subscribed so your space could be allocated to someone else if we are provided with enough time.

We ask that if you are going to be late, you let us know by phoning 01903 219482 (option 3). If you are more than 15 minutes late to the session, you may not be admitted and will need to rearrange via our website.

You can view our full training cancellation policy here. 

As our offices and training suite are based in Worthing, we are aware that this is quite some way for a lot of PAs. We currently work in libraries around West Sussex where we can do a theory only moving and handling. We advise that this is for already experienced personal assistants and not people who are new to a caring role. Please note, the First Aid course includes the practical in external venues as training equipment is fully portable.

For most of our training courses, there is an option to join an online session. However, First Aid and moving and handling are face-to-face due to a practical element.

There can be an option to train in your own home if you are using specific equipment or your Personal Assistants are unable to attend our sessions. This can be discussed with our training team by emailing training@independentlives.org

There may be an additional charge when training in someone’s own home.

You do not need to bring anything specific with you, pens and paper are provided for note – taking for the in-person sessions. You may want to have a notepad if you are joining online. 

You can view our training risk assessment here which covers sessions held at our office in Worthing.

For practical sessions you will be asked to fill out a health declaration so the trainer is aware of any injuries or physical ailments so adjustments can be made. If you feel that there is something separate that may impact your learning, then please email training@independentlives.org so the trainer can be aware.

Yes, you can, all our training is available to Personal Assistants and their employers. This covers people in receipt of Direct Payments and PHBs. Training can also be accessed by private customers and self-employed Personal Assistants. 

If the course isn’t available through us, you may find suitable courses in the Skills for Care directory of user-led organisation training, which lists funded training options available to PAs and employers.

You may also be able to access training via the Skills for Care Individual Employer Fund. This fund can be used to cover training costs to develop your skills as an employer, direct costs of your PA completing training/qualifications and hiring replacement support whilst your usual PA is attending training courses and travel. You can find more details and how to apply by following this link.