Concerned about the COVID risk?
If you employ a personal assistant (PA) and you're concerned about catching Coronavirus, protect yourself by following the latest guidance from the Government on staying alert and safe, and guidance on shielding and protecting people who are clinically extremely vulnerable from COVID-19
PAs are classed as essential key workers, but bringing extra people into your house poses additional risk so this is not recommended. If your PA chooses not to come to your house in order to care for their children, you do not need to pay either salary or statutory sick pay (SSP).
If your Social Worker was due to visit you and review your direct payments (DPs), and has not been able to, they will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
They might reschedule if your review is not urgent, or agree to contact you by phone to reduce the risk of infection. Our Virgin Care team or Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP) will contact you to check that you have good plans in place so that essential care can continue.
Our Client Finance Team should have written to you explaining when your next DP audit is due. If you are unable to send in this audit return by the specified date due to COVID-19 social distancing, please email Client_FinanceTeam@BATHNES.GOV.UK or call 01225 39 64 87 (our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 1pm).
You will still need to provide the audit return as soon as you can once restrictions have been lifted. Therefore, keep copies of all bank statements and supporting evidence such as receipts, invoices, timesheets or any other proof of expenditure to ensure your financial audit can still be completed by our team.
You must use your DP to meet your care and support needs that have been identified in your social care and support assessment. If you accumulate more than 4 weeks contingency, once the pandemic has passed, we will complete audits as usual, and any unspent funds over and above your 4 weeks contingency funding will be recovered. Keep all supporting evidence (receipts, bank statements, invoices, timesheets and so on) as usual, to ensure your financial audit can still be completed by our team.
If you have run out of money for food and bills, or you are unable to get out to withdraw cash because you are self-isolating, you should not be using your DP for this. It's important to make sure that you spend your DP on meeting your care and support needs as identified in your social care and support assessment and plan.
Audits will still take place, however, if you are in difficulty and on a low income, the Welfare Support team can help with getting food in emergency situations. Assistance is usually through the provision of shopping vouchers and referrals to the food banks in the region.
The Money Advice Service
Coronavirus - what it means for you and what you're entitled to
3SG and Virgin Care
We are also working with 3SG and Virgin Care to support communities and the most vulnerable in their own homes.
3SG is recruiting volunteers through its #CompassionateCommunities scheme to offer support to community groups and charities as they work to help elderly or vulnerable people self-isolating.
Call the Compassionate Communities Hub on 0300 247 0050 for more details.
If you continue to pay your staff, you will need to continue to pay your assessed weekly care charge. As an employer, it's your responsibility to decide if you need to continue paying your staff, even if they are not currently providing you with a service, due to illness or your decision to self-isolate.
You should consider the person’s employment contract, if they have one, and whether they are considered by HMRC to be employed or self-employed; there may also be other factors to consider depending on your individual circumstances.
If you need any help, call our Virgin DP Hub on 0300 247 0201
Your day service might be closed at the moment. If your agreement or contract with the day service states that you only pay for the sessions you attend, you shouldn't have to continue to pay whilst the service is closed. Check your agreement or contract if you're not sure, or contact the day service directly.
If you use an agency to engage a PA for you, and you need further supplies of gloves, masks and aprons (PPE), the PA or agency are responsible for providing these items for you.
If you are a self-employed PA, contact your usual supplier for PPE.
Unable to source PPE?
If yourself or your agency are unable to source PPE, call our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201 (option 2), especially if it's urgent and you have COVID-19 symptoms. If you are under Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP), call their Recovery team on 01225 73 16 31, Complex Intervention and Treatment Team on 01225 37 14 11, or Early Intervention Team on 01225 36 27 60
Find out about using PPE and how to work safely in domiciliary care on GOV.UK.
All PAs are now eligible for a free flu vaccination from their GP or local community pharmacy.
Flu is a serious illness that can cause severe complications and death, but vaccination helps prevent people from getting flu or from spreading it to patients and others who receive care and support. And the flu vaccination protects you and your family, as well as the people you care for.
To find out more information about getting a flu vaccination, including how you may need to prove your eligibility to get one (a letter can be downloaded from this page on GOV.UK and completed by your employer/direct payment holder), visit the flu immunisation for social care staff guidance page on GOV.UK - specifically, the 'Personal care assistants: guidance for free flu vaccination (leaflet)' and 'Letter of entitlement to a free winter flu vaccination for PAs employed by individuals'.
Antibody testing is now available and is free of charge for PAs. The antibody test is a voluntary blood test which detects antibodies to the COVID-19 virus to see if you have previously had the virus, and will inform government research.
You cannot take the test if you currently have symptoms, or have been advised to take the COVID-19 test. See ‘Antibody Testing – Personal Assistants’ on the Skills for Care website.
Order your CARE badge
The Department of Health and Social Care is providing CARE badges free of charge for those working in the adult social care sector, including PAs. This is to recognise your critical work, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak.
As a PA, you will need to create a new account on the online ordering service website, to order a badge. You will need to give your name, delivery address and email address. The ‘organisation name’ section& can be left blank.
If you directly employ a PA using a health or social care direct payment, or your own money, you can ask for money for training, through what's called 'Individual employer funding' - to apply or to find our more, visit the Skills for Care website.
DP users who employ their own Personal Assistants (PAs)
PA self-isolating but no cover in place
If your PA is self-isolating and there's no cover in place, consider the following options:
- Who usually supports you when your PA is on leave - can your holiday cover help out?
- Do you have any family members or friends who can help you?
If not, call our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201 (option 2). If you are under Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP), call their Recovery team on 01225 73 16 31, Complex Intervention and Treatment Team on 01225 37 14 11, or Early Intervention Team on 01225 36 27 60
If you use a DP support service, they cannot source replacement care workers for you, but could help you to advertise for help.
Self-isolating without symptoms
If you are self-isolating but have no COVID-19 symptoms, your PA can still support you, as long as your PA is symptom free and following the Public Health England advice.
Take steps to keep yourself safe by washing your hands, wearing a mask, and keeping 2 meters apart. If you have a health condition that makes you particularly vulnerable, you may want to take steps to limit the number of people and visits supporting you.For advice on staying safe, visit the NHS website
Self-isolating with symptoms
If you are self-isolating and have COVID-19 symptoms, your PA will have to assess the risk in supporting you and could decide that they can't do this whilst you have symptoms.
If your PA can't support you, call our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201 (option 2). If you are under Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP), call their Recovery team on 01225 73 16 31, Complex Intervention and Treatment Team on 01225 37 14 11, or Early Intervention Team on 01225 36 27 60
They will help you to identify alternative care and support to cover your essential needs through one of the following options:
- Your own personal networks
- The community
- An alternative PA
- A care agency
Paying your PA who is self-isolating or off sick
If your PA is self-isolating or off sick, and you're not sure whether you still need to pay them or not, and you have a payroll provider, please contact them in the first instance. If you don't have a payroll provider, please contact the Direct Payment advisors by calling our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201.
Statutory sick pay (SSP)
Self-isolating employees are legally defined as being unfit to attend work, so they should notify you of their intention to self-isolate in accordance with your sickness and absence procedure. They have the right to remain away from work for a period of 14 days from the symptoms becoming known.
As they are considered to be unfit for work, they are entitled to statutory sick pay (SSP), if eligible, from day one of their absence. Employees or workers (including those on zero-hour contracts and casual workers), can receive SSP if they have earned on average £118 per week over the last eight weeks, and have given you the correct notice.
You will be able to reclaim the first two weeks’ SSP paid for COVID-related absences (although the procedure for doing so is not yet clear).
If they are not eligible for SSP, you must provide them with the SSP1 form to explain why, which will allow them to present a claim for possible benefits.
View the stay at home guidance due to a possible Coronavirus infection on GOV.UK.
PA doesn't want to come to work
If your PA chooses not to work and there's no identified high risk of infection, then no pay will be given as this is an unauthorised absence.
Essential shopping and cleaning
If you are self isolating and cannot get out to do essential shopping, your PA can do this for you, if help with shopping was one of the things identified in your care and support plan. If not, and you have no one else who could help, call our Compassionate Communities Hub on 0300 2470050.
If you are self isolating but would like some help with cleaning, continue to use your DP to meet the support needs and outcomes identified in your care and support plan. If this includes hygienic cleaning for example, then you can use your DP to pay for this.
If you are self isolating because you are particularly vulnerable, you will need to ;consider whether it is safe for your PA to continue to attend, and if they are willing to continue to do so. This could depend on how many other people your PA has close contact with.
View the stay at home guidance due to a possible Coronavirus infection on GOV.UK.
If you don't want your PA to support you at the moment, contact your Social Worker or care coordinator, if you have one. If you don't have a Social Worker or care coordinator, call our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201 (option 2). If you are under Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP), call their Recovery team on 01225 73 16 31, Complex Intervention and Treatment Team on 01225 37 14 11, or Early Intervention Team on 01225 36 27 60.
They will help you decide if it's safe to stop your PA support or not. Contact your payroll provider as soon as possible, if you have one, to find out if you have to pay your PA. If your PA is employed rather than self employed, you usually still need to pay them or else you will be in breach of contract. An alternative could be for your PA to take their annual leave at this time, but it's best to either speak to your payroll support provider first (if you have one), or our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201 (option 2).
Check if you can claim for your employees' wages through the furlough scheme
As the government considers PAs to be essential workers, furloughing them should be avoided where possible. The Government doesn't expect the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (furlough scheme) to be used by many public sector organisations, or those who employ people through funding provided to them as a direct payment. This is because the majority of public sector employees continue to provide essential public services, or contribute to the response to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Not eligible for the furlough scheme
If you employ staff (for example, a PA) and receive public funding for them, we would expect you to use that money to continue to pay them in the usual way. This also applies to non-public sector employers who receive public funding for staff costs.
Eligible for the furlough scheme
In a small number of cases, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme can apply. For example, if your PA is unable to deliver the care and support you require, or if they cannot be redeployed to assist with the Coronavirus response, they could be furloughed. You will need to explain why this is the case when processing your claim for furlough.
Things to consider for your care and support arrangements:
- If you decide to stop your PA from coming into your home, depending on their employment contract, they may be entitled to full pay.
- PAs are not automatically entitled to be furloughed under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as the work may still be available.
- Family or friends could provide care and support to you on a voluntary basis (there will be no added cost to the budget during this time). This could be considered for a short period, such as 4 weeks, and then reviewed with us (the council) or the CCG.
- If family or friends are unable to provide care and support on a voluntary basis but can do this if they are paid, you need to agree this with your Social Worker or care coordinator. This could be considered for a short period (4 weeks), and then reviewed with your Social Worker or care coordinator.
If you have run out of money, including contingency funds for instance, in your DP account, because you've had to pay sick pay for your PA, and additional cover for the shifts they would normally do, you could get extra funding. Contact your payroll provider, if you have one, as soon as possible.
If you have incurred additional costs due to Coronavirus and having to pay Statutory Sick Pay, (SSP), you will be able to reclaim the first two weeks’ SSP from the government. You may also be able to receive extra funding into your DP. Please make sure that you keep all receipts or invoices as proof of your expenditure. You will need to send these to our Client Finance Team when your DP account is audited.
DP users who use an agency or self employed PAs for their care
If your agency or self-employed PA says they can't support you at the moment, consider the following options:
- Who usually supports you when your PA is on leave - can your holiday cover help out?
- Do you have any family members or friends who can help you?
If not, contact your Social Worker if you have one, or call our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201 (option 2). If you are under Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP), call their Recovery team on 01225 73 16 31, Complex Intervention and Treatment Team on 01225 37 14 11, or Early Intervention Team on 01225 36 27 60
If you use a DP support service, they cannot source replacement care workers for you, but could help you to advertise for help
If your agency or self-employed PA says they will be charging more during the Coronavirus pandemic, as a DP user, you are responsible for agreeing how much you pay for your care and support with your care agency or self-employed PA.
Check your original service agreement that you signed up to with your care agency or PA, as this might include details of any notice required or other arrangements in place to increase fees.
If your agreement allows the fees to increase and you need to pay more, please ensure that you obtain and keep a copy of the new agreement detailing the new prices.
If there is not enough funding in your DP, please contact your Social Worker or care coordinator, if you have one. If not, call our Virgin Care First Response Team on 0300 247 0201 (option 2). If you are under Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership (AWP), call their Recovery team on 01225 73 16 31, Complex Intervention and Treatment Team on 01225 37 14 11, or Early Intervention Team on 01225 36 27 60.
Self-employed PAs
If the person you support has asked you to stop coming to them at the moment, they may or may not still pay you. It depends on the terms of the agreement that you have in place with them.
Where you are genuinely self-employed and an agreement has not been made as to a retainer or a notice period, the person you support will be able to terminate your services immediately, and pay you only for the work that you have completed so far.
However, the government has introduced a Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which allows you to claim a taxable grant worth a percentage of your trading profits, up to a set maximum amount. Check how the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme works, who can claim and how much you can claim on the GOV.UK website.
Getting paid if you're a self-employed PA who can't work due to self-isolation or sickness depends on the terms of the agreement that you have in place with the person you support.
You could claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance if you're sick or self-isolating and unable to work. Find out about getting financial support if you have symptoms of Coronavirus, what to do if someone you live with has symptoms of Coronavirus, or what to do if you’re not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, on the GOV.UK website.
Getting paid if you're a sole trader providing support or activities to people in care homes who use their DP to pay for these activities or support and you have been told not to attend whilst the care home is closed to visitors for infection control, depends on the agreement you have with the DP users. Check to see if it states whether you will be paid if the care home is closed to visitors or non-residents.
Other financial support
The government has introduced a Coronavirus Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, which allows you to claim a taxable grant worth a percentage of your trading profits, up to a set maximum amount. Check how the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme works, who can claim and how much you can claim on the GOV.UK website.
Check if you can claim a grant
You could claim Universal Credit or Employment and Support Allowance if you're sick or self-isolating and unable to work. Find out about getting financial support if you have symptoms of Coronavirus, what to do if someone you live with has symptoms of Coronavirus, or what to do if you’re not eligible for Statutory Sick Pay, on the GOV.UK website.