Direct payments for disabled children and young people

Use this guide to find out more about direct payments for disabled children and young people.

Your responsibilities as an employer

If you use your direct payments to employ a personal assistant (PA) to meet the needs of your child, you’ll have certain responsibilities for anyone you employ.

You’ll be given advice from a children’s direct payment adviser with this.

This will include:

  • accessing advice on tax and national insurance
  • help with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
  • help with other issues to help you manage your responsibilities as an employer.

If the person employed will be working in a school environment to support the young person, then there must be a service level agreement in place with the school.

This needs to include:

  • any induction or training the school requires the person to undertake, for example, health and safety and first aid
  • any security measures that the person will need to adhere to, for example, if a pass is required to get around the building
  • brief outline of duties and responsibilities of that person
  • point of contact in the school for the person in cases of emergency
  • confirmation that a DBS check has been completed and the DBS number
  • a contingency plan for if the person supporting the young person is off sick or doesn't not turn up.

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