What a Personal Assistant (PA) wants from their employer - on their first day

We're 6 months into piloting our new apprenticeship in 'being an employer of PAs'  with 3 young disabled people working with 3 apprentice PAs. This has given us opportunity for the 'employers' to experience working with different PAs. Over the last 6 weeks or so, we've been working up to such a change, by following the processes and procedures required in finding and appointing a PA, culminating in a 'first day' working together.

At the end of this 'first day' recently I asked everyone to recall what they had covered over the previous 6 weeks, and this is what they shared:

• The importance of honesty, confidentiality, responsibility, and independence
• The need to separate the personal from the professional
• To reflect on and use experiences
• The importance and use of a Job Description, and Person Specification
• The use of an application form
• The management of interviews, references, and the contract of employment, and
• Considerations early on such as income tax, induction, and the 'first day'.

Having compiled this list I then asked 'what do they think is the most important consideration for the first day of employment of a PA?'.

Almost immediately one of the PAs said "honesty", then another said "independence….because when I work for someone I want to know what they can do, and the things they can't".

Whilst we've always focused on the relevance of independence (and not just the apprenticeships as 'ends in themselves'), I was astonished at this comment, given I had expected other more practical issues to be raised as requiring consideration on a 'first day'.

In reflecting on all of this I recall a friend, and mentor who spent many years as a Prison Governor, say to me "you only become truly independent, when you know and name your dependencies". In other words there is no shame in all of us being honest about the things we need help with, because it's only through doing this that we become clearer about those things we can do for ourselves.

And for a young 17 year old apprentice PA, this is what she would want to explore with you on her 'first day' of work for you.